From the Editor's Desk

Folks! It’s nice to be back again after a break. Guess most of you must be enjoying your vacations. Some of you are in the process of starting a new chapter in your life as you step from one periphery to the other. God’s blessing be with you all at this juncture.

This time round, we have celebrated “Our Mother’s” Day (with a slight reference to Tenyidie) and Father’s Day is round the corner. Most of you must have shown your love and concern to your parents and that’s good. Shower them not only with gifts but also by your praises and good deeds. Galatians 6:9 in the Bible say that we must not become weary in our efforts to do good because someday we will be rewarded for our work. So never give up to do the good works, for the day is coming when we will know that it was worth it all.

As we celebrate the Father’s day, I would like to delve on the man kind. Dad’s the first man in a daughter’s life. From the story of how the father’s day came about we learnt that a woman by the name of Sonora Smart Dodd thought of the idea for Father’s Day while listening to a mother’s day sermon in 1909. Having being raised by her father, William Smart, after her mother died, Sonora wanted her father to know how special he was to her. It was her father that made all the parental sacrifices and was, in the eyes of his daughter, a courageous, selfless and loving man. Sonora’s father was born in June so she chose to hold the first Father’s day celebration in Spokane, Washington on the 19th of June, 1910.

It’s great when Christian Dads understand the biblical principle of submission. If Dad’s a godly example, daughters won’t have trouble honoring him and it’s easier to submit to God. It is also learnt that Fathers thrive and grow through the love of daughters. Thank God for your brother. Brothers can be true friends and play a significant part in women’s lives. Boys need mothers. In a mother’s eyes, a boy sees who he is and can become. Man needs respect, encouragement and attention.

As women love the men in their lives, the family will enjoy identity, unity and intimacy. With God’s help we can recognize our values, multiply our efforts and share the blessings of God in every area of our life. With God’s love we can change the world by loving the man kind.

It was with Sonora Dodd’s efforts, which eventually led to a national observance of Fathers’ Day in the United States and have reached us today. Father’s Day has become a day to not only honor your fathers, but also all men who act as a father figure. So honor them, love them for a better world. God bless! !

Dear Readers,

Grace and peace of Jesus Christ to you. As we move forward, we experience the grace of God manifested in every aspect of our lives. We can never forget the fact of how God has been so gracious to us in all our endeavours. Neither can we lose sight of the tests and trials that He allowed to occur in our lives. He has begun a good work in us and He’s continuing His work to completion. In the process we go through ‘thorn in one’s flesh’ till He finally brings the gold out of the junk. Our role is to surrender to God and stay put, where He places us and allow Him to do the work that can only be done in the midst of hardships.

As a crooked iron can only be straightened when struck after being heated in a fiery furnace, we can only be perfected in character through difficult times. Many times we are in a situation where we don’t want to be, or with people we don’t want to be around. But God put hard people in our path to break us and shape us. Things go against our way and our flesh gets uncomfortable, but it is to put our human nature down and to let the Holy Spirit take control of all that we do.

Trials and tribulations are part and parcel of life. Instead of dreading the trials and running away, we need to see them as a springboard for promotion in our spiritual life. James, the writer of the epistle “James” tells us ‘to consider it pure joy whenever we face trials of many kinds’ for they are the ways to make us grow and finally mature us. Therefore, as we face trials, we need to have a right attitude and patiently wait for the change of our circumstances. Each problem or trial we go through, strengthens our understanding as we allow the Holy Spirit to teach us.

A lot of times we might not seem to understand the ways of God or the things we go through and have the tendency to handle situations ourselves but at such times we need to slow down, take things one day at a time and trust God to work things out for our good. If we have the assurance that God is with us and that He is in control of every situation, we can face them with peace and serenity in our hearts.

Are you getting worn out in your situation? Never give up, but press on and furthermore be a blessing in your setting. Stand firm on the word of God and be ready to face any situation or circumstances that challenge you along your way. The Lord will turn your trials and overwhelming situations into victory and overflowing joy. Isa. 40: 31 “…they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength”

"TRAIL" interviews Interviews Ms. Arenla Longchar, Secretary Education and Communication Deptt. Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC)
Trail : As Secretary of NBCC Education and Communication department, what is the nature of your work? What are NBCC’s strengths in this field?
Arenla: Before, the area of responsibility was to coordinate with the NBCC affiliated Baptist schools but about three years back, new responsibilities were added to the department to take care of Christian education in the Church and communication. I have worked in this department for the last nine years; frankly it has been disappointing working with Baptist schools because of two major reasons. There is a constant change among the heads of schools and the teachers which gives training and follow-up programs have little chance to bear fruit. The second reason is that the Baptist polity of the autonomy of the local church has also influenced the schools’ attitude – they follow NBCC’s directives if and when it is beneficial and convenient for them. I am excited about the Christian education ministry though; we have covered much ground over the last two years and the attitude of the Sunday School teachers is very positive.

