Testimony of Lunminthang Haokip

Lunminthang: the country-side settler
TESTIMONY OF LUNMINTHANG HAOKIP

Background: I was born and brought up in a very nominal Christian family. My father was a Pastor who left his flock midfield, yielded o the lure of greener pastures and made a U-turn to the sheepfold at the flag-end of his life. Daddy’s years of backsliding saw me graduate from an obscure country- ‘wolf’ who didn’t even bother to put on a sheep’s clothing to an insecure social- climber who was good from far but far from good. There was no sin i didn’t commit and no commandment i didn’t break. The more enslaving among them were habitual fixation to cinema, sexual immorality, greed, deceit, drinking, self-seeking and bribe-taking. Motivated by the spirit of materialism, i was driven down to depts. Of degrading depravity by the seemingly insatiable desire to equal my betters and better my equals.

Nose-Diving Take-Off: Heaven in its goodness wedded me to a simple God-fearing lady who kept praying for my conversion. My better half packed me, her bitter half, up to stay put fully in one of Rev. Khaizakham’s revival camps in 1985. There and then, the spirit of God convicted me of my awfully sinful indulgences and the dire need to be saved. Weeks passed, and due to lack of proper guidance and follow up work. I became a spiritual weakling battling a declining impulse. Liquor appeared all the most irresistible. Soon my resistance crumbled and I stumbled in getting sizzled with a vengeance. Like a beast on the prowl, I got myself embroiled in street-growls and brawls that ended up in a crawl in stinking gutter water.

Candid To A fault: A restless wretch, I, in a bid to bargain for vain gains, saw myself pandering to the whims and fancies of junior civil servants of the IAS-cadre I couldn’t get into. I was flattered with tongue-in-check platitudes as long as I kept my tongue unchecked in revealing candour. But it hit hard where it hurt most when I realised that although the brainy clan were doting on me individually in private, in public, the place they reserved for me in the charmed circle was no better than that of the “Tulsi” plant –outside the ‘house’. Their high-brow bruising signalled a clear message that being caged under the leverage of a subordinate state service, to the professionally privileged, was a disparaging disadvantage. Things came to a head when an autocratic wife of a bureaucrat told her hubby’s democratic colleague that he was lowering his prestige- percentage in being seen together often with a small-time ‘brat’ like me.

The Clamour to Restore : Came 1993.unprecedented human butchery rewrote Christian history in blood in Manipur. God sent His servant, Joshua Daniel to my town. Among other exposures of the abominations that plagued the land, the international preacher launched a charged diatribe on bribery (“Your crores will crush you and your children”). And mixing Christianity with tribal traditions (“The murderous spirit of your forefathers is still operating in your midst”). The powerful word of God shattered the stronghold of false pride in me. I penned down every word of the heavenly prescription meet for regeneration of a degenerated soul like mine. Meeting the Evangelist, I sought prayer for an incurable stomach pain. He first asked me to stop taking bribe and prayed. I agreed to ; and was instantly healed.

The Entreating Retreat-94 A ten-day battering by heart-searing massages of uncle Joe in a scorching Madras Retreat further scotched me in spiritual tenterhooks. The stirring impact of the divinely revealed gems of spiritual truths, at the end of the day, tenderly hook me to the Book of life- the Bible. In the foggy flight back home, the aerial bumps heightened the fear of a possible crash—and death. Sadly stranded in Silchar, I confessed all the sins I could recall to a man of God with a broken resolve to restitute. There God gave me the assurance of salvation from John 5:14, “Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee”. In the next day’s Silchar-Imphal flight. I was sailing on cloud nine. My heart was pleasantly warmed. I thought I wouldn’t swap occupational places even with His Excellency, the Governor of Manipur, ho was in the same flight, if the joy of salvation was t be made a part of the deal.

Visual Filth: REACHING HIME I delinked and disposed off the erstwhile source of visual delights—the TV and dish antenna—and managed to throttle the inflow of inter-continental filth inside my living room. Volumes of stolen official books were returned with due apology. By His grace, I could reconcile myself with brothers estranged from and embittered by me following self-centric show-downs and face-offs. Whereas it wasn’t humanly possible to restitute every misused penny, I made a lump-sump estimate of things that pricked my conscience through sale of possessions, ancestral property and withdrawal of savings. My lord rewarded me with a heart sprinkled from the feeling of guilt. “....Because in his forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed (Romans 3:25)”.

Built Up In Faith : Living off filthy lucre while setting past accounts wasn’t easy. Denying oneself all the comforts one got used to over the years was unbearable at times. But whenever afflictions in Canaan tempted to take me back to Egypt, the prayer-popped pincer-grip and burden-laden corrective measures of Dr. S.V. Job put me back on the right course. The astute Evangelist’s disciplining during the hassle-prone austere struggle helped me build up myself in faith. His focussed chastisement developed in me spiritual muscles strong enough to endure a faith-shattering barb-wire-piercing bloody bicycle accident that tore five inches of my head and bloodrenched me from tip o toe.

Resisting Sin: Momentarily depressed, I pressed the panic button in passionate prayer. Heaven answered from Hebrew 2:4 “You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin” and verse 6, “For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives”. I learned it the hard way that in His crucifixion, my Lord had away the sting of punishment due to me and only chastened me softly as His child, of and on.

Insulated Suffering : Conversion certainly isn’t a roller-coaster ride for ever. Emotional Ups were spoiled by depressional downs and seasonal downs, quelled by Ups. Friends and relatives seized opportunities to tear me down to shreds. I left no stone unturned to tell them how Christ’s atonement brought an about turn in me. Some were moved to tears but others turned taciturn and left no turn of mine unstoned. My firm stand to defy unbiblical traditions was responded with resentment resulting in reckless notional derecognition on my humble credentials in social and ecclesiastical circles. However my God attached old habits, unlatched new doors, fetched new folks for me and matched them with new attitude. He even took special care of spheres of my pair concern like children’s studies and spiritualities.

The Promise: Whenever my faith was rocked by kindred’s expectation and the sinking feeling of the necessity to settle the imposing monthly family accounts, the promise in the following verse checked and balanced my trust in my living God. “If you take out the precious from the vile, you shall be as my mouth. Let them return to you, but you must not return to them (Jeremiah 15:19)”.Today, God’s spirit insulates me to rather joyfully suffer indignities i low-cost living than guiltily enjoy sinful pleasures i high-cost socialising. Having chosen to live a righteous life, when I land up in dire straits, favoured kinsmen, who live to please self and men, would distance themselves in pregnant silence.

The Succour: Suckered sadists, they are keen as kids, to see my faith collapse. But divine mercy frustrates such wily wishes. Needs are there always. Yet, His grace is sufficient for me. In bad times, it’s His promise in Isaiah 33:15 & 16,, that keeps me going. “He who walks righteously....despises the gain of oppressions, who gestures with his hands refusing bribes... He will dwell on high...Bread, will be given him, His water will be sure”.

BETTER IAS : looking back, i came a long way from a clumsily craven upstart with a brazen IAS—hand-up. God not only earthed petty earthly ambitions, but reinvented my entire outlook and gifted me a new heart and a much better IAS- I AM SAVED. In the Ministry of spiritual affairs, His Almightiness, over and above mundane responsibilities, issues a new order decreeing a life-long service “My son, do not be negligent now, for the Lord has chosen you to stand before Him to serve Him, and that you should minister to Him and burn incense (II Chronicles 29:11)”.

DISABLE'S DAY OUT

LOVE THE UNLOVELY

By: Lunminthang Haokip
Introduction : On 13 August, 2005, nearly all the roads of Sadar Hills led to roam around Kangpokpi T.D-built Community hall. At 10 a.m the crowd had already swelled up and the 600-capacity auditorium threatened to burst in the seams. In the part- Sadar Hills administration and part-SSA, Sadar Hills-sponsored musical jamboree, the invitees were not the usual stuff. Some of them couldn't walk, some couldn't talk and others couldn't see and hear.
Love The Unlovely: Neglected and high-strung, they thronged Kpi lread quarter with wounded pride to ventilate their long-suppressed feelings of hurt and longing for acknowledgement of their pitiable existence. The administration was ill-prepared to host and take care of such a mammoth gathering of God's specially abled children. Thanks to the Secretary S.W, DC/Spt, DSWO/Spt staff of ADC/Kpi, SHADC/Kpi, ZEO/Kpi, NYK volunteers. HODs of Saikul and Saitu, a rare spectacle of "Love for the unlovely" could be pulled off. God blessed the combined effort with distribution of aids and appliances to the actually needy persons. It indeed was the disable's day-out.

Day Function : A galaxy of Gospel singing stars gladdened injured hearts with their chart-topping numbers. The musical cheering picked up to a crescendo with "God loves you all the more'" which was penned with the disables in mind by this author, set to tune by Ginmang Khongsai and sung with genuine emotions by the voice of grace, Esther Sitlhou. A key-note address on the theme by this author-focused on the spiritual inability of the so-called 'ables' and the special abilities of the disables was followed by a heart¬warming message from John Freddy, who is a believer, a teacher and a preacher rolled into

Lonely In A Crowd: one. The curious audience were enthralled by ageless melody queen, Mrs. Konnie Leivon's other-worldly number, Neicy Singson's high-pitched crooning, Onkholet Touthang's blind hit, Alen Chiru's moving presentation, Lalkhohen Chongloi's four-finger wonder item, group songs by TBA choir, Thangal Lalu and MTC choir. But the rendition that struck a chord with the mixed audience was this writer's testimonial song, "Lonely in a crowd", tuned by Seigoumang Lhouvum, instrumentally backed up by Tiken, Gugun, Milan, Minthang and John and sung with professional gait by Hechin Haokip, Lynda Neishiel and Seigoumang.

The Tear-Jerker : Mr. L.Lakher, Secretary, Social Welfare Deptt, could not attend the function. But the bureaucrat with a penchant to help the poor, saw to it that 20 Tri¬cycles, 7 wheel-chairs and 40 hearing-aids were distributed with the help of ALEMCO on the DD-out function. In appreciation of the heavenly song he composed, District administration honoured Lamkhohao Sitlhou, paralysed waist-downwards since 15 years, with the gift of a wheel-chair. The congregation was moved to tears when an emotion-choked Esther sitlhou, who received the wheel-chair on dear daddy's behalf, before presenting the song of life, "Van Jerusalem Thah"' briefly recollected the pangs of pain her family had undergone following daddy's disability. Tears actually dropped when the voice that launched a thousand CDs coolly appealed to her audience that it will be sad for the specially abled, after suffering infirmities on earth, to miss out on eternal rest with God in life thereafter. And that's possible only through being saved in Christ, she added.

