Thursday, February 12, 2009

*FOR GLOBAL CHRISTIAN NEWS SURF DOWNWARDS*

UPDATES, NEWS AND LINKS ON PERSECUTION IN INDIA For more news on Attacks on Christians Surf PHOTOS OF VIOLENCE http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/gallery/0727/
5,000 Christians in Refugee Camps in Kandhamal IANS 12 Feb 2009 12:01:48 PM IST NEW DELHI: Fear still stalks the 5,000 people in refugee camps in Orissa's Kandhamal district who had taken shelter there after anti-Christian violence drove them out of their homes, says a priest, pointing out that paramilitary forces were being withdrawn from the area."Most of the people hesitate to move back to their homes in the villages as the threat still prevails there. Moreover, they have nothing left, as everything was destroyed in the riots," said Reverend Joseph Kalathil, vicar general of the Cuttack-Bhubaneswar Arch-Diocese.The camps located in the cities have almost been closed. And now people are living in the camps in the riot-affected villages, the priest said.He, however, said those who reconverted to Hinduism have been able to go back home."About 15 percent Christian people have re-converted and they were able to return to their homes," Kalathil told IANS on phone from Bhubaneswar.Kandhamal was ravaged by anti-Christian violence following the killing of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and four of his aides Aug 23, 2008.While police blamed Maoists for the killings, some Hindu organisations held Christians responsible for the crime and launched attacks on the community. Christian organisations have repeatedly denied their involvement in the murder.At least 38 people were killed and thousands of Christians were forced to flee their homes after their houses were attacked by rampaging mobs.The church also expressed its anguish over the central government's decision to withdraw the paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in a phased manner.The withdrawal of the forces started Jan 15, nine days after the Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, Justice Markandey Katju and Justice P. Sathasivam said the central and state governments should "ensure the minority's safety"."People feel some security because of the presence of the CRPF and the Rapid Action Force (RAF). If they are withdrawn completely, we fear, the situation will get worse," Kalathil said.The state police are not capable of dealing with the situation, he said.Fifty-three companies of CRPF and RAF were deployed in Orissa.The priest said though the district collector and other state officials are "doing their best" for rehabilitation and security, they were not able to hold holy mass on Sundays.Officials claim that the relatives of 40 riot victims have been given compensation of Rs.200,000 by the state and the kin of 10 victims have been given Rs.300,000 by the central government.People who return to their homes have been given Rs.10,000 each to re-construct their houses, the officials added. 96,000 more IAY houses for flood and fire victims ENS 12 Feb 2009 12:10:51 PM IST BHUBANESWAR: In a belated response to the State Government's demand for Government's demand for special Central assistance under the Indira Awas Yojana (IAY), the Centre today sanctioned 96,000 additional houses for flood and fire-affected families.After the devastating floods last year, the State submitted a proposal to the Centre requesting special allocation of two lakh IAY houses for the flood-hit BPL families in addition to the normal allocation of 1.11 lakh houses during 2008-09.The demand for additional two lakh IAY houses costing Rs 700 crore was over and above the Rs 2,687 crore Central assistance to complete the process of relief and restoration measures after the flood.In the first week of September last year, the Government had made separate request to the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) for additional housing assistance to the riot-hit families of Kandhamal district. The Ministry then advised the State to give special preference to families whose houses were damaged in rioting and arson from the normal allocation to the district. The additional allocation of 96,000 IAY houses will be distributed among the flood and fire-affected families of the State in proportion to the original distribution, Panchayati Raj Secretary R.N Dash told this paper.Meanwhile, the Government had provided housing assistance to all the riot-hit BPL families of Kandhamal district under 'Mo Kudia' scheme. The left-out flood-affected BPL families will be covered under the State sponsored 'Mo Kudia' scheme, he said.Although the Centre had announced an immediate assistance of Rs 500 crore last year, the State had so far received only Rs 98.87 crore for relief operation.An inter-ministerial Central team visited the State in the first week of January to assess the flood damage. However, the Centre is yet to announce any aid.
Barack Obama: The 50 facts you might not know
The Daily TelegraphFirst Published : 10 Nov 2008 10:26:00 PM ISTLast Updated : 11 Nov 2008 01:41:43 AM IST
• He collects Spider-Man and Conan the Barbarian comics • He was known as "O'Bomber" at high school for his skill at basketball • His name means "one who is blessed" in Swahili • His favourite meal is wife Michelle's shrimp linguini • He won a Grammy in 2006 for the audio version of his memoir, Dreams From My Father • He is left-handed – the sixth post-war president to be left-handed • He has read every Harry Potter book • He owns a set of red boxing gloves autographed by Muhammad Ali • He worked in a Baskin-Robbins ice cream shop as a teenager and now can't stand ice cream • His favourite snacks are chocolate-peanut protein bars • He ate dog meat, snake meat, and roasted grasshopper while living in Indonesia • He can speak Spanish • While on the campaign trail he refused to watch CNN and had sports channels on instead • His favourite drink is black forest berry iced tea • He promised Michelle he would quit smoking before running for president – he didn't • He kept a pet ape called Tata while in Indonesia • He can bench press an impressive 200lbs • He was known as Barry until university when he asked to be addressed by his full name • His favourite book is Moby-Dick by Herman Melville • He visited Wokingham, Berks, in 1996 for the stag party of his half-sister's fiancĂ©, but left when a stripper arrived • His desk in his Senate office once belonged to Robert Kennedy • He and Michelle made $4.2 million (£2.7 million) last year, with much coming from sales of his books • His favourite films are Casablanca and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest • He carries a tiny Madonna and child statue and a bracelet belonging to a soldier in Iraq for good luck • He applied to appear in a black pin-up calendar while at Harvard but was rejected by the all-female committee. • His favourite music includes Miles Davis, Bob Dylan, Bach and The Fugees • He took Michelle to see the Spike Lee film Do The Right Thing on their first date • He enjoys playing Scrabble and poker • He doesn't drink coffee and rarely drinks alcohol • He would have liked to have been an architect if he were not a politician • As a teenager he took drugs including marijuana and cocaine • His daughters' ambitions are to go to Yale before becoming an actress (Malia, 10) and to sing and dance (Sasha, 7)
• He hates the youth trend for trousers which sag beneath the backside• He repaid his student loan only four years ago after signing his book deal
• His house in Chicago has four fire places
• Daughter Malia's godmother is Jesse Jackson's daughter Santita
• He says his worst habit is constantly checking his BlackBerry • He uses an Apple Mac laptop • He drives a Ford Escape Hybrid, having ditched his gas-guzzling Chrysler 300 • He wears $1,500 (£952) Hart Schaffner Marx suits • He owns four identical pairs of black size 11 shoes • He has his hair cut once a week by his Chicago barber, Zariff, who charges $21 (£13) • His favourite fictional television programmes are Mash and The Wire • He was given the code name "Renegade" by his Secret Service handlers • He was nicknamed "Bear" by his late grandmother • He plans to install a basketball court in the White House grounds • His favourite artist is Pablo Picasso • His speciality as a cook is chilli • He has said many of his friends in Indonesia were "street urchins" • He keeps on his desk a carving of a wooden hand holding an egg, a Kenyan symbol of the fragility of life • His late father was a senior economist for the Kenyan government
FELICITATION OF DIGNITARIES 2009