Trail : What are the challenges that you have faced working with young people? Do you think the Naga youths lag behind in anything? What potential do you see in them?
Arenla: The greatest challenge is to keep the youth focused on their goal. It is sad that many youth have no ambition nor a sense of direction for their life. The problem behind this could be dependency – Naga parents really love their children but unfortunately this love makes them to be over- protective and over-indulgent which in turn develops the mentality of dependency in the children. I see much potential in our young people and this is why my heart aches to see these potentials go to waste. Adults have neglected to build up the spirit of determination and acceptance of failures in the children. We grow up being afraid of failing yet unwilling to work hard; we grow up in the environment of easy money, easy success, and easy life. However, this should not give the youth any excuse for not trying to make something of their life. Success is offered on a plate to a handful of fortunate people in the world; it comes to many who are willing to toil day and night; and God honors their hard work. I believe that if vocational guidance is given and regular career counseling provided; our youth will have a sense of direction and will shine as stars!

Trail : What are your views on the “Total Prohibition Issue” in Nagaland.
Arenla: This question will open up the can of worms. Let me just answer with a question – are we a people that live a life of discipline?

Trail : Music has been an integral part of a Naga life since time immemorial – from folk songs to the present day Gospel songs and modern tunes. With the influence and popularity of the modern/western tunes, do you think that our Naga folk tunes have in the process been laid-back/ lost its identity?
Arenla: The first missionary Dr. Clark tried to infuse the Christian lyric in the Naga folk tunes but for some reason, these songs did not survive and our fore fathers inculcated the western tunes to our worship music. The first generation of Christians refused to get involved in anything that was cultural because of the strong tie with spirit worship. But today the perspectives have changed. Culture is very much a part of who we are and we should revive and adapt the folk tunes to our Christian faith and our modern lifestyle. In the past decade, the ethnic music became the rage in the U.S. which in turn influenced the music trend all over the world. RAP music which originated from the black community became the most popular music among the young people; inspiring even the Asian musicians to Rap in their own dialects ! I would like to encourage inspiring Naga musicians to adapt the Naga folk tunes and promote it to our modern youth.

Trail : Your message for MHBC youth.
Arenla: Be true to yourself and your God given talents. Be consistent in training and developing your talents. Be firm in your resolve to achieve, to excel! Be disciplined in your study habit. Be cautious in cultivating healthy friendships. Believe in yourself!

I laughed a few days ago when I flip across my old diary, a note my friends had written for me during my hostel days. Suddenly, everything that seemed so important back then was really funny. I laughed at how worried we were about who liked us and who didn’t and about how the music test was going to be a killer. The pages had been folded in many different ways, it was faint a bit...... but I can still make out the faint pencil markings that sealed every note we wrote BFF (Best Friends Forever) I smiled. God provided me with many BFF, but the coolest thing of all was when I started walking this road with Christ, I affectionately called Him my best friend. He still is... but He’s also much more than that now.

The Bible tells us that God’s glory is so awesome. Even though I knew a lot about the Bible and grew up as a pastor’s daughter, I realized on this walk that I really wasn’t a Christian. I understood that I have to have a personal relationship with Jesus. I accepted Jesus as my personal saviour. My years of going to church and church related events prior to accepting Jesus as my saviour weren’t a waste. They were foundational for who I am today. They prepared me for the moment when I truly understood the gospel. How awesome God truly is! Fearing God is a beautiful feeling. It’s realizing how small and frail I am and how much I need Him everyday.

I challenge you to continue to chase after God’s heart. He is, and always will be the BEST FRIEND I’ll ever have. But if I don’t dig deeper, then I’m missing out an incredibly sweet and wonderful relationship with Christ. The person who spins the stars is the same person who sacrifice for my sin and created the universe. He’s my BFF. And as I grow closer to Him, I’m learning that’s only the beginning.

This article from LOL has been an enriching read and so I take this opportunity to reproduce here a slightly condensed version of the same hoping that it shall benefit the readers of Trail bulletin.

Waiting for anything is not a very nice experience. In fact, most people think about waiting as a wasting away of time. Maybe, this is because the ethos in which we live is essentially saying, “Get going! Do something! Show you are competent enough to make a difference! Don’t just sit there and wait!” For many people, therefore, waiting is an awful desert between where they are and where they want to go or do not like such a place. They want to get out of it by doing something.