The Motivating Factor : Disabilities are not a rare sight. There are all kinds of infirmities in our midst. It was Bunglienkung Hmar's heart-piercing composition, "New Heavenly Jerusalem " and the voice that popularized and endeared the promise of Revelation 21:4, "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying; neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away" When this author, in his responsibility as the chief administrator of Sadar Hills was getting hooked on the wording of the song mentioned above, it was time to get cracking with IED (Integrated Education for the Disabled children) under SSA, Sadar Hills. As IED covered children from 6 to 18, a medical assessment camp was also conducted hurriedly, with the assistance of Directorate of health, at Kpi on 11 August, 2005, with the aged infirm in mind. More than 280 handicapped persons turned up. ZEO/Kpi and CMO/Kpi's staff had a tough-time arranging things for segregation of infirmity. Nevertheless, the job got done.

Moving Scenes: The Chief Guest of the occasion, Mr. Thangminlen Kipgen, Hon'ble Circle MLA, was visibly moved when Miss Hekhol Thomsong, a Polio-affected limping child of God, trudged her way up to present a shawl to him. In his speech, the Chief Guest appealed all and sundry to take a good care of the physically challenged around us. Another scene of DD-Out that saddened every onlooker came when the last piece of Tri-Cycle was about to be handed out. One infirm child who wasn't supposed to get the last appliance sat on it and refused to be dragged out. With a heavy heart, the volunteers had to convince her about pre-assessment of disability which should be certified by a subject-specialist to be not less than 40% and that the beneficiaries' income shouldn't be less than Rs. 6500/- His maker was glorified when a single-handed Lalkhohen Chongloi effectively used the four fingers of his left hand both to hold the guitar chord and strum the strings with his small finger to follow the tune of a song. The viewers from near and far, weren't far from tears.
Breath-taking Break: After the day's proceedings, God's special children were invited to lunch with ADC, Kangpokpi. Some of them had to rush back home. Those who made it to the luncheon prepared with panache by Miss. Nengnou and friends had recipes that would spoil one's taste for ever to settle for nothing less. Bellies filled, a bus-load of the invitees were taken to Senapati to be welcomed with warmth by Mr. And Mrs. Prem Singh, DC/Senapati and Mr. And Mrs. Athem Muivah, ADM/Senapati. Pressure on time resulted in the spirited VSP's (Very special persons) inability to visit the picturesque Haipi village, the enchanting Mission compound and the pristine KVK, Hengbung. However, visit or no site-visit, the choice destinations would remain Wordsworth's "Yarrow the unvisited" to the blind.

Love-Aid-Concert: By 6:00 P.M. on 13th August, 2005, Kangpokpi was geared up for a musical blast to cheer up the VSPs of the day. The comperes, Lulun Touthang and Rosh/n Suantak put in inputs to enliven the show that ended late. The debutants, Akip Karong, Hoinu Vaiphei, Esther Kipgen, Salome, Tongkholen and Haoneo performed better than expected. They were the surprise items of the show of the year. However the professionals, Jeff Akai, Seiboi Tuboi, Neicy Singson, Hechin Haokip, MTC boys and Gugun's band were greeted with thundering applause that made the VSPs forget their plight for a few hours. MTC students presented a skit that carried a moving message and which was attentively watched by the VSPs. It's a little sad that the Gospel message of the evening, delivered to touch hearts, was greeted with a collective aashhh! Everyone has a streak of hedonism in him. Although no efforts were spared to offer free Gospel Musical entertainment, some resorted to stone-pelting and when asked about their dissatisfaction, they said they wanted more popular songs from Jeff Akai and Esther Sitlhou.

Spiritual Disability: It's easy to notice physical disability in others. But God looks at the heart. Adamic nature is inherent in every fallen man and woman. Unless saved by the blood of Jesus through confession of sin that usually results in forgiveness of sin. man by nature cannot do the good he wants to do and cannot avoid the evil he wants to avoid. Spiritual disability in us is something we should give a serious thought and strengthen the inner man to become an over-comer. On the other hand there are disables who are mentally able to do good and forsake evil. There are folks born with infirmities but who. through unflinching faith in God, turn the disadvantages into an advantage. All that one needs to know is that there's a merciful God who creates every soul with a special purpose. One has to find out one's own core-competence and persistently work on it to achieve excellence in one's chosen field. God helps those who helps themselves.

Theme Song: The theme-song of Disables's Day-Out at Kangpokpi. reproduced below for readers' benefit, which was penned with burden by this author, tells all succinctly.








THEME SONG :
GOD LOVES YOU ALL THE MORE


1 .Never say brother, you cannot hear.
For God in your mind His thought can share; Never say sister, you cannot see.
He blinds some that they may better see;
Ear or no ear, eye or no eye,
Who hears Him and mourns deep shall notdie.

Coz you can't hear, God puts inner ear,
Coz you can't see, your mind's made to peer; Coz you can't speak, hand-signs do the trick, Coz you can't walk, help isn't far to seek;
For all pangs of woe infirm limbs bore.
Don't feel bad, God loves you all the more.
2. He gives ears that we may hear His word,
He makes mind that we may know He's Lord; He creates hands that all men may serve Him, He gifts hearts that ev'ry soul may love Him; But we end up doing things not noble,
So; to do good, we are disable.

3. This terse life on earth is but test,
we curse fate, yet that He does is best;
Some get it good now to rue later,
Some are sad to rejoice thereafter;
If God makes you suffer to the core
T'day, it's coz He loves you all the more.

4. For them who have new life in Christ
Tho'they're now denied limb-movement free.
More than they that with no thought of Christ,
Move limbs at will, blessed they shall be
So, don't you feel sadly ill at ease
One day your suffering shall come to cease.

AMAZING AIZAWL: CITY OF CHEER

Aizawl: City of Cheer
Downtown Aizawl
GGG DVD Label: Mami & Abea
Lmt : the author
AMAZING AIZAWL : CITY OF CHEER
By : Lunminthang Haokip

Introduction : In a country where state capitals also double up as capitals of communal divide and covered-up deeds worthy of capital punishment, Mizoram’s Hill top city, Aizawl is refreshingly different. If summer is gone from Ooty, as claimed in the add item relating to the sandal-wood smeared southern hill resort , crime and thievery are gone from Aizawl. It’s weird news to learn that the Jail authorities of Aizawl had to borrow Jail-birds from neighbouring states so as to fill up their empty Central Jail in order to bail themselves out from being sacked for lack of criminal in-mates. If the burgeoning musical capital of India is found wanting in any commitment, it is crime-commitment.

Background : Mizoram was far from being the flourishing hill town it is presently. In the year 1900, there was no structure on the ai ( a wild plant)- infested gorge-ridden present habitation of half a million people, save a couple of military barracks. Hard work rendered with a passion reserved for religion on the part of Presbyterian Missionaries, more than a century ago, and the spirited reciprocal response of the local folks together had built the up the hill-top wonder city brick by brick. The Church was/is still involved in every aspect of the wonder-state capital’s gigantic strides of mind- blowing progress. No wonder, the Lord of the Church “who seest us” (Genesis 16:13) was the unseen hand behind the fast-paced development of the thriving urban settlement.

Church- Taught Behaviour : “Tlawmngaihna” or “Sacrificial attitude towards one’s duty” is the key word to Aizawl’s speedy growth. God comes before everything else. The citizenry did what they could and that they could not, they left to the God of possibilities. The emotional unity to offensively promote the single dialect of “Duhlian” that became Mizo later, could have smacked of ethno-centrism. But the same was central to singularity of Mizo society. One man’s food could be another’s poison. The improved Mizo single-dialect that the early missionaries took pains to add grammatical and phonetic nuances to, turned out to be a super fast-food that all its users could feed themselves upon to linguistic and literary prosperity. The poison of subordinating or suppressing other lesser dialects, although sadly damaging to the affected groups, of course, was supportive to the building of the super-structure of Mizo ethnicity. This factor also accounts for high literacy-rate and the low rate of learning other languages.

Blessing from above : It’s no mean feat that Mizoram’s modernised capital town does not have the self goal–scoring slum pockets its counterparts in other states are burdened with. Agreed that the average Mizo has the above-average bent-of-mind to work with the herd–feeling ants share. Also agreed that the GoI has a soft-corner for the hill state in grant of funds that is due to a peaceful oasis of the otherwise turbulent NE India. But the greed to excel in societal welfare and display of civic sixth-sense is something the visitors to the cement-clad cliff-city find tough to disagree with.

Hassle-free-accident : The recklessness of the accelerator-happy Mizo youth on the steep and twisted roads of Aizawl keeps the concerned parents in mental tenterhooks. Familiarity to peculiarity of bending lanes could have saved lots of potential accidents. Yet in highway and local motor rubbery, road-mishaps do occur out there. Sometimes vehicular accidents turned fatal but unlike in other places , one does not see full-throated shouts and fist-of-fury flying on the wrong riders’ chin. Head-on vehicular collision that could have resulted in collar-pulls towards the nearest Police outposts coolly ends up in smile-exchanging pacification. If that is not a habit formed by decades of preaching the Gospel, what else is? Situations that could have generated heated temperament of 80% temper and 20% mental elsewhere, usually boil down to the reverse in Mizo city.

Midnight musical chill-outs in the open: This author happened to be a part of the milling crowd that braved out of their cozy homes and hotel rooms on the last night of 2009 in the public places of Aizawl where no-ticket musical shows were organised . Magdalene, the Gospel band that rocked the national competitions, drew the largest crowd. Their own chart-rocking numbers echoing heavy metal through world-class sound system kept the whole of Aizawl’s Treasury-Square awake and shaking a leg on the streets till the break of New Year 2010. The serene hassle-free atmosphere, by itself, beckons you to go there again and again.

Music –The Food of Love: A Gospel pop rendition from the budding Mizo-Idol winner, Zoramchhani, went on well with the footloose midnight audience. Enthused fans, holding hands in small groups, danced merrily and hummed the songs in tune with the stage performers. Music for sure is the food of love in Mizoram. And it was played on in high decibel pitch in every street corner. One joke that circulates around Chandel DHQ in Manipur is that, given the mike, and the space, even a Mizo tailor-girl straight from the sewing-machine, can sing better than the local bests. You don’t need to teach a Marwari the rules of trading. And you don’t have to teach a Mizo youth the art of singing.

Disgrace of progress : The Mizo-resilience is simply commendable. Their ability to fight back on the ashes of major setbacks was on par with that of Dhirubai Ambani in the corporate world. Battered and shattered by the MNF-related bombing of the North East Indian town in 1978, Aizawl had rebuilt itself with the zeal and grit the Japs exhibited following the Hiroshima-Nagasaki bombing. The economic boom ever since had been enormous and Jap-like. Every tourist or Govt of India-employee from outside who had been posted there were in no mood to go back or when transferred, reluctantly did so.

Aizawl Insular? The hilltop city is like a big tree providing shade to every visiting Kuki/Zomi kindred. The only grudge the ethnic kindred of the Mizos settled in other parts CHIKIM habitations nurse is the sad truth that compatriots from a certain NE state, who were motivated to fight along for the revolutionary-cause in the spirit of talked-in ethnic-bonhomie in the movement of the 1960s, had been conveniently soft-pedalled in post-statehood insular comfort, by and large. Had ice, well- utilised in summer, been given up in winter?, they ask themselves.

