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Friends in Fellowship

Friends in Fellowship – PtP Prayer letter – February 2024

Dear Friends,

Genesis 3:17-19
17 And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the treeof which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’cursed is the ground because of you;in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;and you shall eat the plants of the field.

In my attitude of entitlement, I have always seen that creation was cursed because Adam sinned and he had to suffer as a consequence of his rebellion. I never saw the suffering that came upon creation as a result of Adam’s sin. Earth being inanimate, I never thought that it had feelings of its own and it was in pain. It is in extreme pain.

Read Romans 8:22: For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.

When Jesus Christ returns not only humanity but the whole creation will be free from corruption. However, I also see that the creation is suffering due to Adam’s sin. Likewise, is it possible others suffer because we mess up. We often deny, justify, or take forgiveness for granted when we are wrong. But how is our attitude when we suffer because others have messed up? Can we forgive from our hearts and wait for the complete redemption when Jesus returns? Till that time can we be kind to nature – our earth and all that is there in it. Let us be good stewards of all the natural resources given to us.

Yours in Christ,

Dr. Samson Gandhi

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Friends in Fellowship

Friends in Fellowship – PtP Prayer letter – December 2023

Dear Friends,
As disciples of Christ, we are called to minister. In Galatians 6:1-5, Paul is giving us a few
guidelines.

  1. We are asked to help someone who is caught in sin (v1). Sounds like counselling? But that responsibility is given to those who are spiritual. We are spiritual when we live and walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh. The Holy Spirit gives us a clear conscience when there is no known sin in our lives. Such a person can counsel others to overcome sin. Regular time of reflection and introspection in the light of the scripture and guidance of the Holy Spirit is essential.
  2. When we help others, we must do so with grace as we ourselves are saved from such sins by the grace of God. Thinking that we are able to resist temptation in our own strength can make us conceited and proud. This will surely bring us down (v1).
  3. Jesus gave us a new commandment (law) in John 13:34, 35. When we carry each other’s burden, like in counselling, we express the love of Christ. In doing so, we fulfil the golden rule of Christ (v3). However, carrying each other’s burden is not a ‘burden’ in that sense because God, in Christ has given us grace to do so. Moreover, it is a privilege to share in the ministry of Christ!
  4. The more we minister, the more we will begin to think of ourselves as something great. That is another pitfall. As we do it by His enablement, we cannot take any credit. All glory belongs to Him. Only the joy of saying, “We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty (Luke 17:7-10)” is ours (Gal. 6:3).
  5. As servants of God, we must not compare either our ministries (Mat. 25:15) or our rewards (Mat. 20:12). But humbly examine our own actions before the Lord (Gal. 6:4). He will reward us with joy (Mat. 25:21).

May God give us grace to follow these principles for a joyful ministry.

Yours in Christ,

Dr. Samson Gandhi

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Friends in Fellowship

Friends in Fellowship – PtP Prayer letter – November 2023

Dear Friends,
As disciples of Christ, we are called to minister. In Galatians 6:1-5, Paul is giving us a few guidelines.

  1. We are asked to help someone who is caught in sin (v1). Sounds like counselling? But that responsibility is given to those who are spiritual. We are spiritual when we live and walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh. The Holy Spirit gives us a clear conscience when there is no known sin in our lives. Such a person can counsel others to overcome sin. Regular time of reflection and introspection in the light of the scripture and guidance of the Holy Spirit is essential.
  2. When we help others, we must do so with grace as we ourselves are saved from such sins by the grace of God. Thinking that we are able to resist temptation in our own strength can make us conceited and proud. This will surely bring us down (v1).
  3. Jesus gave us a new commandment (law) in John 13:34, 35. When we carry each other’s burden, like in counselling, we express the love of Christ. In doing so, we fulfil the golden rule of Christ (v3). However, carrying each other’s burden is not a ‘burden’ in that sense because God, in Christ has given us grace to do so. Moreover, it is a privilege to share in the ministry of Christ!
  4.  The more we minister, the more we will begin to think of ourselves as something great. That is another pitfall. As we do it by His enablement, we cannot take any credit. All glory belongs to Him. Only the joy of saying, “We are unworthy servants;
    we have only done our duty (Luke 17:7-10)” is ours (Gal. 6:3).
  5.  As servants of God, we must not compare either our ministries (Mat. 25:15) or our rewards (Mat. 20:12). But humbly examine our own actions before the Lord (Gal. 6:4). He will reward us with joy (Mat. 25:21).

