Prayer Letter - January 2009

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation…We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors 2Cor 5:17-20

As I write this prayer letter, 13 days into 2009, we still consider it the “New Year”. When we meet people for the first time this year, we still wish them for the New Year. I dare say that many of my readers may have made “New Year Resolutions” as we moved into the 1st of January from the 31st of December. But as we think of all things “New”, what God desires most of all is a totally new person and that is what this month’s passage from Scripture informs us:

1.    A New Creation: The Apostle Paul uses creation language to draw us to Genesis 1 and 2 and the creation of the first man in God’s image and likeness (Gen 1:26). God’s intention was for man to reflect His glory into the world that He had made and to exercise wise stewardship over all creation apart from living in close communion with Him in an interactive relationship ( for in Him we live and move and have our being – Acts 17:28 ). The creation of man is thus an act of love if one can picture the careful forming of man from the dust of the ground and the breath of life from a loving Creator God into him who thus becomes a living being (Gen 2:7). When Jesus talks about His Father’s love in John 3:16, He no doubt is referring to this act of creation by a deeply personal God who thinks, feels and exhibits emotion. Man’s disobedience and rebellion deeply hurt God as can be seen in language used in passages like Gen 6:6 and Isaiah 59:2. This rebellion caused alienation, a tragic word in the lexicon of relationships. Paul talks about it in Rom 5:10 referring to sinful humanity as God’s enemies. Unless we accept and believe this, there can be no room for God’s grace, His forgiveness, restoration and reconciliation

 2.    The OLD has past: Fortunately for us, God in His compassion did not leave us to wallow in the mess of our existence, but always desired to restore us back to “factory settings” if one might put it in computer jargon, so that we can have a relationship with Him. To those who have repented of their sin and are willing to make a “U turn” God says: Forget the former things….see I am doing a new thing (Is 43:18-19). I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you..(Ezekiel 36:26). Again, writing to the Christians in Ephesus, Paul emphasizes the results of salvation by grace through faith (Eph 2:8) and the transformation it brings in the person with newness in our attitudes and the new self created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Eph 4:23,24 ). Paul again uses creation talk as he convinces us that that’s what happens to anyone who is in Christ. The alienation experienced in the Garden of Eden is turned to reconciliation obtained for us at the cross of Calvary. And wow! Consider the spin offs of this new relationship with God – the peace, the love, the joy, the hope & assurance, the freedom from fear and any other bondages. And no condemnation!! (Rom8:1)

 3.    All this is from God: Lest we should pat ourselves on the back and congratulate ourselves for the good job we have done in initiating “peace talks” with God, the Apostle lets us know rather bluntly that All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ (2 Cor 5:18) It is totally and completely God’s initiative. Of course we must desire reconciliation with God and therefore respond to this initiative. The prodigal son wanted to get back to his father’s house, but it was the father who never stopped pining (there again – the image of a personal God) who stepped out and ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. God’s demonstration of His own love for us is described by the Apostle Paul: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Rom 5:8). Again, God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them (2Cor 5:19).

 4.    The call to be ambassadors for Christ: When I was a young boy, I had some friends whose father was in the diplomatic service. They’d come back to school from vacations abroad with stories of their father’s exploits as ambassador. I’d listen with great awe and wonder – wouldn’t it be nice to be an ambassador some day? Well I am now!! An ambassador representing the best Head of State of all – the Lord Jesus Christ and His Kingdom. That’s what Paul talks about in the wonderful passage. What credentials! And what a message!! Be reconciled to God, because God took the initiative and did the unthinkable: God made Him         (Jesus Christ) who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

This New Year, let us heed the call of Jesus Christ to be His ambassadors. And carry that message of reconciliation to a waiting world!!

Have a great and blessed 2009!!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Praise God For

• The Haggai Institute promotional seminar conducted at Vasai, Mumbai dated 7th Dec’08.
• Mr. Paul Balasundaram & Mr. Bijoy Sangma’s visit to Pune for the Haggai Institute Pune Alumni Association (HIPAA) Get-together held dated 12th Dec’08 with an attendance of 30 Alumni.
• Alumni Meet held at Ahmednagar dated 27th Dec’08 with an attendance of 8 Alumni.
• Alumni Meet held at Solapur for planning of seminars dated 31st Dec’08.
• The fruitful promotional Meeting conducted by Mr. Donald Pant for the leaders of the Orthodox Churches in Bhilai.
• The successful Alumni Meets held at Lucknow & Allahabad in the month of Dec’08.
• The fruitful visit of Mr. Bijoy Sangma, Director Operations to the Central Region.
• The election of new Office Bearers for Raipur & Bilaspur AA conducted in Dec’08.
• Mr. Paul Balasundaram & Mr. V. Kumardas’s visit to key Alumni of Twin Cities dated 17th – 19th Dec’08.
• The appointment of Mr. Santosh Williams as Systems Executive dated 2nd Jan’09 at the Haggai Institute National Office.
• The seminars conducted in the month of December: Northern Region: New Delhi; Southern Region: Trivandrum.

Please Pray For:

• South Strategic Meet and Spiritual Retreat scheduled at Riviera Suites, Cochin dated 7th & 8th Feb’09.
• Haggai Institute National Society, Annual General Meeting scheduled 24th & 25th April’09.
• Forthcoming North India Regional Council Meet scheduled 14th Feb 2009 at New Delhi.
• New Coordinators to be appointed in Rajasthan, Punjab, Uttaranchal & Himachal Pradesh.
• Anchor Person Training scheduled at Delhi dated 16th & 17th Feb’09.
• Mrs. Usha Abraham, wife of Mr. Thomas Abraham for complete recovery from kidney problem.
• The Faculty Initiation Seminar scheduled at Pune dated 21st to 23rd Feb’09.
• The Anchor Person Training scheduled at Pune dated 3rd & 4th Apr’09.
• Mr. Donald Pant’s ministry visit to Chhindwara, Varanasi & Agra for the Alumni Associations to be revived.
• Mrs. Suvarna Rani Gandham, Society Member, & Mr. T. G. V. Naidu, former Society Member, who are unwell.
• Suitable candidate for the post of Regional Director for Western Region.
• Suitable candidate for the post of Area Manager for Northeast Region.
• The upcoming State Level Seminars in 2009: Bhatapara 21 – 25 Jan, Patna 3 – 7 Feb, Ibrahimpatnam 23 – 28 Feb, Pune 24 Feb – 1 Mar, Lucknow 9 – 13 Mar, Pune 17 – 21 Mar, Pune 4 – 8 May, Solapur 6 – 10 May, Kolhapur 11 – 15 May, Pune 1 – 6 June, Pune 11 – 16 Aug, Pune 12 – 16 Oct, Kolhapur 19 – 23 Oct.

NS – National Seminar, SLS – Special Leadership Seminar, SLSD– SLS for Doctors,
In-house - seminar fee is not disclosed as it is a sponsored seminar.

Please Note: We seek your prayer support for all these National Level seminars coming up. We also solicit your assistance in the recruitment of suitable candidates for these seminars. For more information regarding these seminars please feel free to call us at 040 27131209, 27141221 & 32928823 or email at hiindia@haggai-india.com also browse our website: www.haggai-india.com

Seminars in January 2009

Note: Please be informed that you can now deposit your donation Cheques/DD’s favouring ‘Haggai Institute’ directly with our account # 01262560000416 in any branch of HDFC Bank. Please do intimate our office the deposit details indicating your name, the amount and the date of deposit.

Yours in Him,
Paul Balasundaram