Righteousness Exalts Mizoram: Credit must be given to the Missionaries who endured pains to labour and win souls in the then Lushai hills. Nowhere in India Church buildings had been taken so much care and concern of. A tourist heading for Aizawl or Lunglei should make it a point to have a good look at the awesome concrete buildings, superb interior wood-work and classic musical paraphernalia that the prayer-halls out there are famous for. Worship-attendance is habitual and obligatory for all. The Lord’s day is honoured with choicest sartorial propriety. Businesses thrive on the strength of Biblical righteousness. Bank-loans are repaid in time.

Long Face for Wrong Parking Place: Breaking traffic rules raises a forest of eyebrows there on the narrow roads of the capital of the second most literate . Once I happened to park my vehicle the wrong way. I could hear the traffic policeman hissing in Mizo, “This vehicle owner must have come from Manipur”, He was not wrong. I found it tough to hold back a laugh at my mistake. The town planners also keep the traffic congestion in mind. Every new house built on the road sides should have enough space in the basement for parking of four-wheelers. That sagacious thought stretches the width of the streets by several feet.

Old World Goodness: Cabs and lanes are small but cabbies display big hearts in maintaining ethical integrity in returning personal belongings of careless commuters through well-connected networks. This level of distilled nunmawi is as rare as panties from Alaska in a world where a section of the populace make an easy living out of the forgetfulness of travellers. Civilian rules are observed and the citizenry, including the tipsy lot, who walk in a blur and talk in a slur, struggle to behave well in public. No wonder, the para-military forces and civil police posted there have little or no work to do. The milk of human kindness spills over full-splash as uniformed starred patrol-vehicle riders offer lifts to strangers strolling on the side-walks. Hats off to such a culture Aizawl nurtures.

Sum-Up: 21st century had witnessed disastrous natural calamities one after another. Tsunami, earthquake, Katrina, super-cyclone, nargis etc. collectively did a fox-trot upon global economic advancement. Poorer countries like Haiti aren’t likely to recover in the near future from the impact of recent earth-shake. When the world witnessed more of gloom and doom, Aizawl had been a consistent city of cheer since the signing of Rajiv Gandhi-led peace-accord in 1986. The most visible and tangible truth that almost half of the total population of a state take concrete shelter on a ridge-ridden hill-top, like bees do around a beehive, itself is proof enough that it is “the most High who rules in the affairs of Aizawl and hold the township intact”. None else but the living God could have made the seemingly impossible possible. The Almighty, for sure, takes good care of the churched city that produces Gospel songs like Mumbai does movies.

AVZ and GGG Release: Mingling with the common folks of the dominantly Mizo township and getting under the skin of the lifestyle of this peace-loving, music-inclined, church-influenced and orderliness-fixated cheerful residents of Aizawl, this author had been inspired to write the following poem which had been made a Gospel song audio-recorded and video-shot by AVZ – amazing voice of Zoram, C. Lalhmingmawii in GGMI’s Gospel Goes Global video Album which is due for worldwide release at Mizoram House, Vasant Vihar, Delhi, on 28 August, 2010 at 3:30 pm. Former super-cop and present Vice-Chairperson of NCM, National Commission for Minorities, Dr. H.T. Sangliana will grace the occasion as the Chief Guest.

AIZAWL: THE CITY OF CHEER

1. Atop hills where deep-root buildings grow,
Across ridges cut for motor-flow;
Amidst ranges left by men-with-hoe,
Along gorges on which decked-homes glow;
There sprawls God-made Zo-city Aizawl,
Blessed with structures nestled cheek-by-jowl.

If you get bored with life of your make,
If you wish for thine youth a retake;
If you feel you need a break that saves,
If you want music your soul craves;
Get set and for Aizawl up you gear;
With care awaits the city of cheer.

2. In a world where folks don’t go by faith,
But try to trick and loot the fool’s fate;
On Aizawl’s lanes, stealing doesn’t happen
Even though things are left in the open;
This feat is no mere freak incidence,
Decades of preaching taught saner sense.

3. Them that honour Him God will honour,
The Lord’s day in Aizawl’s a splendour;
Seeing all shops shut, first-timer’s baffled,
Eyeing all wears hep-designed, one’s dazzled;
Why does God for Zoram His peace keep?
Coz on the Lord’s day, all folks worship.

Gospel Goes Global (Promo)

Lunminthang Haokip: The Author

GOSPEL GOES GLOBAL

By: Lunminthang Haokip

Introduction: The Gospel was there even in the Old Testament times in the implied sense in the shadow of the shape of things to come. Among other things that decorated Eden garden, the Creator left the masterpiece of His creativity in the form of Adam, and later, in Eve. However, Eve’s refusal to take divine warning seriously led to the subsequent fall of all the descendents of the original parentage. Adam wasn’t pro-active enough to get the lure of sin shut out in time. Banking heavily on falsity and fishing in the troubled waters of Eve’s vulnerability, the devil won in Eden and set up dens of its control over human affairs then, and even in the present times.

Author of life: But the baiter could never upstage the Maker. The Word of God, potent as ever, in the shade of moments, had always proved for all the world to know that it is He who “rules over the affairs of men (Daniel 5:21)” and have the final say in every situation in this mad bad world. The Gospel was the guideline and the means for the Almighty’s master-plan to restore the fallen nature of humankind, bind the adversary, write a new law on the table of a wretched heart and find a way out for a sin-bedevilled soul to be harmoniously re-linked to the real Author of life.

` Global Gospel: It all began in the Bible land – the places Lord Jesus treaded upon in his brief life-time. The “God who sees us”( Gen. 16:13) saw through appearances. Unlike in the present century, smartness and upward mobility were no plus points when Christ chose His disciples. In the hard-working fishing brothers, Peter and Andrew, the Master saw potential that if they followed Him, the unlettered duo could be made fishers of men (Matthew 4:19). Except for Judas Iscariot who betrayed Him at the end of the day, the rest of the chosen Eleven had no proper grounding in formal education.

Man from Above: The sagacious parables and other-worldly utterances of the Man from heaven needed proper recording. So, the wisdom of the Son of God felt the need to have a pen-pusher by His side to write down the historic miraculous events. The void was filled by Matthew, the pen-wielding Collector,,“Follow Me. And he arose and followed Him (Mt. 9:9)”. The hated tax collector, who could have ended as a mere wealthy local mortal, gave up worldly privileges, heeded the Saviour’s call and got His writing on the Gospel eternally etched in the all-time best seller, the Holy Bible.

Universality of the Gospel: Jesus was a Jew hailing from the Middle-East. But the
four Gospels on his action-packed earthly sojourn were meant for all the races settling in the four quarters of the globe - the North, the South, the East and the West. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost (Mt. 28:19)”. In the Words of the Lord, one can feel the universal love, concern and empathy that endearingly match His command and authority. To a believer, the urgency to make the last Commandment the first commitment, is the be-all and the end-all of the Gospel. Nothing meets the needs of men better than the “Good News” does. The mirage-like answer that the most revered philosopher, atheist and scientist search in vain, if penitently sought, can be found with a revelation in the verses of the Holy Scripture. Nationalities and communities may dissect, divide and classify humanity and their nature. But the basic model-type of the mind in all the reasoning beings of the continents is the same. The Maker set the bytes and bit-rates of the cardiac beat in such a way that until or unless the mooring, emoting and yearning of the heart is in tune with the teaching of the Gospel, men will never have a soul-satisfying good spell .

Global Trouble: Kingdoms came, but were tamed, sooner or later. Dynasties ruled and got literally ruled out by another. But it’s amazing to delve upon the glaring historical fact that no force on earth could stop the spread of the “Good News” to establish Christ’s kingdom worldwide. Prophet Isaiah revealed the mind of God on the future of His Son’s reign 700 years before Christ was born. “Of the increase of His government and peace, there shall be no end (Isaiah 9:7)”. Despite gigantic odds put badly against the Good news, His government continues to make deep inroads into human sanity oblivious of the rule of other worldly forces and factors.

Wrath Of God: Money had been lavishly spent to blunt the cutting edge of the Gospel. No trick and ploy had been left unemployed to nib Christianity in the bud by the likes of Herod the great, the High Priests and the 20th century non-believers of the ‘Word of life’. But every move to throttle the Voice of the Saviour was calamitously met, action for action, with an earthquake, a spell of darkness, a breaking up of United Republics, a super-cyclone, a Tsunami, a Katrina or a Nargis in different regions of the globe. The disasters could have been avoided had the writing on the wall in Romans 1:18 been trusted by all concerned in letter and spirit, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness”.

Gospel Went Global: What we called accidents of history, to the Supreme Ruler, were stage-managed plots to promote the cause of the Gospel further in the global orbit. The Roman empire had been nudged from above to construct roads in Bible-land towards the fag end of the B.C-era. In the first century A.D, St. Paul and the other Apostles used the same roads to drive the message of the Good News home. When Science and Technology were in mind-boggling doubt as to whether the earth was round or flat, Christopher Columbus was divinely guided, around the close of the 15th century, to locate and find the answer in Isaiah 40:22, “It is He that sitteth upon the circle of the earth”.

The Magic Verse: This singular verse led the adventurous marine hero to ultimately discover America. USA, in turn, was prepared to be strong enough to leave no stone unturned to see the teachings of Jesus go global. Faithful servants of God were equipped with savoir faire and skill to win souls for their Lord among the nations of the world. D.L Moody for USA and UK, John Wesley for England, David Livingstone for Africa, William Carey for India, Adoniram Judson for Burma etc. were raised with the purpose to save sinners from hellfire.

Global Technologies: Great preachers like Billy Graham and Joshua Daniel trotted the globe preaching the Good News in the 20th and 21st centuries. To convenience preaching from country to country through air-travel, the master Engineer put in inputs, in the beginning of the 20th century, in the minds of the God-fearing Wright Brothers to take heavy loads in the sky and not fall. The indelible imprint of the Creator was there in every technological discovery and its advancement. Be it Wireless set, motor engine, remedial medicines, radio and TV, printing machine, audio and visual devices, satellite TV or the Internet, despite men’s unfortunate misuses, were heavenly inspired and invented to speed up the pace of passing on the Good News that majority of the citizens of this ultra-modern world do not know is their prior and basic need. The Lord of Host, could even use wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to send devout Christians in the rank and file of US and South Korean Armies to witness in the battlefields and save souls to the uttermost.

Gospel and North East India: The Word of God had been given in ample doses for the past one and a half century to the people of North East India. Heathen cultures and traditions, that initially challenged the smooth inflow of the Spirit’s work, had undergone a drastic overhauling. Outlooks changed, lifestyles were given a lift, education dispelled and rediscovered ignorance, superstitious leanings gave way to institutional learning, Church buildings came up chock-a-block in earlier places of pagan worship and in government of states like Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram and parts of Manipur, the Church was seen flexing its influential muscles in the right spirit in Civil Administration process.

