Rev. Sudhakar Mondithoka

Quest for Truth.

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(New) Update from the Mondithokas, as on October 27, 2008 (From July to Ocotber)
July 2008: We bring this update to you with much gratitude to God and many thanks to you. One of the most encouraging things has been that after looking at the reports of the review tests (after one year since the most difficult part of the treatment was over) Santhi’s doctor said, "All the tests are showing results in the normal range. There is nothing to worry about. You please continue the hormonal treatment and take the medicines to fight the side effects." We praise God for this. Santhi is feeling much better even psychologically. She has been able to go out and minister in different settings. Thanks very much for your prayers. We are very grateful to God for the amazing way in which He has been guiding us, sustaining us, and strengthening us over the past one and a half years. The Lord blessed my ministry in the US (July). It was a very hectic month with a lot of traveling and speaking. In June I taught my course at SAIACS and finished it on the 2nd of July and left for the US on the same day. In spite of all the stress, the Lord blessed me with good health and blessed the ministry in all the places.

4-6 July, I spoke at the ATCS (Atlanta Telugu Christian Samavesam) conference on "Determine to be Holy" based on Daniel 1:8 and 1 Peter 1: 15-16. The Spirit of the Lord moved mightily and all the participants (over 125) and I myself were touched by the truth very powerfully and there was a definite sense of the Lord’s presence and grace. The messages are all now available on www.atcs.org. On the 7th I had breakfast with Ravi Zacharias (I was a part of RZIM for twelve years) and visited their office. It was a blessed day of reconnecting and fellowshipping. On the 8th I met with Peter Bocchino (my first apologetics teacher and mentor) after 11 years. What a blessing it was. It seemed time flew by.

On the 11th I spoke to the Indian Community in Philadelphia on "Renewed Mind, Transformed Thinking, and Transformed Living" based on Romans 12: 1-2; Matt. 22: 37-40. Once again the word of God went forth with clarity and conviction and people were blessed. The high light of this trip was that I spent two days with my good friend Moses Pradeep and his family. I also had the joy of meeting with friends (Prasad and Aruna and Bhanu and Santhi) in New York and Sam and Mercy Kurapati in the Washington area.

Then I taught a course on "Contemporary World Religions and Christian Apologetics," all Video Recorded for the benefit of the global Christian community, with the I2 Ministries in Los Angeles area for two weeks (15-18 and 21-25). On the 18th and 19th I spoke at the Annual Conference of the Bay Area Telugu Christian Fellowship (TCF) on "Fixing our eyes on Jesus" (Heb. 12: 1-3) in San Jose. Yet another time, the Lord ministered to His people (around 130) in a powerful way. On the 20th I ministered God’s word in the Sunday Service of a Lutheran Church.

On Saturday the 26th I did a Bible Study on "Evolution or Creation?" for the East West Community Church (EWCC) and then on Sunday I preached in the Sunday Services of Life Song Community Church (on Are All Religions Really the Same?) and EWCC (on Priority Christian Living in the Present Perplexing World). It was an incredible blessing to see the truth of God touching lives in all these settings and even in the informal settings where I did some Open Forums.

We are grateful to God for the privilege He has given us to serve Him. From 8-10 August, Santhi spoke in the Girls’ Evangelistic Camp (UESI-AP, Hyderabad District) – she taught doctrines (God-Man-Sin-Salvation). 29 of the girls (College and University Students) made first time commitments and others rededicated their lives to the Lord. I spoke to over 150 Graduate and Polytechnic students on the 12th (at St. Mary’s College) on "Freedom or Free-doom?" in a Gospel Evening organized by the EU and 39 of them responded to the gospel invitations (almost all of them from other faiths).

August 2008

On the 15th I spoke on " . . . setting an example . . . " (1 Tim. 4: 12) to over 800 young people (college-university students and young professionals) at a Youth Retreat in our Church, the Centenary Baptist Church and over 75 of them committed to living for the glory for the Lord and living like Jesus our prefect example.

On the 16th I spoke to over 50 young Christians (college-university students and young professionals from the New Mumbai Brethren Assemblies) in an open forum on "The Bible-Science-God: How Do We Understand the Relationship?" After I spoke for an hour, I handled questions for an hour and a half. Some of the many questions I had answered are,

1. How can I prove to my friends that the Bible is the true Word of God, when even other Religious Books/Scriptures say that God created the Universe?

2. Did Dinosaurs really exist? If yes, then where is it written in the Bible? There are fossils of dinosaurs. Does this prove evolution?

3. Why should we believe that the Bible is true?

4. How can we help unbelievers to believe that humans were formed out of dust?

5. Are the six 'days of creation' literal 24-hour days or are they long periods of time?

6. Was there another world before this world and were there pre-Adamic humans before God created Adam and Eve?

There was a request that I should go back and do a full-fledged seminar. God willing, I will do a seminar in the future.

Santhi spoke to 35 urban students in a Discipleship Training Camp (UESI – Union of Evangelical Students of India, Hyderabad) from 14th to 17th. She focused on 1) The Chosen-ness of the Disciples, 2) Character of the Disciples, 3) Cost of Discipleship, and 3) Commitment of the Disciples. The Lord moved mightily, each one of them was touched by the truth, and they all committed themselves to a life of discipleship to the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise the Lord. What a joy it is to see people turning to the Lord and people being established in their faith and being challenged to evangelize effectively. This is one of the most exciting things for both of us.

September 2008 :It was a month of some fruitful ministry for both of us. Here are some highlights of the ministry outside of the local Church.

