Jubilee devotions - 1

Over the next week, I plan to post the thoughts and discussions shared during Dr Sam Thomas's time with us. There is quite a good possibility of a lack of continuity in what is put in the blog as it depends on whether I'm around when the discussions had occured.

Today was the first day where we were challenged on the issue of stewardship.

There was a discussion on our attitude about the way we share our resources which includes time. Do we realise that all our resources is from a Giver, to whom we are accountable. I was reminded that we sang the song, 'All to Jesus I surrender' twice today, once during the morning service at the church and the second time in the evening fellowship. I wondered whether I've accepted the fact that all of my things have been given by the Lord and there is big onus on me to use it best way for the extension of the kingdom.

The second thought which was put forward was the issue of trusting the Lord for all of eternity which we are quite used to and accept without much problem, but the major difficulty we face in trusting the Lord in our day to day functioning.

The last thought was based on the life of Peter. The base Bible verses were 2 Peter 1: 16-20. The discussion was centred on the encounter that Peter claimed to have. The phrases 'beheld (saw) / heard / with him' that cemented the belief Peter had on the Lordship of Christ was the focus.

3 incidents in Peter's life were looked at. In Matthew 16, there is Peter's response to Jesus on who he thought Jesus was. In the same chapter, Jesus rebukes Peter when he objects to the pain he has to suffer.

The transfiguration on the mount (Luke 9:28-36), where Peter insisted on building booths for Jesus, Moses and Elijah to stay was the second incident. Here, there is a voice from heaven which tells the 3 disciples to listen to Jesus.

The third incident was the betrayal, where he denies knowing Jesus to the 3 people just before the crucifixion. Later, Peter almost restarts his profession of fishing, before Jesus comes to him and assigns him to feed His sheep.

Dr Sam was challenging us on whether we are able to see Christ in our daily lives. Do we take extra effort to hear his voice? And last of all, do we enjoy his presence (being with the Lord)?

He narrated a line of a letter from a friend who was quite sick and subsequently went to be with the Lord. 'I'm not looking forward for the healing, but I'm looking forward to see the healer'. 

Beginning of the Jubilee Celebrations

We kick off the final Jubilee celebration of the Nav Jivan Hospital from Monday as we gather together for a time of introspection and attempt towards renewal. Dr. Sam Thomas, Development Associates Initiative (DAI), India - Team Leader along with his wife Mrs Shashi Thomas would be leading us through sessions of Bible studies and prayers.

We would like your prayers during the special sessions. Kindly pray for the following specifics -

1. Help for families to find freedom in Christ.

2. Freedom for families from the bondage of debt and alcohol abuse.

3. Spirit filled lives of families.

4. Dedication in the area of work by staff.

5. Staff especially at the leadership level will be free enough to meditate and pray.

6. Developing a vision for the future.

7. Health and travel of Dr Sam and Mrs Shashi Thomas.

8. Favourable weather.

9. For the maximum number of people to benefit from the messages.

10. Strengthening of the local churches.

Dr Sam Thomas is going to expound on

1. Who can celebrate the Jubilee?

2. What is Jubilee? What does it mean to us?

3. How does Jubilee change us and affect our lifestyle?

I firmly believe that the next one week starting Monday is going to be quite crucial in the future of NJH. We've had a good beginning to our celebrations last year. We had planned quite a lot of things. Due to lots of reasons, we could not achieve many things which we planned.


The significant events has been the finalising of the NJH logo along with the mission and vision of the unit. Kindly cover us in prayers.

The programmes for the final week of celebrations would be as follows -

28th October, 2011:
   11:30 am: Local leaders meeting
   6:30 pm: CME programme: Daltonganj

29th October, 2011:
   Daytime: Hospital visit and chain prayer
   7:00 pm: Love feast for staff and guests

30th October, 2011:
   8:30 am: Sunday service at Mennonite Church, Tumbagara
   3:30 pm: Public meeting
   6:00 pm: Re-dedication service

Thanking You

This is to put in a word of gratitude for many of your prayers. SD, who underwent surgery yesterday, is doing well.

Today evening, as I took the evening rounds, she was there – cheerful and looking so well. It was a bit difficult to comprehend that she could have been dead 3 weeks back.

 

It was an amazing story of faith and of perseverance from the team here at NJH coupled with the grace of God. Starting with Dinesh who donated the first pint of blood in faith – knowing very well that SD could be dead soon and the umpteen number of people who remembered her in prayers.

 

It is amazing and so encouraging to see miracles in the midst of all the difficulties and hurts we go through in this world.

Special Prayers for SD

SD had come about couple of weeks back to NJH with severe bleeding and a retained placenta after giving birth to a dead child. There has been much which has been written about her which you can read in my other blog either here, here or here.

SD has pulled on so far. The placenta is still adherent to the uterus. Unfortunately, her hemoglobin was not getting much up with the amounts of blood which was being transfused. But, one cannot expect the hemoglobin to go up if we give blood which is like the one I've mentioned in the earlier blog.

We have got a total of 8 pints of blood. It was quite difficult for her husband to get blood as her group was AB positive and we were not very positive about transfusing A or B which can be technically done.

There has been a foul discharge coming from her vagina and we took a decision today to do a hysterectomy rather than try a currettage of the uterus as during the hysterectomy we will have more control of her bleeding.

We request your prayers as we go ahead with the surgery in a couple of hours time. Her present hemoglobin is only 4 gm%. We feel that we do not have any other choice as we had been waiting for blood for quite a long time. Presently we have one more pint of blood which we would transfuse during the surgery.  

Prayer Bulletin - 22nd Sept, 2011

1. Kindly remember Sr. Priti Kona Mehta in your prayers. Sr. Priti is one of our senior nurses. She is presently in Delhi to treat her eye condition. She is blind in the other eye. As she recieves the necessary treatment, kindly pray for protection of her eye from any complications especially if there is a need for immediate surgery.

2. Mr Johan Kujur, one of our male nurse aides suffered an accident yesterday following which his earlobe has got avulsed off. Dr Nandamani has tried a pretty decent job in trying to put it back. Kindly pray that the wounds would heal soon.

3. The new batch of nursing students have joined Nursing School. From tomorrow, we would be having the Nursing Student's Retreat. Kindly pray for Rev. Prakash George who would be leading the retreat.

4. Quite a number of our staff and their families including Drs Nandamani and Ango are quite sick. Kindly pray for their healing.

5. We need special prayers for our upcoming Jubilee celebrations from October 28th to 30th.

Introduction

I decided to create a seperate blog to jot in my daily reflections from the Bible as well put in the prayer requests as well as matters of praise.

I had started serious blogging in The Learner.

However, over time, I realised that I need to create blogs which are thematic rather than deal with myriad issues in a single blog.

To give a bit more introduction of myself. Jeevan Kuruvilla, in the mid thirties, trying to learn to be a better person. Husband to Angel and father to Shalom, Charis and a third one expected sometime in April 2012. Born and brought up in a Christian family, accepted the saving grace of Christ sometime when I was 15 years.

Tried to get into a job in the Indian Administrative Service - but the Lord in all His mercies thought otherwise and made me a doctor. Called to serve in a remote area of India, I'm living life to its' fullest each day of my life.

The fatherhood of God, the sonship of Jesus Christ and the presence of the Holy Spirit in our day to day lives has amazed me. I'm thrilled to know how much Christ loves me and how indebted I'm to Him. Each day is a day of discovery.

Regarding the title of this post - 'The Grain of Wheat'. Taken from John 12:24, it has been a phrase that has challenged me all through my life as a disciple of Christ. I wish I can show Christ in whatever I do - to do things only for the Glory of God.