Music Capital: Musically-inclined state like Mizoram, thanks to the pioneer Presbyterian missionaries’ lyrical bent of mind, took to Gospel singing as Mumbai does to movie-making, and qualified itself to be dubbed the “Music capital of India.” At the same time, labourers in the Lord’s vineyard have a lot to do, and pray for, to revive the spiritual wasteland of the churched region to make the will of God prevail over the will of the flesh. In some cases, the universal Truth of the Gospel took a beating under the suppressive impact of traditional norms to force the Gospel to go, but tribal. There were moves to intimidate professors of the Faith. Yet, the cheering words of Isaiah 54:17, “No weapon formed against thee shall prosper” had steered clear God’s children out of danger zone.

GOSPEL GOES GLOBAL Video Album: To salute and celebrate the globalisation of the Word, this obscure author, who also writes Gospel songs out of the overflow of a heart grateful for the Divine gift to piece words together in a readable manner and partly to unwind himself gainfully from the additional burdens of provincial administration, in a bid to make his writings read globally, scribbled down many songs. Eleven of the songs had been recorded in Hauhnar studio, Aizawl, Mizoram, India and shot in avi video format in the picturesque natural landscapes of the peaceful hill-town.

The GGG Team: Talented tune composers like JH Vanlalngheta, R. Lalbiakthanga, Chris MS Dawngkima, Mama, and Seigoumang Lhouvum had showcased their flairs in songs like, Gospel Goes Global Aids song, Go Gospel, Holy Marriage, Lonely in a crowd, I grieved Thee first, Hail North East, Kut, Light of life, Aizawl city and 50 years of blessing. The video cam-men, Zova and Patea, took the shots in professional proficiency around Mizoram’s capital hill-top city-of-cheer. The Gospel Goes Global audio CD and video DVD, produced by Mrs Nengkim Haokip under the banner of Go Gospel Ministry International, L. Thinglhangphai, Manipur, India is ready for worldwide release in the month of August, 2010. OM Books, Hyderabad will take care of sales in their network of Book stores across the globe except in parts of NE India and North West Myanmar. VIBES, Goa is to push sales of the DVD album within Goa state.

The Main Vocalist: The name is C (Chawngthu). Lalhmingmawii. She sings Gospel numbers like Jaci V, looks stunningly Latino and emotes like B. Mori. Her first Mizo audio album, “Kumsang Bithar” was a total sell-out. 30,000 copies bought across the NE Indian states in 2001 was no mean feat by regional standards. Yet, success never went to her head nor failure, to her heart. Her second and third ventures, “Remna Palai” and “Kachakna Lalpa” made her a household name in greater Zoram and NW Myanmar. With her twanged Yankee accent, picked up from her musical tour of 22 states, with a choir of kids in concert, in the western coast of US of A from August 2002 to July 2004, she recorded her first English audio, VOG’s “Go Gospel” in 2007 and GGMI’s “Gospel Goes Global” in 2010. Lonely in a crowd, the testimonial song of this author, was a part of GO Gospel audio album. The Mangheta composed number had become the fave choice of the wannabe singers (Zaihuai) for presentation in social functions.

Awards Came Early: Inspired by Mariah Carey internationally and nearer home, by the old-time Mizo female crooner, Lalduhawmi, Mami, as she is popularly known, in year 2001, added another feather in her musical cap. She won the coveted Rimawi Khawvel - “Best new Artist Award”. Accolades and applauses thundered every event the dusky husky new singer in town sang in, ever since. But the typical Piscean that she is, the level-headed Mami never bit the bait of ultra-glam offers that came her way to be an air-hostess, sing secular songs etc. Tempting though the lucrative offers on the surface were, the fish would not come out of water.

Christian Life: Well-groomed by her spiritually discerned daddy, C. Lalrinkima, Lalhmingmawii never strayed out of the bounds of Church activities and in-service values. Forenoon and evening time callers to her bsnl number usually get no response. She’d be either teaching in school or seated on a church-pew hearing a sermon . This savvy well-self-managed itinerary vocalist, when she is not lighting up Christian bashes in Manipur, Mizoram and Guwahati and Shillong, goes to take class 6 times, and to Church service 5 times in a week, sings hymns with the Vengchhak Presbyterian KTP-choir, helps mom in household chores and relaxes with country gospel music tuned on in her cozy ITI veng home.

Simple Desire: Emotionally attached to her dad and kid brother, Mami is proud of being a Mizo, loves to wear the locally woven wrap-around called ‘Puan’, delights in savouring Indian and Chinese dishes and dots on Psalm chapter 37 reading which gives her the spiritual succour to take on the sad side of life. Her burgeoning fan-following, that includes top-notch mandarins of the bureaucracy of home and neighbouring states, may look her up as a star-performer. But Mami’s main ambition is down-to-earth. As a daughter, she wishes to settle down via a holy marriage with a pliable, reliable, amenable and honest man who can read her moods and let her live a hassle-free life ever after.

The shooting of GGG: To make the video shoots of Gospel Goes Global songs look visually eye-catching, Mami took a month’s leave from duty in June, 2010. A perfect motivator and organiser that she is, she called the shots over locations, dresses to be worn, shot-angles and participation of back-up artists. It speaks well of the social good-will she enjoys that Vengchhak choir, on her request, willingly put up with the patience-taxing retakes for ‘World Aids Day’ shoot. She also managed to get permission from the state’s Arts & Culture department to shoot Kut song in the latter’s otherwise prohibited premises. The toil and sweat paid off well. The previews were commented upon in glowing terms.

WAD Song: Hot Favourite: The Aids song which had been already uploaded on Youtube Lunhaok or Aids C. Lalhmingmawii is the vocalist’s favourite. Mami also thinks highly of the tune-composition style of the title song by Chris, Gospel Goes global. In the theme song, GGG, which was superbly shot indoors inside a hall, Mami and Abea managed to raise the bar in Gospel song picturisation. Barring 3 songs of the album in which Abea provided the back-vocals and duet-partnership, it was Mami’s show all the way. Watching the ace performer act out and voice the high-flown words of this song-writer with poise and ease, without missing a beat, like a duck takes to water, it will not be a mismatch to sub-title C. Lalhmingmawii as AVZ –Amazing Voice of Zoram.

If God blesses the songs of this nondescript North East Indian Gospel album to actually go global, the credit should go to the hard work rendered by the Tune-Composers, the Studio Technicians, the Videographers and Editors, the Distributors and specially to the main Vocalist who gave the brilliant shots that made the song wordings come alive in video frames.

The Final Release: In the run-up to the October, 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, hiring a decent auditorium in the NCR had for a lesser purpose had become almost impossible at this juncture. Thanks to their Christian brotherly attitude, Mizoram House, Vasant Vihar, Delhi, had agreed to let GGMI use their hall for the release bash of GGG video album on 28 august, 2010 at 3:30 pm. God willing, if things go well, Dr. H.T. Sangliana, the dynamic former super-cop-turned-MP who is presently serving the nation as Vice-Chairperson, NCM –National Commission For Minorities, had consented to grace the occasion as the Chief Guest.

Dedication: The Gospel album that showcases the latent talents of North east Indian artists will be dedicated for world-wide release by Rev Dino L Touthang, CEO, Habitat for humanity, New Delhi who also doubles up as Senior Pastor, KWS –Kuki Worship Service, Delhi, and the Chair, Micah Network. Rev/Pastor Paothang Haokip of OM fame who also serves the Lord as the Pastor of Good Shepherd Community Church, Hyderabad, will be the master of ceremonies. All Kuki-Mizo-Zomi friends of this author and the vocalists are invited to pray and attend the event.

Reproduced hereunder is the wording of this Song writer’s poetic take on God’s globalisation of the Gospel:

GOSPEL GOES GLOBAL

1. God told Adam not to eat the fruit,
Eve got sold on lies that hid the Truth;
Win for Satan, heaven was saddened,
Sin of Eden gave men a burden;
The good that he wants, he cannot do,
The evil he hates, he cannot spew.

We do what we like and guilt we get,
We rue o’er our lot and for sin fret;
The Word is grave but the world’s naive,
The Lord in Love calls His own to save;
Coz God wants to sin in all dispel,
The old Gospel is going global.

2. To the globe’s ends His trained the Lord sent,
That them who grope and faint may repent;
The Spirit moves, good- spell goes global,
Here creed dupes and Gospel goes tribal;
It’s time to re-link self with soul’s thirst,
Let’s rethink and put things of God first.

3. Crises have men bold, led down and fall,
Jesus loves souls and shed blood for all,
That all who life had pained to lose hope,
May come back to Him and regain hope;
That at home the Good News each may get,
God made Word go global in the net.

Gospel Goes Global (Promo)

GOSPEL GOES GLOBAL

By: Lunminthang Haokip

Introduction: The Gospel was there even in the Old Testament times in the implied sense in the shadow of the shape of things to come. Among other things that decorated Eden garden, the Creator left the masterpiece of His creativity in the form of Adam, and later, in Eve. However, Eve’s refusal to take divine warning seriously led to the subsequent fall of all the descendents of the original parentage. Adam wasn’t pro-active enough to get the lure of sin shut out in time. Banking heavily on falsity and fishing in the troubled waters of Eve’s vulnerability, the devil won in Eden and set up dens of its control over human affairs then, and even in the present times.

Author of life: But the baiter could never upstage the Maker. The Word of God, potent as ever, in the shade of moments, had always proved for all the world to know that it is He who “rules over the affairs of men (Daniel 5:21)” and have the final say in every situation in this mad bad world. The Gospel was the guideline and the means for the Almighty’s master-plan to restore the fallen nature of humankind, bind the adversary, write a new law on the table of a wretched heart and find a way out for a sin-bedevilled soul to be harmoniously re-linked to the real Author of life.

` Global Gospel: It all began in the Bible land – the places Lord Jesus treaded upon in his brief life-time. The “God who sees us”( Gen. 16:13) saw through appearances. Unlike in the present century, smartness and upward mobility were no plus points when Christ chose His disciples. In the hard-working fishing brothers, Peter and Andrew, the Master saw potential that if they followed Him, the unlettered duo could be made fishers of men (Matthew 4:19). Except for Judas Iscariot who betrayed Him at the end of the day, the rest of the chosen Eleven had no proper grounding in formal education.

Man from Above: The sagacious parables and other-worldly utterances of the Man from heaven needed proper recording. So, the wisdom of the Son of God felt the need to have a pen-pusher by His side to write down the historic miraculous events. The void was filled by Matthew, the pen-wielding Collector,,“Follow Me. And he arose and followed Him (Mt. 9:9)”. The hated tax collector, who could have ended as a mere wealthy local mortal, gave up worldly privileges, heeded the Saviour’s call and got His writing on the Gospel eternally etched in the all-time best seller, the Holy Bible.

Universality of the Gospel: Jesus was a Jew hailing from the Middle-East. But the
four Gospels on his action-packed earthly sojourn were meant for all the races settling in the four quarters of the globe - the North, the South, the East and the West. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost (Mt. 28:19)”. In the Words of the Lord, one can feel the universal love, concern and empathy that endearingly match His command and authority. To a believer, the urgency to make the last Commandment the first commitment, is the be-all and the end-all of the Gospel. Nothing meets the needs of men better than the “Good News” does. The mirage-like answer that the most revered philosopher, atheist and scientist search in vain, if penitently sought, can be found with a revelation in the verses of the Holy Scripture. Nationalities and communities may dissect, divide and classify humanity and their nature. But the basic model-type of the mind in all the reasoning beings of the continents is the same. The Maker set the bytes and bit-rates of the cardiac beat in such a way that until or unless the mooring, emoting and yearning of the heart is in tune with the teaching of the Gospel, men will never have a soul-satisfying good spell .