May God give us grace to follow these principles for a joyful ministry.

Yours in Christ,

Dr. Samson Gandhi

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Friends in Fellowship

Friends in Fellowship – PtP Prayer letter – October 2023

Dear Friends,

In Romans 8, Paul is at pains to assure us that in Christ there is no condemnation and that God has given us sonship through the Spirit. However, he is clear that we will go through suffering but if we persevere will inherit His glory. In v31-39, he is an orator, theologian, and a passionate motivator, all rolled in one trying to convince us of God’s eternal love in Christ.

In v38-39, he says that nothing – neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities… – can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. What does it mean that death cannot separate us from His love?

Death disconnects us from everything earthly. We cannot take anything; we cannot connect with anyone and soon people will also forget us. But not so with God. After death, if we are in Christ, we will be with God. Even death cannot separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. My body will become dust but my soul will be in fellowship with Him in love. In life on earth, I am loved; in death I am entrusted to His care and love till He comes back.

Friends from other faiths are not sure of life after death. They are afraid that they may be born as lesser creatures. Children offer prayers and perform rituals to ensure ‘shanthi’ to the departed souls of their parents.

We have an unshakeable assurance that we die once and thereafter judgement. So, there is no rebirth. God loves us with such an everlasting love that even death cannot separate us from Him.

Are you afraid of death? Do you know someone who is struggling to come to terms with death? Reassure yourself and others. In death as in life we are loved – with an everlasting love!

Yours in Christ,

Dr. Samson Gandhi

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Friends in Fellowship

Friends in Fellowship – PtP Prayer letter – September 2023

Dear Friends,
Recently, I was speaking at the IMA conference on the theme of ‘Christlikeness in Indian Missional Leadership.’ My topic was ‘Spiritual Integrity in family life and ministry.’ My messages and the messages of a couple of other speakers were hard-hitting, spoken in a candid manner. As it happens these days, the feedback on our messages was immediate in the conference WhatsApp group.

One of the delegates said, “Today full of spiritual tonic and B 12 injections which are boosting our spirituality. But there is a big question whether these leaders (doctors) are practicing the same in their administration??? Let us pray for them too . . . because the eyes
of Almighty are watching everything . . . Now and then always.”

I responded, “Good and bold question and thought. I am willing to be scrutinized. I am not perfect but my conscience is vigilant to everything I preach and teach. Please pray for me.”

Another delegate joined this conversation and said, “This is so you Samson ji . . . Love you for this transparency and vulnerability . . . I thought the day has ended and I have learnt all of the day and here the Lord teaches one more lesson from your attitude . . .”

As leaders, we are accountable and must be open to such bold questions that subject us to scrutiny. When Andrew asked Jesus, “Rabbi, where are you staying?” Jesus replied, “Come and see (John 1:38,39).” Transparent, honest, and vulnerable leadership is the need of the hour. Samuel asked, “Here I am. Witness against me before the Lord and before His anointed: Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken, or whom have I cheated?
Whom have I oppressed, or from whose hand have I received any bribe with which to blind my eyes? I will restore it to you (1 Samuel 12:3).”

As counsellors, we are equally accountable. Sometimes, we are helping people to walk from darkness into light. We must ask ourselves if we are walking in the light. Let Jesus, the Light of this world light up our lives everyday in every sphere of our lives (1 John 1:7).

Yours in Christ,
Dr. Samson Gandh

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Friends in Fellowship

Friends in Fellowship – PtP Prayer letter – August 2023

Dear Friends,

What kind of a faith do you have? In my meditations, I discovered that people around Jesus had three different kinds of faith. Please read Matthew 27.

The chief priests, pharisees, Sadducees and scribes condemned Jesus without any sin. In the face of the miracles, increasing popularity among people and the threat of losing their own authority, they decided to kill Jesus. In the Sanhedrin they condemned Jesus and handed Him over to Pilate to be crucified. But Pilate did not find anything wrong in Jesus Christ! He tried to release Jesus. He was also warned by his wife that the under trial Jesus was an innocent Man and advised Pilate to have nothing to do with Him (v19).

We see that the religious leaders had a condemning faith. They knew that He was “a teacher come from God (John 3:2).” Nicodemus eventually put his faith in Christ but others condemned Him even though they could see that Jesus is the Son God. The religious leaders had a condemning faith. Those who walked away convicted of their own sin from the woman caught in the act of adultery (John 8:1ff) were ready to stone Jesus to death.

