A Recap of 2018

It’s the beginning of another year and as it is often the habit that as we look back at what the old year had in store for us, we wonder what awaits us this year. Though that remains to be seen, I am sure all of you would agree that 2018 was an eventful year and we have witnessed signs that we are ever nearing the second coming of Christ. The world is a mix of flammable material that only needs a spark to set it on fire.

2018 witnessed a lot of upheavals in the social, political and economic realm. For those of you who keep watch, you will notice that things are spinning out of control. The argument over who has a legitimate claim over small patches of land in the middle of the ocean, the fabricated accusations that a government is murdering its own citizens, the concocted provocations that centres around the flow of marine traffic through a narrow strip of water body that connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov, what currency should be used as a medium of transaction in the global oil market and a host of many political fracas that most of us would not even be able to keep track of or even remember, are drawing this entire world closer and closer to yet another armed conflict on a global scale.

The ongoing trade war between China and the United States had threatened the health of economies around the world. As a small example, we witnessed the Bombay Stock Exchange crashed over the course of a number of days or even weeks which, though short-lived, it was enough to send shivers down the spine of those who had their eyes and ears opened. Venezuela is also currently reeling under a severe economic downturn that has caused a sharp decline in the overall standard of living conditions there. Europe is also facing its own economic problems.

The setbacks that sprung out of the mass migration of people to the shores of Western Europe and the call of Germany and France for other EU countries to open up their borders for the migrating throng had sparked a new outbreak of anarchy among the citizens of that continent. The populists’ demand for the setting up of an all-white, anti-migration system and the reviving of the anti-Semitic sentiments in the continent was gaining popularity by the day and continues to this day. And let us not forget the endless caravan of migrating throng who threatened to force their way into the United States was another major event that dotted the year 2018.

For quite some time, we here in Shillong, have witnessed the change of tide in favour of the LGBT community taking shape in other countries of the world, particularly the West. We have also witnessed this tide slowly making its way to our very doors and there was an apprehension, at least on my part, that the people occupying positions of power and responsibility would enact laws that would favour the demands of this said community. And so, it was that on September 6, 2018 the Supreme Court of India partially brought down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Court by legalising homosexual relationships. Though homosexual marriage is yet to be legalised, I reckon that it will not be long before this would transpire.

I know that there is a ton of other events that took place last year but time and space does not allow me to mention each and every one of those things. But I know that things are in total disarray. However, the question is: What should we expect to see this year? Well, to put it bluntly, the future looks grim. I for one, will not be surprised to see the breaking out of another world war. I will also not be surprised if a major economic downturn should occur any time soon. We should also expect to see a rise in racial violence, especially in the countries affected by the migration problem. We are living during an interesting spell of earth’s history and many are anxious to see what is going to happen next. But there is no need to fear. If these events should kindle hope in our hearts it is because by these things we know that the world is nearing its end. Jesus Himself said, “For all these things must come to pass.” “When ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.” (Matthew 24:6,33). Events are proving and will continue to prove that the ways of the devil are not able to produce anything impeccable and the time will come that Christ will have complete dominion over the earth. This should serve as a reminder that all the more we should cling to Christ in whom we are complete.

Turning our focus to the OTG (One True God) movement, it is heartrending to see a push on the part of some who wish to gain control over every group and ministry that are within its fold. They endeavour to accomplish this by setting up an organisation equipped with an organizational structure that is similar to that of the General Conference of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. What you would expect to see coming from this move, if it materializes, is the control of a few individuals over the flow of funds around the world, they would decide who is eligible to work as a mission worker and where, how much one gets paid for missionary work and so on. The ones who are supporting and pushing this agenda are the very ones who reject the message of righteousness by faith. Since the majority are in favour of this idea, those groups or ministries, like ours, that do not wish to be under this umbrella are deemed to face problems that would restrict our efforts to preach the gospel. Before long, we would no longer be included with, or considered as, the ones belonging to the OTG movement. But it is a joy to know that despite the odds, we are continuing our efforts to spread the message of salvation and I believe, through the efforts of faithful stewards around the world, many are coming to the knowledge of the truth that points to Christ as the only way to salvation.

Christ In You Ministries, on the other hand, is focusing its efforts to spread the good news to other places in Khasi and Jaiñtia Hills. We hope that soon we will be able to reach out to the Garo speaking community of Meghalaya. We keep getting requests from a number of people who wish to meet us and are hoping to discuss with us the issues pertaining to the Godhead and things of this nature. We urge you to please pray for us and for these people.

We are delighted that we were able to organise a week of prayer in October last year and we are hoping to be able to organise other events in the near future. We are also excited that God answered our prayers by providing us with a camcorder which we initially thought that it would take a long while before we could actually acquire one, owing to financial strains that our ministry suffers from time to time. We have uploaded a few videos in our YouTube Channel. So far, all the videos are in the Khasi language. Sooner or later, we are going to upload sermons and podcasts that are prepared for those of you who speak and prefer the English language over Khasi, and especially keeping in mind that we ought to reach out to the non-Khasi speaking people in this region.

We also take this opportunity to thank the members of our congregation for donating their offerings to Christ In You which enabled us to purchase a Canon ink tank printer. Your donation has made it possible for us to publish this newsletter that you are now reading.

Despite the many setbacks that we come across last year, let us also remind ourselves of the wonderful experiences that we were privileged to encounter. We have nothing but to thank God for His abundant mercy. Let us look to the future with hope and the longing that, despite the many efforts by our fellow men to counter our work, God will pave a way for spreading His word to the benighted and those who are deprived of divine aid. May God bless you all and may you have a blessed year ahead.

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