In our present situation, waiting is even harder because we are so fearful. One of the most persistent sentiments around us is fear. People are afraid - afraid of inner feelings, afraid of other people, and also afraid of the future. Fearful people have a hard time waiting, because when we are afraid, we want to get away from where we are. But if we cannot flee, we may fight instead. Many of our destructive acts come from the fear that something harmful will be done to us. And if we take a broader perspective - that not only individuals, but also whole communities and nations might be afraid of being harmed-we can understand how hard it is to wait and how tempting it is to act. Here are the roots of a “first strike” approach to others. People who live in a world of fear are more likely to make aggressive, hostile, destructive responses than people who are not so frightened. The more afraid we are, the harder waiting becomes. That is why waiting is such an unpopular attitude for many people.

Living Expectantly
The whole opening scene of the Good News is filled with waiting people. And right at the beginning all those people in some way or another hear the words “Do not be afraid. I have something good to say to you.” These words set the tone and the context. Zechariah and Mary, Simeon and Anna are waiting for something new and good to happen to them. Who are these figures? They are the representatives of the waiting Israel. The Psalms are full of this attitude: “My soul is waiting for the Lord. I count on his word. My soul is longing for the Lord more than a watchman for daybreak. Let the watchman count on daybreak and Israel on the Lord”. But not all who dwell in Israel are waiting. In fact, we might say that the prophets criticized the people (at least in part) for giving up their attentiveness to what was coming. Waiting finally became the attitude of the remnant of Israel, of that small group of Israelites that remained faithful.

Waiting is waiting with a sense of promise. “Zechariah, your wife Elizabeth is to bear you a son.” “Mary, Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son” (Lk. 1:13, 31, JB). People who wait have received a promise that allows them to wait. They have received something that is at work with them, like a seed that has started to grow. This is very important. We can only really wait if what we are waiting for has already begun for us. So waiting is never a movement from nothing to something. It is always a movement from something to something more. Zechariah, Mary, and Elizabeth were living with promise that nurtured them, that fed them, and that made them able to stay where they were.

Active Act
Waiting is an active act. Most of us think of waiting as something very passive, a state determined by events totally out of our hands. It is not difficult to understand the irritation people feel when somebody says, “Just wait.” Words like that seem to push us into passivity. But there is none of this passivity in Scripture. Those who are waiting are waiting very actively. They know that what they are waiting for is growing from the ground on which they are standing. That’s the secret. The secret of waiting is the faith that the seed has been planted, that something has begun. Active waiting means to be present fully to the moment, in the conviction that something is happening where you are and that you want to be present to it. A waiting person is a patient person. The word patience means willingness to stay where we are and live the situation out to the full, in the belief that something hidden there will manifest itself to us. Zechariah, Elizabeth, and Mary were very present to the moment. That is why they could hear the angel. They were alert, attentive to the voice that spoke to them and said, “Don’t be afraid. Something is happening to you. Pay attention.”

Open-ended
Waiting is open-ended. Open-ended waiting is hard for us because we tend to wait for something very concrete, for something we wish to have. Much of our waiting is filled with wishes: “I wish that I would have a job. I wish that the weather would be better. I wish that the pain would go.” We are full of wishes, and our waiting easily gets entangled in those wishes. For this reason, a lot of our waiting is not open-ended. Instead, our waiting is a way of controlling the future. We want the future to go in a very specific direction, and if this does not happen, we are disappointed. Here we can see how wishes tend to be connected with fears. But Zechariah, Elizabeth, and Mary were not filled with wishes. They were filled with hope. Hope is something very different. Hope is trusting that something will be fulfilled, but fulfilled according to the promises and not just according to our wishes. Therefore, hope is always open-ended.

To wait open-endedly is an enormously radical attitude toward life. So is to trust that something will happen to us that is far beyond our own imaginings. So, too, is giving up control over our future and letting God define our life, trusting that God moulds us according to God’s love and not according to our fear. The spiritual life is a life in which we wait, actively present to the moment, trusting that new things will happen to us, new things that are far beyond our own imagination, fantasy, or prediction. That, indeed, is a very radical stance toward life in a world preoccupied with control.

Tuned to the Word
How do we wait? Luke 1:39-56 suggests that we wait together, as did Mary and Elizabeth. What happened when Mary received the words of promise? She went to Elizabeth. Something was happening to Elizabeth as well as to Mary. But how could they live that out? The meeting of these two women is very moving, because Elizabeth and Mary came together and enabled each other to wait. Mary’s visit made Elizabeth aware of what she was waiting for. The child leapt for joy in her. Mary affirmed Elizabeth’s waiting. And then Elizabeth said to Mary, “Blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.” And Mary responded, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord” (Lk. 1:45-46). She burst into joy herself. These two women created space for each other to wait. They affirmed for each other that something was happening that was worth waiting for.