AGM, EHCC, 2006




Receipient of Jabdee Memorial Award of Merit 2007

AARON RAI OF HOREB CHURCH, CHUNGTUNG, DARJEELING, RECEIPIENT OF JABDEE MEMORIAL AWARD OF MERIT (2007)- TOPPER OF MADHYAMIK PARIKSHA 2007 ( IN THE EHCC LEVEL)
BIBLICAL SONGS



Noah: "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head"

Adam and Eve: "Strangers in Paradise"

Lazarus: "The Second Time Around"

Esther: "I Feel Pretty"

Job: "I've Got a Right to Sing the Blues"

Moses: "The Wanderer"

Jezebel: "The Lady is a Tramp"

Samson: "Hair"

Salome: "I Could Have Danced All Night"

Daniel: "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"

Joshua: "Good Vibrations"

Peter: "I'm Sorry"

Esau: "Born To Be Wild"

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: "Great Balls of Fire!"

The Three Kings: "When You Wish Upon a Star"

Jonah: "Got a Whale of a Tale"

Elijah: "Up, Up, and Away"

Methuselah: "Stayin' Alive"

Nebuchadnezzar: "Crazy"



SPIRITUAL VITAMINS A TO Z Remember to take your vitamins every day!
Anxious? Take Vitamin A. "All things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)