Pilate, Peter and a few others had a convenient faith. Pilate had to protect his career. As a judge he found Jesus was innocent. His wife told him that Jesus was a just Man. But the religious leaders were pushing him to a corner. Pilate conveniently washed his hands off by saying that he is not to be blamed. But Jesus was handed over to be crucified by his soldiers under his watch. He demonstrated a convenient faith. As also Peter who conveniently denied Christ to save his skin.

We see a third kind of faith — consecrated faith. The thief on the cross believed and received instant salvation. The centurion said, “Truly this was the Son of God (Matt. 27:54).”

After being saved, if we sin, we are demonstrating a condemning faith; if we deny Him instead of acknowledging Him and glorifying Him, we show convenient faith; and when we accept Him, acknowledge Him before others, and demonstrate Him in our life, we show that our faith is consecrated. You may want to reflect on your own faith.

Yours in Christ,

Dr. Samson Gandhi

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Friends in Fellowship

Friends in Fellowship – PtP Prayer letter – July 2023

July 2023
Dear Friends,

Jesus saw the Temple at Jerusalem turned into a business centre by greedy businessmen and reacted sharply. But He also showed us glimpses of self-emptying generosity of a widow in abject poverty. It stood in sharp contrast to self-glorifying giving of the rich (Luke 21:1-6).

God sees! He sees beyond our giving — to the heart of our giving. The rich give thinking, “Who can match my giving?” The poor give thinking, “What does it amount to?” Jesus exposes the emptiness of the rich and affirms the abundant giving of a poor widow.

How is our giving?

Secondly, the rich made sure that their donations were adorning the Temple. They made sure everyone was aware of their giving for generations to come (v5). But Jesus made it clear that all that would be reduced to dust. As we see in Europe, the faith that built magnificent
cathedrals lost its way. Now, there are no faithful followers to fill the pews. Let us invest in the kingdom of God — the poor in spirit and the poor in flesh! Then, we can nurture many – spiritually, emotionally, and physically – into true churches.

Thank you. Many of you invest in PtP which is a counselling ministry. We come alongside many both within and outside of the church to offer spiritual direction to nurture them spiritually, and provide comfort to nurture them emotionally.

Yours in Christ,

Dr. Samson Gandhi

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Friends in Fellowship

Friends in Fellowship – PtP Prayer letter – June 2023

Dear Friends,

St. Paul writing to Philippians about thankfulness, joy, grace, and peace when he himself was in a prison dungeon is amazing. What he wrote has encouraged generations. We too can draw much needed comfort in our own difficult times. Covid has put us all on edge. Wars, earthquakes and natural disasters have added anxieties to our fears. Paul urges us to seek the peace of God (4:6,7) and also ensure we have the God of peace (4:8,9) with us.

Praying and petitioning with complaining and grumbling is quite different from praying with thanksgiving. Sometimes our prayers are peppered with grumblings like “why me O Lord?” or “How long O Lord?” or “God, I do not deserve this(implying, God you are unfair)”. Then, prayers will not be reciprocated in peace. Read 4:6,7: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.; and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through christ jesus. If you will place your petitions and make your requests to God with thanksgiving for who He is merciful, loving and gracious (even in your current crises)  and what He does gives salvation to us, protects us and brings us through hardships then we will receive the peace of God.

Most importantly, when you occupy your mind with truth, beauty and purity, and obey the teachings of Christ, then the God of peace will be with you (Read 4:8,9). Obedience in thoughts and actions are an invitation to God to inhabit us. The God of this universe will come and abide with us. He is the Prince of Peace. He gives peace like no other. It will last and sufficient even for these peaceless times.

Yours in Christ,

Dr. Samson Gandhi

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Friends in Fellowship

Friends in Fellowship – PtP Prayer letter – May 2023

Dear Friends,

Several of you have joined us at the PtP Silver Jubilee Thanksgiving Service and celebrated 25 years of its fruitful ministry. This month PtP completes 26 years. On June 1st, we begin our 27th year. We have served Churches, Christian Institutions, NGOs and the community at large. I ask, “What is the Lord telling us as we step into another New Year?” And it is tempting for me to think in terms of programs, projects and finances. And God being our helper, we will. But I believe, God primarily wants us to prioritise three things:

PtP must be a sacred space where people are invited and encouraged to worship God. Jesus said, “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations (Matt. 21:13).” Prayer is looking up to God by depending and trusting our loving Lord Jesus. It is earnestly seeking His intervention in all situations of our lives. It is also giving up independent ways of doing things and start living in God-honouring ways (Mark 14:36). PtP seeks to help people to do this through counselling and training counsellors. In this way we would like to provide a sacred space where people can ‘pray’ unhindered.