Global Trouble: Kingdoms came, but were tamed, sooner or later. Dynasties ruled and got literally ruled out by another. But it’s amazing to delve upon the glaring historical fact that no force on earth could stop the spread of the “Good News” to establish Christ’s kingdom worldwide. Prophet Isaiah revealed the mind of God on the future of His Son’s reign 700 years before Christ was born. “Of the increase of His government and peace, there shall be no end (Isaiah 9:7)”. Despite gigantic odds put badly against the Good news, His government continues to make deep inroads into human sanity oblivious of the rule of other worldly forces and factors.

Wrath Of God: Money had been lavishly spent to blunt the cutting edge of the Gospel. No trick and ploy had been left unemployed to nib Christianity in the bud by the likes of Herod the great, the High Priests and the 20th century non-believers of the ‘Word of life’. But every move to throttle the Voice of the Saviour was calamitously met, action for action, with an earthquake, a spell of darkness, a breaking up of United Republics, a super-cyclone, a Tsunami, a Katrina or a Nargis in different regions of the globe. The disasters could have been avoided had the writing on the wall in Romans 1:18 been trusted by all concerned in letter and spirit, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness”.

Gospel Went Global: What we called accidents of history, to the Supreme Ruler, were stage-managed plots to promote the cause of the Gospel further in the global orbit. The Roman empire had been nudged from above to construct roads in Bible-land towards the fag end of the B.C-era. In the first century A.D, St. Paul and the other Apostles used the same roads to drive the message of the Good News home. When Science and Technology were in mind-boggling doubt as to whether the earth was round or flat, Christopher Columbus was divinely guided, around the close of the 15th century, to locate and find the answer in Isaiah 40:22, “It is He that sitteth upon the circle of the earth”.

The Magic Verse: This singular verse led the adventurous marine hero to ultimately discover America. USA, in turn, was prepared to be strong enough to leave no stone unturned to see the teachings of Jesus go global. Faithful servants of God were equipped with savoir faire and skill to win souls for their Lord among the nations of the world. D.L Moody for USA and UK, John Wesley for England, David Livingstone for Africa, William Carey for India, Adoniram Judson for Burma etc. were raised with the purpose to save sinners from hellfire.

Global Technologies: Great preachers like Billy Graham and Joshua Daniel trotted the globe preaching the Good News in the 20th and 21st centuries. To convenience preaching from country to country through air-travel, the master Engineer put in inputs, in the beginning of the 20th century, in the minds of the God-fearing Wright Brothers to take heavy loads in the sky and not fall. The indelible imprint of the Creator was there in every technological discovery and its advancement. Be it Wireless set, motor engine, remedial medicines, radio and TV, printing machine, audio and visual devices, satellite TV or the Internet, despite men’s unfortunate misuses, were heavenly inspired and invented to speed up the pace of passing on the Good News that majority of the citizens of this ultra-modern world do not know is their prior and basic need. The Lord of Host, could even use wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to send devout Christians in the rank and file of US and South Korean Armies to witness in the battlefields and save souls to the uttermost.

Gospel and North East India: The Word of God had been given in ample doses for the past one and a half century to the people of North East India. Heathen cultures and traditions, that initially challenged the smooth inflow of the Spirit’s work, had undergone a drastic overhauling. Outlooks changed, lifestyles were given a lift, education dispelled and rediscovered ignorance, superstitious leanings gave way to institutional learning, Church buildings came up chock-a-block in earlier places of pagan worship and in government of states like Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram and parts of Manipur, the Church was seen flexing its influential muscles in the right spirit in Civil Administration process.

Music Capital: Musically-inclined state like Mizoram, thanks to the pioneer Presbyterian missionaries’ lyrical bent of mind, took to Gospel singing as Mumbai does to movie-making, and qualified itself to be dubbed the “Music capital of India.” At the same time, labourers in the Lord’s vineyard have a lot to do, and pray for, to revive the spiritual wasteland of the churched region to make the will of God prevail over the will of the flesh. In some cases, the universal Truth of the Gospel took a beating under the suppressive impact of traditional norms to force the Gospel to go, but tribal. There were moves to intimidate professors of the Faith. Yet, the cheering words of Isaiah 54:17, “No weapon formed against thee shall prosper” had steered clear God’s children out of danger zone.

GOSPEL GOES GLOBAL Video Album: To salute and celebrate the globalisation of the Word, this obscure author, who also writes Gospel songs out of the overflow of a heart grateful for the Divine gift to piece words together in a readable manner and partly to unwind himself gainfully from the additional burdens of provincial administration, in a bid to make his writings read globally, scribbled down many songs. Eleven of the songs had been recorded in Hauhnar studio, Aizawl, Mizoram, India and shot in avi video format in the picturesque natural landscapes of the peaceful hill-town.

The GGG Team: Talented tune composers like JH Vanlalngheta, R. Lalbiakthanga, Chris MS Dawngkima, Mama, and Seigoumang Lhouvum had showcased their flairs in songs like, Gospel Goes Global Aids song, Go Gospel, Holy Marriage, Lonely in a crowd, I grieved Thee first, Hail North East, Kut, Light of life, Aizawl city and 50 years of blessing. The video cam-men, Zova and Patea, took the shots in professional proficiency around Mizoram’s capital hill-top city-of-cheer. The Gospel Goes Global audio CD and video DVD, produced by Mrs Nengkim Haokip under the banner of Go Gospel Ministry International, L. Thinglhangphai, Manipur, India is ready for worldwide release in the month of August, 2010. OM Books, Hyderabad will take care of sales in their network of Book stores across the globe except in parts of NE India and North West Myanmar. VIBES, Goa is to push sales of the DVD album within Goa state.

The Main Vocalist: The name is C (Chawngthu). Lalhmingmawii. She sings Gospel numbers like Jaci V, looks stunningly Latino and emotes like B. Mori. Her first Mizo audio album, “Kumsang Bithar” was a total sell-out. 30,000 copies bought across the NE Indian states in 2001 was no mean feat by regional standards. Yet, success never went to her head nor failure, to her heart. Her second and third ventures, “Remna Palai” and “Kachakna Lalpa” made her a household name in greater Zoram and NW Myanmar. With her twanged Yankee accent, picked up from her musical tour of 22 states, with a choir of kids in concert, in the western coast of US of A from August 2002 to July 2004, she recorded her first English audio, VOG’s “Go Gospel” in 2007 and GGMI’s “Gospel Goes Global” in 2010. Lonely in a crowd, the testimonial song of this author, was a part of GO Gospel audio album. The Mangheta composed number had become the fave choice of the wannabe singers (Zaihuai) for presentation in social functions.

Awards Came Early: Inspired by Mariah Carey internationally and nearer home, by the old-time Mizo female crooner, Lalduhawmi, Mami, as she is popularly known, in year 2001, added another feather in her musical cap. She won the coveted Rimawi Khawvel - “Best new Artist Award”. Accolades and applauses thundered every event the dusky husky new singer in town sang in, ever since. But the typical Piscean that she is, the level-headed Mami never bit the bait of ultra-glam offers that came her way to be an air-hostess, sing secular songs etc. Tempting though the lucrative offers on the surface were, the fish would not come out of water.

Christian Life: Well-groomed by her spiritually discerned daddy, C. Lalrinkima, Lalhmingmawii never strayed out of the bounds of Church activities and in-service values. Forenoon and evening time callers to her bsnl number usually get no response. She’d be either teaching in school or seated on a church-pew hearing a sermon . This savvy well-self-managed itinerary vocalist, when she is not lighting up Christian bashes in Manipur, Mizoram and Guwahati and Shillong, goes to take class 6 times, and to Church service 5 times in a week, sings hymns with the Vengchhak Presbyterian KTP-choir, helps mom in household chores and relaxes with country gospel music tuned on in her cozy ITI veng home.

Simple Desire: Emotionally attached to her dad and kid brother, Mami is proud of being a Mizo, loves to wear the locally woven wrap-around called ‘Puan’, delights in savouring Indian and Chinese dishes and dots on Psalm chapter 37 reading which gives her the spiritual succour to take on the sad side of life. Her burgeoning fan-following, that includes top-notch mandarins of the bureaucracy of home and neighbouring states, may look her up as a star-performer. But Mami’s main ambition is down-to-earth. As a daughter, she wishes to settle down via a holy marriage with a pliable, reliable, amenable and honest man who can read her moods and let her live a hassle-free life ever after.

The shooting of GGG: To make the video shoots of Gospel Goes Global songs look visually eye-catching, Mami took a month’s leave from duty in June, 2010. A perfect motivator and organiser that she is, she called the shots over locations, dresses to be worn, shot-angles and participation of back-up artists. It speaks well of the social good-will she enjoys that Vengchhak choir, on her request, willingly put up with the patience-taxing retakes for ‘World Aids Day’ shoot. She also managed to get permission from the state’s Arts & Culture department to shoot Kut song in the latter’s otherwise prohibited premises. The toil and sweat paid off well. The previews were commented upon in glowing terms.

WAD Song: Hot Favourite: The Aids song which had been already uploaded on Youtube Lunhaok or Aids C. Lalhmingmawii is the vocalist’s favourite. Mami also thinks highly of the tune-composition style of the title song by Chris, Gospel Goes global. In the theme song, GGG, which was superbly shot indoors inside a hall, Mami and Abea managed to raise the bar in Gospel song picturisation. Barring 3 songs of the album in which Abea provided the back-vocals and duet-partnership, it was Mami’s show all the way. Watching the ace performer act out and voice the high-flown words of this song-writer with poise and ease, without missing a beat, like a duck takes to water, it will not be a mismatch to sub-title C. Lalhmingmawii as AVZ –Amazing Voice of Zoram.

If God blesses the songs of this nondescript North East Indian Gospel album to actually go global, the credit should go to the hard work rendered by the Tune-Composers, the Studio Technicians, the Videographers and Editors, the Distributors and specially to the main Vocalist who gave the brilliant shots that made the song wordings come alive in video frames.

The Final Release: In the run-up to the October, 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, hiring a decent auditorium in the NCR had for a lesser purpose had become almost impossible at this juncture. Thanks to their Christian brotherly attitude, Mizoram House, Vasant Vihar, Delhi, had agreed to let GGMI use their hall for the release bash of GGG video album on 28 august, 2010 at 3:30 pm. God willing, if things go well, Dr. H.T. Sangliana, the dynamic former super-cop-turned-MP who is presently serving the nation as Vice-Chairperson, NCM –National Commission For Minorities, had consented to grace the occasion as the Chief Guest.

