India is one of the most unique places I have ever been before. The culture is so rich here, the food is amazing, the people are intriguing, the history is so intense and the religions…well.

If you read my last blog, you would know that I am with 2 other teams and we are in a remote village planting a church. (There is a super cool video in that previous blog too, so if you haven’t checked it out, you really should!) From my college training and even speaking with some of my Minister friends, I know a little bit about church planting. I know about how difficult it can be, even in the United States. People there know about Jesus Christ and His power, but have preconcieved notions about “church” and “religion” and things of that nature. So to put it plainly, somtimes you are just fighting apathy and bad attitudes when planting a church. So now you might be asking what this church in a small village in Eastern India is facing?! Hinduism.

Hinduism is a religion with no clear beginning, no clear leader, no real direction. It is composed of THOUSANDS of different Gods that the followers worship in order to get what they want. One of those Gods is even our very own Jesus Christ. Our struggle when evangelizing is not convincing them that Jesus exsisted and is a God, rather that He is THE ONLY God. Our standard and basic questions of “Do you believe in Jesus?” must go further in depth to ask if they beleive in Jesus as the ONLY God. And not just so this one single request of their child being healed, or their water buffalo returning home as their only means of income, would be answered. We want Jesus to rule their hearts forever as the only one, because HE IS THE ONLY ONE.

I have almost read through the entire Bible this year. I just have a few books to finish. However, since I enjoy reading the New Testament more, all the books I have left are in the Old Testament. Going through all those books here in India could not be more fitting. Over and over again it talks about worshipping God and Him alone. It speaks on the emptiness and hopelessness that is idolatry. The First Commandment states clearly that we are to have no other Gods before God. We are to worship and sacrifice to no one and nothing else but Him. India, that is the very first commandment for a reason! How could you forget the first one? Its obvious India needs to go right back to the basics. And one baptism in a dirty river at a time, we are doing just that.

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Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.

Exodus 34:14