PtP must be a safe space where people find acceptance and affirmation. No matter how affected, damaged or abused people are, they will find a safe space and pluck courage tobecome vulnerable before the Lord and receive His healing. We do so by coming alongside others to regain their faith like Jesus did with Cleopas and His companion on the road to Emmaus; like He offered a safe space to a seeking Nicodemus (John 3:1-2);or a rejected Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10). PtP offers confidentiality for anyone to share their most delicate issues and find resolution. People feel safe at PtP.

PtP must be a sunny space for people to grow basking in the love of Christ. We are not a church but those who do counselling training courses with us over an extended period feel we are a community of like-minded brothers and sisters. They feel a sense of acceptance, freedom, and a sense of belonging (Acts 4:32a). They seek counsel from one another, support each other in prayer and share resources. Since pandemic the community has become pan India and even international. We see individuals and even families growing in a new way.

We thank PtP friends for making PtP a sacred, safe, and sunny place whether physically or virtually.

Yours in Christ,
Dr. Samson Gandhi

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Friends in Fellowship

Friends in Fellowship – PtP Prayer letter – April 2023

Dear Friends,

I just came away from an intense Holy Weekend. For some, it would have been 40 days of
lent too. No matter what spiritual approach you take to life or the denomination you come from it is imperative that we examine our walk with the Lord at regular intervals.

Meditating on Jesus washing the feet of His disciples on Maundy Thursday, seven utterances on the cross and the powerful resurrection on Easter has left me overwhelmed with the love, power and greatness of His salvation. When I asked the Lord as to what my response should be, He reminded me of two important points.

One, the salvation that we take for granted was worked out by Christ at a great price. The son of God came down to empty himself, suffer every form of pain and shed His blood to die on the cross. I have been purchased at a great price. I do not belong to myself but to God; my body, soul and spirit belongto Christ. Therefore, I must glorify God in my whole being. I cannot pollute my lungs, poison my body with substance abuse or give in to gluttony. Or corrupt it with sexual immorality of pornography, sexual indulgence or adultery. All my senses must be consecrated to Him for holy living (1 Cor. 6:19,20).

Two, the great salvation that was so freely given must not be neglected. We tend to cheapen anything that comes free. When we do that, we begin to neglect it. Our neglect is seen clearly when God is not part of our discussions, desires, and decisions. Examine how you spend your time, talents, treasures? Are they prioritised for God’s kingdom? If we live a life of this world while paying lip-service to God, we are neglecting the great salvation. The author of Hebrews has a stern warning that we will not escape God’s anger if we neglect His salvation (Hebrews 2:1-4).

Let us examine if the sacrifice of God has led us to glorify Him in our body, soul, and spirit. Allow God to show us in what ways we are neglecting His salvation and work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12).

Yours in Christ,
Dr. Samson Gandhi

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Friends in Fellowship

Friends in Fellowship – PtP Prayer letter – March 2023

Dear Friends,

They say that when we go to the doctors with a health issue, we must be honest and share all information related to it. Information to questions like, “Where does it hurt?” “How badly does it hurt?” “How long have you had this pain?” “Does anyone else in your family have this condition?” “Do you consume alcohol?” “How much and how often?” so on and so forth. Only when he has complete and accurate information can he treat the disease effectively.

Sometimes, the doctor can ask seemingly unrelated questions but nevertheless important. Usually, when they can’t find anything wrong with the body, they suspect a psychological problem. They ask questions like, “Are you worried about something?” “Are you sleeping
well?” “What is keeping you awake?” When they are sure that it is a psychosomatic problem, they refer you to a psychologist/psychiatrist.

Take that advise seriously and talk to a wise counsellor who is trained. They can help you deal with a number of emotional and psychological problems. If you are open to looking at your problem from a spiritual perspective, seek out a godly, trained counsellor. Guilt, fears and anxieties are quite often rooted in misbeliefs, faulty thinking and unrealistic expectations.

Jesus Christ came into this world full of grace and truth. He said, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free” (John 8:32). His grace can address our guilt for He has paid the price. The word of God says, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are
in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). A godly counsellor who has experienced such a freedom from lies and liberation from bondages will be able to communicate “grace and truth” to you. It will be quite therapeutic!