On the 17th Santhi spoke to about 2000 women on "Women in Struggles of Life" at the Bible Mission Church, at Kakani. On 28th and 29th Santhi spoke to some 25 Christian Professionals of UESI-AP at Ramagundam on "Christian Integrity," "Effective Bible Study Methods," and "Balanced Christian Living." The Lord blessed the ministry in both these places and people were moved by the spirit of God.

After the 2nd HITHA consultation on the 30th, I spoke to about 75 medical students and some doctors at the EMFI (Evangelical Medical Fellowship of India) Zonal Conference (Aug. 31 and Sept. 1) on "God-Man-Sin-Salvation" and "Salvation: Justification and Sanctification" and fielded questions along with others in an Open Forum. 6 students responded to the gospel truth and made first time commitment to follow Jesus and many were strengthened in their faith. One of them, from a Hindu background met with me after the first talk and asked many questions (like many others) and she responded to the invitation on the second day. The following are some of the questions that I answered: 1) How can we know God’s will? 2) Is it right to opt for divorce if the other person is torturing? 3) Some people say, "The Lord spoke to me." What do they mean by this? 4) Is there a possibility that we might loose our salvation? 5) How do we I explain God having a Son and God being Trinity, particularly when our Muslim friends ask us questions? 6) In Genesis 1 we read that God created light on the first day and that He created the Sun on the 4th day. Where did the light come from before the Sun and how were the days calculated?

On the 10th (Chennai) I gave the Inaugural Message at the Silver Jubilee Conference of the India Literacy Trust (of IBL – India Bible Literature) on "Jesus - the Liberator" with over 500 in attendance (from different parts of India, including some from Orissa where Christians were being persecuted). On the 14th (Chennai) I preached in the Sunday worship service of a Brethren Church on "Living in the in-between Times" (Luke 19: 11-27) and taught the Equipper class (two lectures) of UESI (over 20 software professionals) on "Apologetics as Evangelism."

October 2008

The Lord blessed the ministry to about 50 young girls at the LCMI (Life Change Ministries International) camp (Hyderabad) where I spoke (2-4, three days) on "Biblical Answers for Today’s Youth Issues" covering the issues of Salvation, Relationships, Worship, and Work (career). A few made first time commitments to follow the Lord. Many of them committed themselves to living the whole life for Christ and shared with me how they were blessed when the Word of God was explained to them in a relevant way.

On the 7th I spoke (two messages) to about 100 young people of the GTFL Church at the OM Center, Hyderabad on "A Biblical Theology and Philosophy of Life in Christ" based on 2 Cor. 5: 14-20 and Eph. 6: 7-8. My main point was that "all true Christians are servants of Jesus and should live their whole life under the Lordship of and for the glory of Christ," and that if we live life with this biblical perspective, then our life (irrespective of the stage we are at in life and what we might be dong for a living) would be a life of service to Christ. This truth was illustrated with the example of the illustrious lives of Joseph, Daniel and friends, Nehemiah, Esther, and a few contemporary examples. The organizers told me that there a very clear sense of the blessing of the Lord and that all the young people gave them very positive feedback.

On the 9th I spoke to about 100 pastors and other Christians (including some leaders) at Calvary Baptist Church, Vizag on "The Uniqueness of Christ and Christianity" in three sessions and fielded questions in an Open Forum. Many of the participants expressed gratitude for the relevant and useful inputs and the leaders asked if I could do another seminar in future on the issue of "life after death." On the 12th I spoke in the Harvest Festival special Thanksgiving Service of the Ramnagar Baptist Church, Hyderabad and enjoyed liberty in my spirit as I spoke on "Thanksgiving and Thankful Living" based on Psalm 100. On the 20th, Santhi spoke to the Seminary Wives at ACTC (Andhra Christian Theological College), Hyderabad on "Daughters of Sarah." What a joy and what a privilege it is for us to serve the Lord and to see God’s word touching lives. Thanks you for your prayers and let us praise the Lord. Please do pray for our ministry engagements.

Good Links

• Bible
• RZIM
• Vishal Mangalwadi
• Answering Islam
• Apologetic Research
• Leadership University
• Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts

• 

Quotes

The Apologist's Evening Prayer.

• From all my lame defeats and oh! much more From all the victories that I seemed to score; From cleverness shot forth on Thy behalf at which, while angels weep, the audience laugh; From all my proofs of Thy divinity, Thou, who wouldst give no sign, deliver me. Thoughts are but coins. Let me not trust, instead of Thee, their thin-worn image of Thy head. From all my thoughts, even from my thoughts of Thee, O thou fair Silence, fall, and set me free. Lord of the narrow gate and the needle's eye, Take from me all my trumpery lest I die.
  -- C.S. Lewis, Poems (New York: Harcourt, 1992), 131
  * Trumpery = something showy but worthless, nonsense; rubbish, trashy (adj.)
  

• . . . The heart cannot delight in what the mind rejects as false.
  - Clark Pinnock, Set forth Your Case: Studies in Christian Apologetic (Nutley, NJ: The Craig Press, 1967), 3.
  

• The leader may consciously enjoy a feeling of superiority and aloofness, showing itself in condescension, vanity, conceit, and self-pride. He may demand too much adulation and personal loyalty, and therefore, try to surround himself with sycophants, "yes-men" and "rubber stamps." He may want his own way too much and too often, and be too opinionated and obstinate about taking counsel with his colleagues and followers
  - Ordway Tead, The Art of Leadership (New York: Mc Graw Hill, 1935), 215.
  

• Truth is true-even if no one knows it.
  Truth is true-even if no one admits it.
  Truth is true-even if no one agrees what it is.
  Truth is true-even if no one follows it.
  Truth is true-even if no one but God grasps it fully.
  - Paul Copan, "True For You, But Not For Me".
  

Copyright © 2006 Sudhakar Monditokha.