Dedication: The Gospel album that showcases the latent talents of North east Indian artists will be dedicated for world-wide release by Rev Dino L Touthang, CEO, Habitat for humanity, New Delhi who also doubles up as Senior Pastor, KWS –Kuki Worship Service, Delhi, and the Chair, Micah Network. Rev/Pastor Paothang Haokip of OM fame who also serves the Lord as the Pastor of Good Shepherd Community Church, Hyderabad, will be the master of ceremonies. All Kuki-Mizo-Zomi friends of this author and the vocalists are invited to pray and attend the event.

Reproduced hereunder is the wording of this Song writer’s poetic take on God’s globalisation of the Gospel:

GOSPEL GOES GLOBAL

1. God told Adam not to eat the fruit,
Eve got sold on lies that hid the Truth;
Win for Satan, heaven was saddened,
Sin of Eden gave men a burden;
The good that he wants, he cannot do,
The evil he hates, he cannot spew.

We do what we like and guilt we get,
We rue o’er our lot and for sin fret;
The Word is grave but the world’s naive,
The Lord in Love calls His own to save;
Coz God wants to sin in all dispel,
The old Gospel is going global.

2. To the globe’s ends His trained the Lord sent,
That them who grope and faint may repent;
The Spirit moves, good- spell goes global,
Here creed dupes and Gospel goes tribal;
It’s time to re-link self with soul’s thirst,
Let’s rethink and put things of God first.

3. Crises have men bold, led down and fall,
Jesus loves souls and shed blood for all,
That all who life had pained to lose hope,
May come back to Him and regain hope;
That at home the Good News each may get,
God made Word go global in the net.

Lunminthang Haokip: The Author

GOSPEL GOES GLOBAL

By: Lunminthang Haokip

Introduction: The Gospel was there even in the Old Testament times in the implied sense in the shadow of the shape of things to come. Among other things that decorated Eden garden, the Creator left the masterpiece of His creativity in the form of Adam, and later, in Eve. However, Eve’s refusal to take divine warning seriously led to the subsequent fall of all the descendents of the original parentage. Adam wasn’t pro-active enough to get the lure of sin shut out in time. Banking heavily on falsity and fishing in the troubled waters of Eve’s vulnerability, the devil won in Eden and set up dens of its control over human affairs then, and even in the present times.

Author of life: But the baiter could never upstage the Maker. The Word of God, potent as ever, in the shade of moments, had always proved for all the world to know that it is He who “rules over the affairs of men (Daniel 5:21)” and have the final say in every situation in this mad bad world. The Gospel was the guideline and the means for the Almighty’s master-plan to restore the fallen nature of humankind, bind the adversary, write a new law on the table of a wretched heart and find a way out for a sin-bedevilled soul to be harmoniously re-linked to the real Author of life.

` Global Gospel: It all began in the Bible land – the places Lord Jesus treaded upon in his brief life-time. The “God who sees us”( Gen. 16:13) saw through appearances. Unlike in the present century, smartness and upward mobility were no plus points when Christ chose His disciples. In the hard-working fishing brothers, Peter and Andrew, the Master saw potential that if they followed Him, the unlettered duo could be made fishers of men (Matthew 4:19). Except for Judas Iscariot who betrayed Him at the end of the day, the rest of the chosen Eleven had no proper grounding in formal education.

Man from Above: The sagacious parables and other-worldly utterances of the Man from heaven needed proper recording. So, the wisdom of the Son of God felt the need to have a pen-pusher by His side to write down the historic miraculous events. The void was filled by Matthew, the pen-wielding Collector,,“Follow Me. And he arose and followed Him (Mt. 9:9)”. The hated tax collector, who could have ended as a mere wealthy local mortal, gave up worldly privileges, heeded the Saviour’s call and got His writing on the Gospel eternally etched in the all-time best seller, the Holy Bible.

Universality of the Gospel: Jesus was a Jew hailing from the Middle-East. But the
four Gospels on his action-packed earthly sojourn were meant for all the races settling in the four quarters of the globe - the North, the South, the East and the West. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost (Mt. 28:19)”. In the Words of the Lord, one can feel the universal love, concern and empathy that endearingly match His command and authority. To a believer, the urgency to make the last Commandment the first commitment, is the be-all and the end-all of the Gospel. Nothing meets the needs of men better than the “Good News” does. The mirage-like answer that the most revered philosopher, atheist and scientist search in vain, if penitently sought, can be found with a revelation in the verses of the Holy Scripture. Nationalities and communities may dissect, divide and classify humanity and their nature. But the basic model-type of the mind in all the reasoning beings of the continents is the same. The Maker set the bytes and bit-rates of the cardiac beat in such a way that until or unless the mooring, emoting and yearning of the heart is in tune with the teaching of the Gospel, men will never have a soul-satisfying good spell .

Global Trouble: Kingdoms came, but were tamed, sooner or later. Dynasties ruled and got literally ruled out by another. But it’s amazing to delve upon the glaring historical fact that no force on earth could stop the spread of the “Good News” to establish Christ’s kingdom worldwide. Prophet Isaiah revealed the mind of God on the future of His Son’s reign 700 years before Christ was born. “Of the increase of His government and peace, there shall be no end (Isaiah 9:7)”. Despite gigantic odds put badly against the Good news, His government continues to make deep inroads into human sanity oblivious of the rule of other worldly forces and factors.

Wrath Of God: Money had been lavishly spent to blunt the cutting edge of the Gospel. No trick and ploy had been left unemployed to nib Christianity in the bud by the likes of Herod the great, the High Priests and the 20th century non-believers of the ‘Word of life’. But every move to throttle the Voice of the Saviour was calamitously met, action for action, with an earthquake, a spell of darkness, a breaking up of United Republics, a super-cyclone, a Tsunami, a Katrina or a Nargis in different regions of the globe. The disasters could have been avoided had the writing on the wall in Romans 1:18 been trusted by all concerned in letter and spirit, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness”.

Gospel Went Global: What we called accidents of history, to the Supreme Ruler, were stage-managed plots to promote the cause of the Gospel further in the global orbit. The Roman empire had been nudged from above to construct roads in Bible-land towards the fag end of the B.C-era. In the first century A.D, St. Paul and the other Apostles used the same roads to drive the message of the Good News home. When Science and Technology were in mind-boggling doubt as to whether the earth was round or flat, Christopher Columbus was divinely guided, around the close of the 15th century, to locate and find the answer in Isaiah 40:22, “It is He that sitteth upon the circle of the earth”.

The Magic Verse: This singular verse led the adventurous marine hero to ultimately discover America. USA, in turn, was prepared to be strong enough to leave no stone unturned to see the teachings of Jesus go global. Faithful servants of God were equipped with savoir faire and skill to win souls for their Lord among the nations of the world. D.L Moody for USA and UK, John Wesley for England, David Livingstone for Africa, William Carey for India, Adoniram Judson for Burma etc. were raised with the purpose to save sinners from hellfire.

Global Technologies: Great preachers like Billy Graham and Joshua Daniel trotted the globe preaching the Good News in the 20th and 21st centuries. To convenience preaching from country to country through air-travel, the master Engineer put in inputs, in the beginning of the 20th century, in the minds of the God-fearing Wright Brothers to take heavy loads in the sky and not fall. The indelible imprint of the Creator was there in every technological discovery and its advancement. Be it Wireless set, motor engine, remedial medicines, radio and TV, printing machine, audio and visual devices, satellite TV or the Internet, despite men’s unfortunate misuses, were heavenly inspired and invented to speed up the pace of passing on the Good News that majority of the citizens of this ultra-modern world do not know is their prior and basic need. The Lord of Host, could even use wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to send devout Christians in the rank and file of US and South Korean Armies to witness in the battlefields and save souls to the uttermost.

Gospel and North East India: The Word of God had been given in ample doses for the past one and a half century to the people of North East India. Heathen cultures and traditions, that initially challenged the smooth inflow of the Spirit’s work, had undergone a drastic overhauling. Outlooks changed, lifestyles were given a lift, education dispelled and rediscovered ignorance, superstitious leanings gave way to institutional learning, Church buildings came up chock-a-block in earlier places of pagan worship and in government of states like Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram and parts of Manipur, the Church was seen flexing its influential muscles in the right spirit in Civil Administration process.

Music Capital: Musically-inclined state like Mizoram, thanks to the pioneer Presbyterian missionaries’ lyrical bent of mind, took to Gospel singing as Mumbai does to movie-making, and qualified itself to be dubbed the “Music capital of India.” At the same time, labourers in the Lord’s vineyard have a lot to do, and pray for, to revive the spiritual wasteland of the churched region to make the will of God prevail over the will of the flesh. In some cases, the universal Truth of the Gospel took a beating under the suppressive impact of traditional norms to force the Gospel to go, but tribal. There were moves to intimidate professors of the Faith. Yet, the cheering words of Isaiah 54:17, “No weapon formed against thee shall prosper” had steered clear God’s children out of danger zone.

GOSPEL GOES GLOBAL Video Album: To salute and celebrate the globalisation of the Word, this obscure author, who also writes Gospel songs out of the overflow of a heart grateful for the Divine gift to piece words together in a readable manner and partly to unwind himself gainfully from the additional burdens of provincial administration, in a bid to make his writings read globally, scribbled down many songs. Eleven of the songs had been recorded in Hauhnar studio, Aizawl, Mizoram, India and shot in avi video format in the picturesque natural landscapes of the peaceful hill-town.

The GGG Team: Talented tune composers like JH Vanlalngheta, R. Lalbiakthanga, Chris MS Dawngkima, Mama, and Seigoumang Lhouvum had showcased their flairs in songs like, Gospel Goes Global Aids song, Go Gospel, Holy Marriage, Lonely in a crowd, I grieved Thee first, Hail North East, Kut, Light of life, Aizawl city and 50 years of blessing. The video cam-men, Zova and Patea, took the shots in professional proficiency around Mizoram’s capital hill-top city-of-cheer. The Gospel Goes Global audio CD and video DVD, produced by Mrs Nengkim Haokip under the banner of Go Gospel Ministry International, L. Thinglhangphai, Manipur, India is ready for worldwide release in the month of August, 2010. OM Books, Hyderabad will take care of sales in their network of Book stores across the globe except in parts of NE India and North West Myanmar. VIBES, Goa is to push sales of the DVD album within Goa state.

The Main Vocalist: The name is C (Chawngthu). Lalhmingmawii. She sings Gospel numbers like Jaci V, looks stunningly Latino and emotes like B. Mori. Her first Mizo audio album, “Kumsang Bithar” was a total sell-out. 30,000 copies bought across the NE Indian states in 2001 was no mean feat by regional standards. Yet, success never went to her head nor failure, to her heart. Her second and third ventures, “Remna Palai” and “Kachakna Lalpa” made her a household name in greater Zoram and NW Myanmar. With her twanged Yankee accent, picked up from her musical tour of 22 states, with a choir of kids in concert, in the western coast of US of A from August 2002 to July 2004, she recorded her first English audio, VOG’s “Go Gospel” in 2007 and GGMI’s “Gospel Goes Global” in 2010. Lonely in a crowd, the testimonial song of this author, was a part of GO Gospel audio album. The Mangheta composed number had become the fave choice of the wannabe singers (Zaihuai) for presentation in social functions.