A trained counsellor also knows when medical intervention is needed. He would urge you to see a psychiatrist. It is not unspiritual to see one. Make sure you do that without fail at the earliest. There is no taboo attached to it. Medicine is part of His healing.

Yours in Christ,
Dr. Samson Gandhi

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Friends in Fellowship

Friends in Fellowship – PtP Prayer letter – February 2023

Dear Friends,

One of the attitudes that God looks for in His children is a deep dependency on Him. We find many instances of people who showed such a sterling quality – Joseph, Daniel and his three friends, David, Abigail, Mary and the list is long.

However, king Ahaziah stands as a warning to all of us (1 Kings 1:1-17). He looked to BaalZebub, the god of Ekron to know if he would recover from his serious injury. Very human to
want to know if we will get well and how soon. King Ahaziah did not ask another medicine man but enquired of a god of Philistines in Ekron. When he enquired of Baal-Zebub, he professed faith that Baal-Zebub had the knowledge of his future. He ignored the true living God at best and at worst he rejected Him.

How many times we place the opinion of doctors, engineers and so called “well-wishers” above the clear teaching of God in the Bible? We conveniently ignore God. We take shelter under expert opinion even though the Spirit of God is wrestling us to obey Him. Then when things go wrong, we question God as to why He had not stopped us?

But the hero of the story is the third captain of fifty. He had a better heart than king Ahaziah. He saw how the God of hosts had destroyed the first two captains and their fifties. He trembled, humbled and pleaded for the life of his fifty and himself. The Lord had mercy and spared their lives. But the Lord not only spared their lives but preserved them. If the captain and his fifty had gone back without Elijah, they would have been most probably killed by king Ahaziah. But God sent Elijah with them and executed judgement on king Ahaziah. The captain showed faith. God rewarded him with life.

May God give such an attitude and faith to all of us.

Yours in Christ,
Dr. Samson Gandhi

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Friends in Fellowship

Friends in Fellowship – PtP Prayer letter – January 2023

Dear Friends,

There are several mysteries in our faith, don’t you think?

  1. CHRISTMAS: God became man and still be God and not avail of any immunity or strength afforded to God. Jesus was born to Mary – Spirit born to flesh! Mystery…
  2. RESURRECTION: Jesus, God incarnate died! A mystery. Rose again in flesh! We do not know if Jesus was in flesh before He was born on earth. But we will see Him henceforth in ‘flesh’ that is no longer restricted by material. Mystery . . .
  3. CHRIST IN US, THE HOPE OF GLORY: Jesus not only forgives but is willing to inhabit us to give victory over sin. Being lead by the Spirit is a mystery . . .
  4. When hatred turns into love, rejection into acceptance, grabber becomes a giver, murderer a mentor, addict an achiever . . . some call it transformation and others a miracle. I prefer to see it as a mystery of God.

God beckons us to enter into His work of mystery and be in awe of Him. But some of us demand that God become a professor and offer rational answers to spiritual mysteries and then offer applause of approval.

Many children have enjoyed the mystery of Cinderella turning into a beautiful girl and a pumpkin turning into a chariot to take her to the ball. A child is captivated by the mystery and is transported into the world of beauty and wonder. It does not even occur to a child to spoil that joy with ‘silly’ questions. But adults will never be able to enjoy such stories if they look at them through rational lens.

Did Jesus not say, “Unless you become a like a child you cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven?” (Matthew 18:3; Luke 18:17). May God give us grace to become more of a child in 2023.

Yours in Christ,

Dr. Samson Gandhi

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Friends in Fellowship

Friends in Fellowship – PtP Prayer letter – December 2022

Dear Friends,

 

The first thing we have to do

is to notice

that we’ve loaded down this camel

with so much baggage

we’ll never get through the desert alive.

Something has to go.

 

Then we can begin to dump

the thousand things

we’ve brought along

until even the camel has to go

and we’re walking barefoot

on the desert sand.

 

There’s no telling what will happen then.

But I’ve heard that someone,

walking in this way,

has seen a burning bush…*

(* Author unknown)

Christmas is Goodnews for those who are on their pilgrimage – a journey taken to experience God. Their thirst is quenched even at the streams in the deserts. For others it is mostly an experience of glitter and glamour. They feel thirsty no sooner the show gets over. If you have Christ, you have everything – a song in your heart, a smile on your lips, joy in your eyes and a spring in your step. Nothing comes close this side of heaven. Wishing you a ‘pearl of great price’ moment during this Christmas! May God give you grace to let go of the ‘camel and the burdens’ and have a ‘burning bush’ encounter in the New Year!