Blue? Take Vitamin B. "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name." (Psalm 103:1) Crushed? Take Vitamin C. "Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7) Depressed? Take Vitamin D. "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you." (James 4:8) Empty? Take Vitamin E. "Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name." (Psalm 100:4) Fearful? Take Vitamin F. "Fear not, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God." (Isaiah 41:10) Greedy? Take Vitamin G. "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put unto your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back." (Luke 6:38) Hesitant? Take Vitamin H. "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, 'Your God reigns.'" (Isaiah 52:7) Insecure? Take Vitamin I. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13) Jittery? Take Vitamin J. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." (Hebrews 13:8) Know nothing? Take Vitamin K. "Know this that the Lord is God, it is He that made us and not we ourselves. (Psalm 100:3) Lonely? Take Vitamin L. "Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:20) Mortgaged? Take Vitamin M. "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9) Nervous? Take Vitamin N. "Never, no never will I leave you nor forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5) Overwhelmed? Take Vitamin O. "Overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:21)
Perplexed or puzzled? Take Vitamin P. "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid." (John 14:27) Quitting? Take Vitamin Q. "Quit you like men and women, be strong." (1 Corinthians 16:13) Restless? Take Vitamin R. "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him." (Psalm 37:7) Scared? Take Vitamin S. "Stay with me, and do not be afraid; for the one who seeks my life seeks your life; you will be safe with me." (1 Samuel 22:23) Tired? Take Vitamin T. "Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." (Isaiah 40:31) Uncertain? Take Vitamin U. "Understand that I am (the Lord). Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me." (Isaiah 43:10) Vain? Take Vitamin V. "Vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one. (Acts 5:16) Wondering what to do? Take Vitamin W. "What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8) eXhausted? Take Vitamin X. "eXercise thyself rather unto godliness." (1 Timothy 4:7) Yearning for hope? Take Vitamin Y. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for you art with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." (Psalm 23:4) Zapped? Take Vitamin Z. "Zealous for good deeds." (Titus 2:14)
Never doubt the Word of God!!!

Make a personal reflection about this. Very interesting, read until the end... It is written in the Bible (Gatians 6:7): " Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth,that shall he also reap.
Here are some men and women who mocked God:
JOHN LENNON: Some years before during his interview with an American Magazine, he said: "Christianity will end, it will disappear. I do not have to argue about that. I am certain. Jesus was ok, but his subjects were too simple, Today we are more famous than Him" (1966)". Lennon, after saying that the Beatles were more famous than Jesus Christ,was shot six times.
TANCREDO NEVES: During the Presidential campaign, he said if he got 500 votes from his party, not even God would remove him from Presidency. Sure he got the votes, but he got sick a day before being made President, then he died.
CAZUZA: During a show in CanecĂŁo ( Rio de Janeiro ), whilst smoking his cigarette,he puffed out some smoke into the air and said: God, that's for you.I can't even explain how he died.
THE MAN WHO BUILT TITANIC:
After the construction of Titanic, a reporter asked him how safe the Titanic would be. With an ironic tone he said: "Not even God can sink it"
The result: I think you all know what happened to the Titanic.
MARILYN MONROE:
She was visited by Billy Graham during a presentation of a show. He is a preacher and Evangelist and the Spirit of God had sent him to preach to her.
After hearing what the Preacher had to say, she said:
"I don't need your Jesus"
A week later, she was found dead in her apartment.
BON SCOTT:
The ex-vocalist of the AC/DC. On one of his 1979 songs he sang:
"Don´t stop me, I´m going down all the way, wow the highway to hell". On the 19th of February 1980, Bon Scott was found dead, he had been choked by his vomit.
CAMPINAS/SP IN 2005
In Campinas, a group of friends, drunk, went to pick up a friend. The mother accompanied her to the car and was so worried about the drunkenness of her friends and she said to the daughter - holding her hand, who was already seated in the car: "MY DAUGHTER, GO WITH GOD AND MAY HE PROTECT YOU",
She responded: ONLY IF HE (GOD) TRAVELS IN THE BOOT, COZ INSIDE HERE IT'S ALREADY FULL"
Hours later, news came by that they had been involved in a fatal accident,everyone had died, the car could not be recognized what type of car it had been, but surprisingly, the boot was intact.
The police said there was no way the boot could have remained intact.To their surprise, inside the boot was a crate of eggs, none was broken.

Many more important people have forgotten that there is no other name that was given so much authority as the name of Jesus. Many have died, but only Jesus died and rose again, and he is still alive. JESUS!!!
CHRISTIAN WAYS
TO REDUCE STRESS

1. Pray. 2. Go to bed on time. 3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.
4. Say "No" to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health. 5. Delegate tasks to capable others. 6. Simplify and unclutter your life. 7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many). 8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places. 9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changed and difficult projects over time: don't lump the hard things all together. 10. Take one day at a time. 11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern find out what God would have you to do and let go of the anxiety. If you can't do anything about a situation... forget it. 12. Live within your budget: don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases. 13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried somewhere, where only you know where it is. 14. Do something for the kid in you everyday. 15. Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting in line. 16. Eat right. 17. Get organized so everything has it place. 18. Listen to a tape of encouragement while driving. 19. Write thoughts and inspirations down in a special place. 20. Everyday, find time to be alone with God. 21. Meditate. 22. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. No matter where you are. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try to pray. 23. Make friends with godly people. 24. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand. 25. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good "Thank you, Jesus. 26. Laugh. 27. Laugh some more. 28. Take your work seriously, but yourself not at all. 29. Sing 30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can). 31. Be kind to unkind people ( they probably need it the most). 32. Sit on your ego. 33. Talk less, listen more. 34. Slow down. 35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe. 36. Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before. God Has A Way Of Turning Things Around For You. If God is for us, who can be against us? ( Romans 8:31).