Awards Came Early: Inspired by Mariah Carey internationally and nearer home, by the old-time Mizo female crooner, Lalduhawmi, Mami, as she is popularly known, in year 2001, added another feather in her musical cap. She won the coveted Rimawi Khawvel - “Best new Artist Award”. Accolades and applauses thundered every event the dusky husky new singer in town sang in, ever since. But the typical Piscean that she is, the level-headed Mami never bit the bait of ultra-glam offers that came her way to be an air-hostess, sing secular songs etc. Tempting though the lucrative offers on the surface were, the fish would not come out of water.

Christian Life: Well-groomed by her spiritually discerned daddy, C. Lalrinkima, Lalhmingmawii never strayed out of the bounds of Church activities and in-service values. Forenoon and evening time callers to her bsnl number usually get no response. She’d be either teaching in school or seated on a church-pew hearing a sermon . This savvy well-self-managed itinerary vocalist, when she is not lighting up Christian bashes in Manipur, Mizoram and Guwahati and Shillong, goes to take class 6 times, and to Church service 5 times in a week, sings hymns with the Vengchhak Presbyterian KTP-choir, helps mom in household chores and relaxes with country gospel music tuned on in her cozy ITI veng home.

Simple Desire: Emotionally attached to her dad and kid brother, Mami is proud of being a Mizo, loves to wear the locally woven wrap-around called ‘Puan’, delights in savouring Indian and Chinese dishes and dots on Psalm chapter 37 reading which gives her the spiritual succour to take on the sad side of life. Her burgeoning fan-following, that includes top-notch mandarins of the bureaucracy of home and neighbouring states, may look her up as a star-performer. But Mami’s main ambition is down-to-earth. As a daughter, she wishes to settle down via a holy marriage with a pliable, reliable, amenable and honest man who can read her moods and let her live a hassle-free life ever after.

The shooting of GGG: To make the video shoots of Gospel Goes Global songs look visually eye-catching, Mami took a month’s leave from duty in June, 2010. A perfect motivator and organiser that she is, she called the shots over locations, dresses to be worn, shot-angles and participation of back-up artists. It speaks well of the social good-will she enjoys that Vengchhak choir, on her request, willingly put up with the patience-taxing retakes for ‘World Aids Day’ shoot. She also managed to get permission from the state’s Arts & Culture department to shoot Kut song in the latter’s otherwise prohibited premises. The toil and sweat paid off well. The previews were commented upon in glowing terms.

WAD Song: Hot Favourite: The Aids song which had been already uploaded on Youtube Lunhaok or Aids C. Lalhmingmawii is the vocalist’s favourite. Mami also thinks highly of the tune-composition style of the title song by Chris, Gospel Goes global. In the theme song, GGG, which was superbly shot indoors inside a hall, Mami and Abea managed to raise the bar in Gospel song picturisation. Barring 3 songs of the album in which Abea provided the back-vocals and duet-partnership, it was Mami’s show all the way. Watching the ace performer act out and voice the high-flown words of this song-writer with poise and ease, without missing a beat, like a duck takes to water, it will not be a mismatch to sub-title C. Lalhmingmawii as AVZ –Amazing Voice of Zoram.

If God blesses the songs of this nondescript North East Indian Gospel album to actually go global, the credit should go to the hard work rendered by the Tune-Composers, the Studio Technicians, the Videographers and Editors, the Distributors and specially to the main Vocalist who gave the brilliant shots that made the song wordings come alive in video frames.

The Final Release: In the run-up to the October, 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, hiring a decent auditorium in the NCR had for a lesser purpose had become almost impossible at this juncture. Thanks to their Christian brotherly attitude, Mizoram House, Vasant Vihar, Delhi, had agreed to let GGMI use their hall for the release bash of GGG video album on 28 august, 2010 at 3:30 pm. God willing, if things go well, Dr. H.T. Sangliana, the dynamic former super-cop-turned-MP who is presently serving the nation as Vice-Chairperson, NCM –National Commission For Minorities, had consented to grace the occasion as the Chief Guest.

Dedication: The Gospel album that showcases the latent talents of North east Indian artists will be dedicated for world-wide release by Rev Dino L Touthang, CEO, Habitat for humanity, New Delhi who also doubles up as Senior Pastor, KWS –Kuki Worship Service, Delhi, and the Chair, Micah Network. Rev/Pastor Paothang Haokip of OM fame who also serves the Lord as the Pastor of Good Shepherd Community Church, Hyderabad, will be the master of ceremonies. All Kuki-Mizo-Zomi friends of this author and the vocalists are invited to pray and attend the event.

Reproduced hereunder is the wording of this Song writer’s poetic take on God’s globalisation of the Gospel:

GOSPEL GOES GLOBAL

1. God told Adam not to eat the fruit,
Eve got sold on lies that hid the Truth;
Win for Satan, heaven was saddened,
Sin of Eden gave men a burden;
The good that he wants, he cannot do,
The evil he hates, he cannot spew.

We do what we like and guilt we get,
We rue o’er our lot and for sin fret;
The Word is grave but the world’s naive,
The Lord in Love calls His own to save;
Coz God wants to sin in all dispel,
The old Gospel is going global.

2. To the globe’s ends His trained the Lord sent,
That them who grope and faint may repent;
The Spirit moves, good- spell goes global,
Here creed dupes and Gospel goes tribal;
It’s time to re-link self with soul’s thirst,
Let’s rethink and put things of God first.

3. Crises have men bold, led down and fall,
Jesus loves souls and shed blood for all,
That all who life had pained to lose hope,
May come back to Him and regain hope;
That at home the Good News each may get,
God made Word go global in the net.

Discovery of Ignorance

Lmt: The Author

DISCOVERY OF IGNORANCE

By : Lunminthang Haokip


ORIGINAL IDEAS: Philosophers down the ages vied with one another to give the best definition of education. To Aristotle, it meant a succinct, "Creation of a sound mind in a sound body." Plato was more eloquent, "I mean by education that training which is given by suitable habits to the first instincts of virtue in children". The definitions evoke profound thoughts but, at the same time, invoke one's sensibility to disagree a bit that the statements, despite reflections of high intellectual potency, partly border on rhetorical idealism.

Ignorance Fades Out: Education, indeed, is an endless series of systematic instructions that enlighten the mind, mould the character and strengthen the mental power. It throws light upon areas of ignorance that handicap the unlettered from making a scholastic and intellectual headway. Cobwebs of doubt and notional errors gradually fade out in the course of its progress as doses of learning trickle in. It also brings about considerable restraint in one in the discernment of the right and the wrong and in adherence to traditional dos and taboos.

Thought Fine-Tuning: However, for all the amazing acceleration to advancements of knowledge and technology it had achieved for humanity, education did and does little to belittle the penchant to break God’s Laws in a mortal being. This unfortunate lapse cripples the growth of the soul and the spirit to fine-tune their bent of thought to that of the Creator's.

Remember Thy Creator: "Remember Thy Creator in the days of the youth (Ecclesiastes 12:1)". I can't spin yearns about religions I don't know much about. But the religion I follow thrives on its relevance to the Creator and His Creation. We owe everything to Jehovah who made us with a purpose. As the planets revolve around the sun, we are to be God-centered. Its antithesis is being self-centered. The moment the earth ceases to move in an orbit around the sun, there'll be no season and no life on it. The same fate will befall an education devoid of the Word of God to keep it under check and the inspiration to stimulate subjection to His will, to balance it.
The Days Of Thy Youth : Youth is a time when you care about a thousand matters bouncing about. You abound in boundless raw energy and potential. Properly tapped, the natural endowments can catapult you to peak performance facilitating your dream ambitions to come true. It's when the foundation of life's later-day storey are laid. If you wouldn't play ball with the voice of your conscience by willing to do what your Maker insists, the tower of your hopes will crumble down like a house of cards.

The Hangover: It's tougher than you imagine, to undo in middle-age the medley of bad things you did in your adolescence. Once bloomed, the rose can't shut and become a bud again. One's life is built on the values and beliefs one absorbs and cherishes in one's formative days. Youth's when you don't even know what's good for you to do to ensure a happy manhood, old-age and ending. So, there's no better insurance than to bet on and intertwine the gamut of your juvenile interests with that of an all-knowing God who "Declares the end from the beginning, and from ancient times, the things that are not yet done (Isaiah 46:10)."

Need For Shepherding: A youth, at his best, is like a sheep unsure of his next step. Jehovah said, the shepherd-boy-turned-king David was a man after his own heart. Yet, in selfless meekness, David wrote is Psalm 23:1 "The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. " If David needed it, how much more shepherding you and I need?

The Ultimate Truth : Tagore opined, "Education enables the mind to find out the ultimate truth which emancipated us from the bondage of dust and giving the wealth not of inner light, not of power but of love making this truth its own and giving expression to it."

Collision Course: It sounds great. Yes, education helped us in finding the hidden truths in artistic, scientific, cosmic and atomic ventures. But are we emancipated in the true sense? Taught to be ultimately under the bondage of prejudice-tainted parochial and paranoiac pulls and pushes, the world's region-compelled contradicting national priorities-in-conflict are on an accursed course of a head-on collision.
The Last Fight: This restlessness spreading between two poles is destructively

tearing itself apart from blast to blast. Thanks to hi-tech atomic conceptions and perverted religious fanaticism, weapons of a last reel-climactic global annihilation are piled up and used in striking strategic venues. The new defense system is to go nuclear. At this rate of It may not be long before modernity's marveled monuments of pride are blown up to cinders. Is our education taking us to such a horrible holocaust?"

Limited Truths: Education also is a progressive learning and application of relative truths that do wonders to improve the lot of mankind. Relative truths have their own limitations. They do add to head-knowledge and contribute a great deal in attainment of excelling know-how in various fields. Using them, citadels of economic power and military might can be built up. When that's done, the morale of the soul, the seat of one's emotions, is boosted sky-high. But, in the absence of a diligence- controlled piloting of a sane spirit, all that human sentiment can command to be carried out from the cardiac cockpit will end up in smoke.

The Soul And The Spirit: The natural mind is seized by fleshly designs unlimited. The spirit alone can relate to the mind of God. A strong spirit will rein in the soul and the body which represent the outer-man. But it's often the other way round. In most persons, the godly promptings of the inner-man, the spirit, are choked and rendered ineffective by the emotional concerns of the flesh and the soul.

The Good And The bad: Everybody has traits and traces of a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in himself. If Dr. Jekyll is to hold ground, Mr. Hyde shall have to go underground. The corporeal demeanor stems out of a mindset steeped in a soulical disposition. When the soul asserts itself full force, the spirit is weakened, shaken and can scarce hold its ideals on like a hubby made a cuckold of. And, the inner-man, the epitome of virtue and righteousness, becomes a helpless puppet on the string pulled with gusto by the outrageous outer-man.