Yours in Christ,

Dr. Samson Gandhi

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Friends in Fellowship

Friends in Fellowship – PtP Prayer letter – November 2022

Dear Friends,

Every economist worth his salt is predicting a world recessionbut is bankrupt for ideas to avert it. Every environmentalist is crying hoarse about crippling climate change but it is falling on deaf ears of world leaders. No sociologist is raising a red flag at the runaway moral decay crept into the societies. And Psychologists are busy normalizing the pain of broken lives and relationships. Sadly, no spiritual guru is giving a clarion call to return to God and be reconciled to Him through Jesus Christ our Lord! No wonder the world is talking about the need for mental health more than any other thing.

God is not unmoved. He has raised many leaders and institutions to comfort His people. PtP is one of them.

When PtP started 25 years back, it had a vision given by God to train Christian Counsellors for the church and community so that those who put their trust in God and obey Him in their lives will be able to experience the abundant life promised by Jesus Christ! It was crazy to talk about counselling ministry when everyone was talking about evangelism. Some even tried to ‘counsel’ me. But visionary leaders saw beyond the present and supported my vision. Today, all individuals and institutions involved in evangelism are talking about counselling.

God raised PtP for such a time as this and we rejoice in it.

Join us in thanking God as we celebrate the Silver Jubilee on 26th& 27th November 2022 at Hyderabad. We celebrate each one of you who is a part of PtP ministry.

Yours in Christ,

Dr. Samson Gandhi

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Friends in Fellowship

Friends in Fellowship – PtP Prayer letter – October 2022

Dear Friends,

Death is not a very pleasant topic to discuss. And I am not offering any apologies. Involved as we are in counselling, we are all familiar with this reality of life. But how we perceive it matters. Here, I wish to reflect with you on what death meant and means in the life of Jesus Christ – the Saviour of God come to die for you and me.

Jesus started His ministry at 30. He taught how to live, healed the sick, delivered those possessed by the evil spirits and raised the dead. He also trained a few to do the same. He also performed some miracles like walking on the sea of Galilee in a storm, feeding the multitude and turning water into wine and averted some crises. Compare these blessings with what came after Jesus died.

The sacrificial death (perfect sacrifice) of Jesus Christ (and his resurrection) gave us free access to God the Father – no more sacrifices, no more earthly priests and no more rituals to receive God’s mercy. His death (as a peace offering) brought us forgiveness of sins by faith in Him. His sinless death enabled God to impute the righteousness of Jesus to us. His death made possible for us to not only enjoy abundant life but also eternal life. We have an inheritance in heaven. We can become people of love instead of hate; givers than grabbers and all because of the grace that is ours because of His death.

What would you rather have? The blessings of here and now or the blessings of hereafter? A smart child would say both. The wise Teacher would say, “My child the road to the blessings of hereafter is via death. I died. But now it is your turn to put to death in you what is not mine. Begin your ‘Christian Discipleship 101’ by carrying your own cross and follow me.” You will be surprised that any hardship here is nothing compared with the joy that is set before us in heaven (Luke 9:23-25; Hebrews 12:1,2). When by His grace, we have learnt to put to death our carnal nature, we have nothing to fear, even death itself.

Yours in Christ,

Dr. Samson Gandhi

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Friends in Fellowship

Friends in Fellowship – PtP Prayer letter – September 2022

Dear Friends,

Jacob is distraught that he has to let go Benjamin. Only then could his other children secure food for Jacob and all other children. This is the same Jacob who saw angels ascending and descending at Bethel. Jacob wrestled with God and struggled with men and prevailed. But now he and his family are facing a grim prospect of perishing in the famine (Genesis 42).

Quite unknown to Jacob or his sons, Joseph is their saviour in Egypt. Bible scholars also tell us that Joseph is a ‘type of Jesus’ a foreshadow of the coming Saviour. Joseph suffered as a slave and a prisoner but raised to be head of Egypt, next only to Pharoah. The whole world was at his mercy for food to live. Even Jacob and his sons were to bow before Joseph in fulfilment of the dream he had as a boy.

Jacob and his children were saved by trusting this saviour. These were the words of faith of Jacob: “Take your bother also, and arise, go back to the man. And may God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved, I am bereaved (Genesis 43:13-14).” All in!

Even Esther uttered similar words of faith: “If I perish, I perish (Esther 4:16).”

I wonder if we would ever face such moments in life. God give us faith to remain faithful in peace times so that we may be ready to act in His grace when the adversary rises against us. The times are evil. May we know that His grace is sufficient. At all times.

