Nagas are blessed to be Christians and when people of goodwill with true faith in God come together, the living spirit of God envelopes the believers to worship God truly.
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Nagas are blessed to be Christians. Faith in God binds people of different tribes and tongues to worship God. When people of goodwill with true faith in God come together, the living spirit of God envelopes the believers to worship God truly. Every gathering of believers enhances and supports each other’s faith. The faith of the community is equally important as an individual's faith. They complement each other. The lives of the believers must be founded on the solid rock of Christ. Faith must guide the lives of the believers to walk in the light of God. The faith of the Nagas is highly appreciated. However, we must not be taken away by the externals that come to us in sheep’s clothing. There is only one Gospel. Apart from this, it comes from the evil one.
Today, the time has come to challenge ourselves as to what kind of believers we are. Who do you believe? How do you believe? What do you believe? Yes, we believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, conceived through the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered, died and rose again. The fundamentals of our faith must not be diluted to fit our ideal selves. There is a need to strengthen our belief in Jesus Christ more correctly. The courage to believe in the person of Jesus Christ is more important than believing in the name. To believe, we must know the person, not merely the name. Thousands of believers are not aware of what they are believing, who they are believing, and the purpose of believing. These people become nomadic Christians. ‘I believe in Jesus Christ, but I do not know him, nor am I aware as to why I should believe in Him’ will be a contradiction. To be rooted in Christ is to live in the person of Christ.
External shows by some believers
True believers walk by faith, not by externals. For we walk by faith, not by sight/external (2nd Cor. 5: 7). We are walking in faith, not because we want to be seen by people. We are so concerned with the external that even to pray or go to Church becomes just external. Some of the external faiths are:
1. Prayers: The best prayers are found on the lips of the Nagas. Their prayers are like thunder and lightning. However, most lives do match the lips. Among all the States in India, Nagaland is considered to be a Christian State. But are people in Nagaland practising Christian values? Are Naga Christians cheating God and people with their prayers and external shows? Lo! You only cheat yourselves. There are numerous instances of prayer groups that go around to put up a show. The word of God says, “This people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines” (Mt. 15:8-9).They wanted people to call them prayerful and holy people. Those who believe in such lips are foolishly led away from the true God. Real faith is not necessarily found in loud and blasting prayers. What happens to those who go around in the name of God, but without God in them? God will tell them, “I do not know you.” (Lk. 22:25-28). (Readers can also refer to the article, “Politically religious or religiously political” and “When I am buried without Christian funeral rites”)
2. Fake Visions & Prophecies: Some Nagas speak of visions and prophecies to put themselves at a higher level. Psychological imbalance in prayers is dangerous. Death, coffins, and misfortunes are very common prophecies among the Nagas. How many visions and prophecies have we heard in Nagaland? If we collect all the visions and prophecies of the Nagas, it will outnumber the Old Testament and the New Testament. In Nagaland, all visions and prophecies are a mental make-up to gain a higher status in society. Instead of faking yourselves, it is better to love God with all your mind, heart, strength, and soul (Deu. 6:1-9). With Love, you can do all things better.“So, we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.” (1st Jn. 4:16). It is a sin to threaten simple and faithful Christians with visions and prophecies. (Readers can also refer to the articles, “Beware of false prophecy” and “False prophecies and interpretations on coronavirus by Christians”)
3. Emergence of new churches/prayer centres: The emergence of new churches and prayer centres is a manifestation of our shallow faith. Since we are not rooted in faith, we often engage in spiritual dramas. Every preacher wants to be a founder of a new church with no foundation or basis. There are numerous postmodern religions which exist structurally without God. It has intruded on the Naga society. The Nagas should be on their guard. You will gradually lose your faith. Your own Naga people will mislead you with affectionate words to join their churches and prayer centres. Avoid falling into such hypocritical churches and prayer centres. Be wise and believe in God firmly. Faith is the ability to persevere in goodness despite the evil that surrounds us. Promote true prayers and true lives as believers of God in your respective churches, as Catholics or Protestants. Let no one induce you to the fake churches. (Readers can also refer to the articles, “The emerging cultic churches” and “The Church and its virus in Nagaland”)
What should be the spirituality of the believers?
1. Faith that endures till the end
Faith is the door for all blessings and interaction with God– Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Heb. 11:1). Support and encourage each other in faith. St. Paul was so happy to see the Thessalonian believers persevering in faith despite persecutions and trials.“Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring” (2 Thesa. 1:4). Faith in God causes a jealous eye to the devil. God protects his faithful people. Thus, in life and death, we belong to the Lord (Rom. 14:8)
2. Love God, Neighbours and even enemies (Mt. 22:34-40, Mt. 5:43-48, Deu. 6:1-9)
This is the greatest commandment. Every believer is judged by the manner in which s/he loved God and neighbour. The path to salvation is arduous; only a few people persevere until the end. The love of God for us must find its branches in our love for each other. You don’t profit from hating people.
3. Avoid sin and occasions of sin
We can sin in thoughts, words, and actions. However, God has given us the courage to overcome sin and occasions of sin. “For the wage of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 6:23) “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end, it leads to death” (Proverbs 14:12). “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Mt. 26:41).
4. Living our profession to the best of ourselves
Christian life must be value-based. Parents, church leaders, government officers, working people, youth, students, and children must practice traditional and Christian values in their respective workplaces. Carrying out our responsibilities with values, love, and justice will only change our lives and society for the better.
5. Possessing a pure heart and clean lips
Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in Heart, for they shall see God” (Mt. 5:8).Possessing a pure heart and clean lips enable us to remain firm in faith. We cannot see God if we blind ourselves with an evil heart and rotten lips. Spread truth and goodness around you.
Those who profess Jesus Christ in and through their lives are called ‘Christians.’ The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea’; and it would obey you. (Lk. 17: 5-6). You may be insignificant before others. You may be small. Yet be like a mustard seed. Your life should be filled with faith in God. God praised such faith; fully alive faith. Build your house (faith) on the solid rock, not on the sand (Mt. 7:24-27). All externals will come to an end. To live in faith is difficult, yet it is not impossible. Always bring your true self before God. God will bless you with a hundredfold of blessings. God bless you all.
(The Article is extracted from the talk given by the author during the Tseminyu Tsipwen Kehun)
Rev. Fr. G. L. Khing
NEISSR, Chümoukedima