Truth That Delivers: What's the ultimate truth that will deliver the soul from the deception of the evil gambit the devil cunningly moves to trample the spirit upon? "Jesus saith unto them, I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me (John 14:6)." He's the son of God who's the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. His teachings are absolute truths that mirror the sin-filled state-of-the-heart like a state-of-the-art closed-circuit camera does to the surreptitious movements in its focus.

The Weakness of Learning: University academics may confer a big degree to a studious scholar. But will the accredited academic accomplishment actuate his heart to appropriate the calling of his conscience? No. A college-level certification qualifies a man to teach, but can it guarantee the qualified teacher to do justice to the ethics of his profession? Will the knowledge he gathered in his head make him shudder from engaging a proxy-teacher for himself at a pittance while he noses around for means to earn an extra-income? A big no. An officer may have all the Rules and Acts his job requires him to be conversant in at his finger-tips. But can that stop him from holding back impulses to bend rules and act against his own conscience? Experience proves the contrary true.

Ruthless Wizardry: Focused study of and training on a specialized discipline turned a few young zealots into dare-devil aeronautical wizards. Fervidly set to avenge a jingoistic grudge triggered by religious fervour, no sense of professionalism could divert the minds of the ruthless terrorists from being hell-bent on the suicidal aerial attacks. All the hi-tech expertise they imbibed with no stirring of the spirit, failed to kindle in them a feeling of sympathy for the thousands of comparatively innocent family-men and women who were burnt alive when they in full consciousness, rammed the hijacked jetliners against the twin WTC towers on Sept. 11 last. Why ? Because their spirits were dead while the soulical temper was super active at supersonic speed.

The Key To Rid Guilt: Repentance, confession of sins, cleansing of the conscience and accepting Lord Jesus as one's personal Saviour alone can sensitize the spirit to life and grace. That's the ultimate truth that will save a guilty wretch from the pincer-clutch of such a bohemian bondage. "And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free (John 8:32)."

Being Made Free: What's it like being freed by Jesus? Now you have complete victory over the sinning tendencies harboured by and harnessed in the old nature. Having forsaken ways abominable and crazes deplorable, the Lord of Lords gives you a new contrite heart that throbs and thirsts to do things righteous. The trying traits you hated but couldn't do without trouble you no more. Earlier, your eyes mechanically went through your lessons in study. But your mind drew a blank because it was in use elsewhere in a mental date with someone who'd stolen your heart or you'd given your heart to. But now, the spirit of the Lord keeps you in perfect liberty to concentrate upon your studies by being spiritually anchored to the power of the cross.

Fear God For Wisdom: " The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). " Because you fear the Lord and obey His words, the flood-light that the Gospel truth trails along leads you to deeper truths. It helps you realize that romancing around with a boy-friend or a girl- friend, instead of patiently praying in chastity to God for a suitable partner of His choice, would certainly end up in heart-breaks. If broken hearts aren't taken out of emotion-driven agony by calming with healing words of grace and not mended with the love of Calvary, the devil may bluff and turn the love-story into a tragedy of suicide. Parents should take a serious mental note of this.

The Spirit-Led: The light also exposes the devouring darkness in succumbing to “the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life”, subtly opposing the Gospel, knowing people after the flesh etc. Your renewed spirit steers your way clear from all these diabolic snares as a flying plane does from a solid object to avert a crash. God's name is hallowed when one lives a holy life. Spiritual promotion follows. Joseph was jailed for his aversion to amorous advances made by Potiphar's wife. Later, Pharoah declared his spiritual stature in purity, "Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God (Genesis 41:38)."

Wisdom From Above: Worldly wisdom wavers. Godly wisdom doesn't. But it comes with a heavy price-tag of strict bodily discipline and spiritual sagacity. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon of yore had a dream that hassled his spirit. There was not a man on earth who could interpret it. But, because "Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the King's delicacies nor with the wine which he drank (Daniel 1: 8), "God gave him knowledge and skill in literature and wisdom and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams (Daniel 1:17)."

The Excellent Spirit: The succeeding King, Darius, the Mede, was equally impressed by the unblemished deportment of young Daniel. The king made him one of the three governors. The other two got jealous. A wicked plot was hatched to implicate and finish off Daniel who the king favoured. But, "Because an excellent spirit was on him (Daniel 6:3)," he never wavered in his wisdom to worship anything other than the true living God. He was thrown into the lion's den for his daring faith. However, he came out unscathed. Darius wrote in owe, "I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom men must tremble and fear before the God of Daniel (Dan 6:26)". What a blessing it will be if our present rulers follow suit.

Discoveries By Providence : It gives a tangible touch to the Almighty's supreme authority over the universe to learn that most of the greatest discoveries on earth didn't happen by chance but providence. Obedience to the word of God provided solution to the most mind-boggling problems in scientific research and findings. The right stance taken by the Wright Brothers to keep the Sabbath holy received divine reward in the form of the invention of the aero plane. The God fearing Brothers had to deny an audience to the king of Spain who came all the way to America to watch a test-flight on the Lord's day.

The Silver Is The Lord’s : A Christian who doesn't bring one-tenth of his income in the holy church will squander ten-tenth of the same in an unholy search. A reversal of the above act of unfaith, however, pays rich dividends. Colgate, the entrepreneur's faithful tithing from a normal one-tenth to an incredible nine-tenth of his earnings, endeared him to Him who reigned in heaven. The Colgate brand of products, became a household name worldwide. "The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine, says the Lord of host (Haggai 2:8)".

A Call To Heaven : It was another spirit-guided brother in Christ, Samuel Morse, who sent the first telegraphic message from Washington to Baltimore in 1791. Even in the wording of the first message ever transmitted, the Maker of heaven and earth was glorified. It read, "What God hath wrought." This paved the way for other line discoveries like the telephone, the wireless, the TV etc. It all proved that Heaven's ears are open to the broken-hearted who, equipped with a faith that matches the value of the genius sought to be gifted, dials the following verse as heaven's telephone number, "Call to me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things which you do not know (Jeremiah 33:3)."

Faith Discovered America : Great wisdom that education knows nothing about are stored up in the scriptures of the Bible. Concealed to the atheistically ambitious, the Creator did not and will not hesitate to reveal the mysteries of the earth to the intrinsically righteous seeker, "But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets (Dan 2:28)."

The Big Question: Towards the close of the 15th century, Christopher Columbus was a spirit-charged soundly converted young navigator all set for an around-the-world trip by sea. But he wasn't quite sure whether the earth was round or flat. Starting the gripping experimental journey from a place in England, was it possible for him to come back at the same point of departure after a round trip by ship?

The Revelation: So, in sanctified zest coupled with a zeal extra-ordinary, Columbus knocked heaven's door in passionate prayer. God gave his perplexing doubt a history-changing clearance in Isaiah 40:22, "It is He who sits above the circle of the earth." This miraculous guidance was the backing basis Christopher deciphered and translated into oceanic adventurism that finally discovered the blessed America. Written about 681 years before Christ, God had already revealed to the prophet Isaiah then, that the earth was spherical. It took a deeply devoted believer to find out the universal truth 2180 (approx.) years after Isaiah's prophesy.

Job-Cuts And Life-Cuts : At present, the country as well as our state, Manipur, is burdened with the exploits of the educated unemployed. Disappointment looms large in the placement scenario here, and even in a super-rich nation like the U.S. The situation worsened after the multi-national Executive-laden WTC buildings were reduced to rubbles and debris. Job-cuts hurt some more than life-cuts in the terrible strikes by fully-fuelled jet planes. At times, one can't help wondering whether the hard-earned money shelled out through their noses by high-strung parents in their children's academic pursuits will ever bring remotely proportionate returns. Is there enough job-opportunities for all the wannabe techies undergoing diversified courses in the promissory institutes of this country and beyond? If the supply by far exceeds the demand for degree-holders angling for big-salaried vacancies, who should we blame? Ourselves, of courses.

God Honours Those Who Honour Him : God is not blameworthy. Everything, including the air, the waters, the continents and the cosmos belong to Him. "For Thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory for ever (Mathew 6:13)", is the bottom-line of the Lord's prayer. He's under no compulsion to bestow blessings upon any land. He's in full liberty " to honour those who honour Him (1 Sam. 2:30)." Jehovah is the unseen force behind the rise and fall of every regime. "Most high rules in the Kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses (Dan 4:32)."

Honour Who?:So, if from Him we get with the good tidings, an assortment of curses like floods, droughts, earthquakes, tsunamis, wars and super-cyclones at regular intervals, let's search ourselves. Hardest hit is our economy which isn't likely to recover unless retrenchment is well entrenched in it. Let's ask ourselves. Whether we honour or dishonour Him in our policies, their execution, and formulation of controversial agenda? Or do we defy the Creator and deify the creatures in the curricular syllabi we endorse in the top-level councils for our schools and col¬leges to feed upon?

Human Wisdom: No Patch On God’s: Education articulates knowledge and religion provides the edges of the hedge that silently pledges to guard the soul and prevent the abuse of know-how. Imbalanced imposition of the former activates atheism and excessive enthusiasm about the latter fans fanaticism. God approves neither. He has scant regard for the puffed-up psyche that inflates the ego of the proud. Mussolini, in the height of his notoriety, dared challenge the existence of God. The all-hearing Author of lives saw to it that the fascist leader died a dog's death on the streets. Womenfolk spat upon him. "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing understanding of the pru-dent (1 Cor 1:19)." Nobody, how wise, de¬rides the Almighty and gets away with it.

Super-President?: Bill Clinton got excellent ranking as the president of the globe's only remaining super-power worth its fighter-bombers. The maverick former Prez’s statesmanship is talked about in glowing terms. His speeches are given at a hefty price around the globe, even today.. But because he himself violated the 7th Commandment of God, the guilt-ridden Prez removed the 10 Commandments from the wall of the White House, said Dr. Joshua Daniel, an international radio Preacher and Revival¬ist, recently. This could have partly accounted for the unexpected WTC devastation.

The Unexpected: In the Truth-emboldened Preacher's own words, "Who could have conceived of a passenger plane with it's full complement of flight attendants and crew loaded with 60,000 gallons of aviation fuel being turned into a powerful missile which would be expertly diverted into those massive towers, causing their collapse on six thousand men and women who were outstandingly brilliant leaders in various fields of commercial and technological enterprise."

Perfect Education: Perfect education, therefore, is a system of learning in which, other things remaining equal, God is reverenced, pure hearts are produced and eternal values are introduced. Here, we are just pilgrims under-transit awaiting a grim judgement by the son of God. Then, we'll regret being born if we had not been born again in Jesus. "For there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12). "

Mesmerized by the glitz and glitter the corrupt world entices by, the scowling scoffer will not buy that. St. Paul had written about it in the first century itself, "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God (1 Cor 1:18)." And that's the ultimate truth we know and need to know on earth so as to be emancipated from death's dust and hell-fire’s ashes.

Greatest Discovery : And what's the greatest discovery? Sir James Simpson who made a number of scientific discoveries, including that of the anesthetic property of chloroform, when asked this question, answered in humility, " The greatest discovery ever made was that I am a great sinner but that Jesus Christ was my Saviour."