Yours in Christ,

Dr. Samson Gandhi

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Friends in Fellowship

Friends in Fellowship – PtP Prayer letter – August 2022

Dear Friends,

God was always gracious. He was graceful when Adam and Eve rebelled. His plan was full of grace – He made garments for them to cover their shame (Genesis 3:21); He promised them that He would take away the guilt and shame of their sin and the sin of humanity (3:15).

The grace of God was fully revealed in Jesus Christ. It is His grace – free and unmerited – that brought us salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9). The grace of Jesus Christ, the salvation in our lives gives us that special ability to live the life He expects from us. One of them is to live authentic lives. We don’t have to fake it.

We find it difficult to live authentic lives because we want to please people and not God. We fake it before others; we think we can fool people and impress them to gain that recognition and relationship. We buy large houses, big cars and go on lavish vacations to exotic destinations even when we cannot afford them. As a result, we fall into debt, live in perpetual anxiety and end up all messed up. Sometimes, even our sacrifices are paraded to please people (Matthew 6:1-4). Our foolishness catches up with us and we become a public shame.

Grace of Jesus Christ invites us to live before God and be pleasing to Him. Before Him, we need not feel inadequate, ashamed or guilty. He will cover us with the righteousness of Christ. We can live honest lives; feel the contentment He gives and hear the affirmation we need. You can be like the thief on the cross who said “Remember me when you come in your kingdom.” Or you can be like the rich young ruler – very religious but in love of pleasing himself and others rather than God. The thief found the grace of God. The rich young ruler turned his back on it. What is your choice? Will you live before God, receive His grace and grow in love? Or live a life before people, fool yourself with strategies to impress them and end up being sorry for yourself? Ask God for the grace to make a wise choice.

Yours in Christ,

Dr. Samson Gandhi

Categories
Friends in Fellowship

Friends in Fellowship – PtP Prayer letter – June 2022

Dear Friends,

PtP celebrated 25 years of ministry in Christian counselling. We had a small group of PtP friends in Hyderabad attend the Thanksgiving Service to mark the occasion. Hopefully, we will have a larger get-together later.

I feel much like St. Paul when he wrote to the church at Corinth pointing them to three important things (1 Cor. 3:5-17). One, that Jesus is the foundation. The salvation work of Jesus Christ set in motion healing of the poor and broken-hearted, freedom to the captives and sight to the blind (Luke 4:18).There is no other foundation to such personal and individual ministry of counselling. This healing work of Christ is the heartbeat of PtP’s training courses.  Many who have taken our courses, including Christian psychologists and psychiatrists, have gone away with a conviction that the Spirit of Christ in our curriculumis unique (1 Cor. 10 & 11).

Secondly, if the wonderful Counsellor is our foundation, then how do we build on this foundation? To build on the foundation is first an honour and a fearsome responsibility at the same time. I believe that two points emerge. One, that we must never forget that we are fellow-workers with God (9). So, we build along with all whom the Lord has brought to us – godly board members, competent facilitators, sacrificial donors and volunteers and a committed team.  And they are precious stones because love and grace make them into ‘gold’ and‘silver’, and ‘precious stones’ (v12). They are living stones breathing the Spirit of Christ. Each of them lovingly and patiently but competently sows seeds in the field and builds them up. As Paul exhorts, we must take extreme care not to hurt or exploit (defile) those that entrust themselves to our training and counselling.

Lastly, there is no room to take personal credit. God will reward according to our labour, and our labour is not in vain (1 Cor. 15:58).

I have no idea what the next 25 years are going to be like. But building on the foundation of Christ and with gold, silver and precious stones is a non-negotiable.

Yours in Christ,

Dr. Samson Gandhi

Categories
Blogs

Save the Soul of India – A Mental Health Priority

Dr. Samson Gandhi

Where there is no counsel, the people fall;

but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety. Proverbs 11:14

Covid 19 Pandemic has taken the world by surprise. It has exposed the inadequacies of a modern world. In the face of an onslaught by an invisible virus, humanity finds itself helpless, hopeless and worthless. No known drug is effective. The highly trained medical fraternity is reduced to care-giving to assist the bodies to heal on their own.  They watch helplessly those that do not recover and die. Vaccine is far away. There is no hope today. All success and achievement seems meaningless when one cannot prevent sickness and dying especially during a pandemic. More people are asking existential questions – what is the meaning and purpose of life? Unable to find meaningful answers, they want to go back to doing what they did – to eat, travel and work, even if it means running the risk of getting infected. Naturally, the problem of mental health gets compounded.

“Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.” – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Anxiety of the future, fear of loss, disease and death are setting people on the edge. As a result slightest provocation is pushing them over the precipice. The media is calling attention for relief and recourse.

Globalisation and urbanization has uprooted people from their comfortable social settings and planted them in urban jungles leading to loss of identity. Under pressure to create an identity and facing an acute lack of proper support system, people are facing extreme stress and are experiencing severe loss of mental health. The current pandemic has exacerbated the problem and the country in not in a position to address the mental health tsunami.

In India, mental health is a luxury. More than 22 percent of our population lives below the poverty line which is a hand to mouth existence. Their mind is preoccupied with finding the next meal. Emotional, psychological and social well-being are alien to their existence. They exist on the fringes where neither the government nor the non-government agencies make a difference. Lower middle, middle and upper middle class constitute over 60 percent of our population. They have time and space to reflect if they are happy or not and make an effort to find a semblance of well-being. Many agencies operate here but are woefully inadequate. They are a significant drop in an ocean of need.

Although more than 150 million people need therapy, only 30 million seek help. The main reason is because of scarce resources and lack of accessibility. We have about nine thousand psychiatrists in India. It roughly translates to 0.75 psychiatrists per lakh. While the desirable figure is three per lakh. There is a deficit of 75 percent. We need about twenty thousand clinical psychologists but have only a thousand. There is an acute shortage of mental health professionals. Even if the government increases seats they are in no position to address the growing need in the short run.

There is an urgent need to train Community Counsellors (CC). These are para-mental health professionals who are trained to assess the level of need and interventions. Those that need psychiatric treatment, would be referred to psychiatrist and those that need intensive therapy to clinical psychologists and for specialized therapy to appropriate psychologists. The CCs will take on cases where the services of none of the above specialists are needed. This raises the question of their training.

CCs would need training in communication and counselling skills of relating, attending, listening, empathizing and confronting.  They should be encouraged to develop client friendly attitudes of respect, genuineness and concreteness. They could be trained in client-centred approach of counselling, emotion focussed counselling, solution focussed counselling and CBT to a certain degree. They must have a basic understanding of human personality. At this stage they can pick electives and specialize. Marriage & Family, Parenting, Debt, Emotional Wellbeing (depression, self-harm, suicide), Abuse and Domestic Violence, Grief, Crisis are a few of them.

Trained CCs can then be put into a practicum program under counselling psychologist. On satisfactory completion of the same they must be certified as Community counsellors who are para-counselling professionals. Like any other professional practice they must be committed to Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and remain under professional supervision of senior CCs or Counselling Psychologists.

 Once they are certified, based on their interest and specialization, they can be attached to or placed at the Primary Health Centres (PHC), District hospitals, Mandal Revenue Offices, National Disaster Response Force, District Collectorates, and all state and central government departments. Wherever people are likely to experience distress, a trained Community Counsellor must be made available. Educational institutions, universities, sports complexes and all coaching centres must have a certified CC.

The government and the local community must create a positive eco system to seek counselling. There is a lot of stigma attached to receiving counselling. Counselling must be made a positive, constructive part of the social welfare programme of the nation. A narrative must be built, influencers roped in and all elderly must be encouraged to become catalysts of  nation-building.

Development of infrastructure is good for commerce. People prosper. Government makes a massive investment in economic development for material improvement. Some investment is made into health sector. But the time has come for the government to look at mental health in a whole new light. It is important for government – central and state – to consider making a policy decision to create a mental health vertical for the emotional well-being of its people. It calls for investments to match the scale and proportion of the need.

India is a very religious country. It carries a massive spiritual capital accumulated over millennia.  It must not be forfeited; it must not be sacrificed on the altar of economic development. India can be a shining example to the whole world if it can set right priorities. India has placed a smart phone in many hands. It has come in handy for commerce, entertainment and education. But they do not know how to harness it for the well-being of their souls. Pornography on phones is corrupting millions of souls. More than 275 million people were lifted out of poverty in the past decade. But today India must listen to the cry of the soul of more than 300 million troubles souls. They need a shoulder to cry on, a listening ear to pour their heart out, and some light of hope in their despairing soul. An army of certified and caring Community Counsellors is the need of the hour. If we don’t address the millions will lose their soul. If people lose their soul, India will lose her soul!

Jesus said, “What does it profit a man, to gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” It still begs for an answer.