Waiting is the model of the Christian community. It is a community of support, celebration, and affirmation. The visit of Elizabeth and Mary is one of the most beautiful expressions of what it means to form community, to be together, gathered around a promise, affirming that something is really happening. The whole meaning of the Christian community lies in offering a space in which we wait together. In this way we can live with courage, trusting that there is a spiritual power in us that allows us to live in this world without being threatened constantly by despair and darkness. That is how we say that God is a God of love even when we see hatred around us. That is why we can claim that God is a God of life even when we see death and destruction and agony all around us. We say it together with affirmation in one another. Waiting together, nurturing what has already begun, expecting its fulfillment- that is the meaning of marriage, friendship, community, and the Christian life. Our waiting is in the knowledge that someone wants to address us. We read the Word so that the Word can become flesh and have a whole new life in us. When Jesus speaks about the end of time, he speaks precisely about the importance of waiting. He says nations will fight against nations and there will be wars and earthquakes and misery. People will be in agony, and they will say, “The Christ is there! No, he is here!” Everybody will be totally upset, and many will be deceived. But Jesus says you must stand ready, stay awake, stay tuned to the word of God, so that you will survive all that is going to happen and be able to stand confidently in the presence of God together in community (see Mt. 24). That is the attitude of waiting that allows us to be people who can live in a very chaotic world and survive spiritually.

A Father plays the model role in the family. He’s the one who sees the unseen, problem of the family. Stand as a pillar when every heart grows weak. He’s the one who does not know the word ‘escape’ but treats every bit of problem as part of life. He’s a super genius who knits the family together. As differences create beauty, a Father knows the differences in his children and understands them. But the best Father is one who puts his trust in God.

Phillip, Cornelius, Job and Abraham are samples of a good Father and their Teachings are worth knowing. Philip, a disciple of Jesus was called from Galilee. He had a concern for the Fathers and their responsibilities. He preserved Christian principles in his family. Had four daughters who prophesied. This is the evident of a good Father. Cornelius, a centurion found favor in the sight of God for his simplicity of living and his unflinching faith in God. He spent his time in prayer and did charitable deeds. His family lived in complete obedience to God. This is one duty of a Father. Fathers are the greatest teachers. He should maintain good relationship with his children through which understanding among them could be achieved. The greatest responsibility of a Father is to set aside moments to pray and have fellowship with the family, which is the secret of an ideal family. I remember my Father would come wearily from various services yet, call everyone for prayer meetings. He would call his children to read a passage, explain to us and exhort us distinctly with the Word of God. This I regard as the best moments of my life. Besides nurturing us physically, spiritual nurturing is of utmost importance, which I learnt from my Father. ‘How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth’ (Psalm 119:103). A Father forgetting his discomforts would jump to his duty with diligence is what I consider as a good Father. A Father’s sacrifice can be appreciated but can never be weighed because it’s a divine joy that God has given to every Father. The Bible did not mention the weaknesses of the Fathers because they are considered to be next to God who were commissioned to be the head of the family. Father should be a man of action, putting every Word of God into action. Job is known as the greatest man of the East. He was famous for his upright nature. He led his family with the Word of God. God blessed Abraham for his faithfulness in God. God made a covenant with him which says, ‘... walk before me and be blameless...will greatly increase your numbers... ...for I have made you a Father of many nations’ (Gen.17: 1-5)

David said that it is pleasant to be minister in the House of God praising the Lord all the time.

Can this be a Father’s praise?

My Father is my greatest Teacher in every aspects of my life.

Can this be a child’s testimony?

Father’s day is here again and I would like to say to all Fathers that your hard work is really appreciated. May your children say to you, ‘I have a Father a bunch of kids could ever have’.

Happy Father’s Day!!

We can see from the life of Jacob that God is not seeking for perfect people - there are no perfect people. But the eyes of God run to and fro to see those whose hearts are turned toward Him. David was a man after God’s own heart, and yet he had moral failures. The good thing about David is that when confronted with his sin, he repented.

Likewise, though Jacob had weaknesses, in the depth of his heart, he yearned for the blessings of God. God allowed him to go through some tough situations to make him a better person. Jacob went through the ‘refiner’s fire’ to burn the dross out of him (Malachi 3:2-3). In Paul’s language, he worked out (not work for) his salvation through fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12-13).

If you’re going through tough times, remember God is working things out so you could become a better person. And be able to handle greater things. God knows you better than you know yourself. Trust in Him and never give up. God will come through.

Contributed by : Nikedono

“ To the artist, He is the one altogether lovely- Song of Solomon 5:15

To the architect, He is the Chief cornerstone- 1Peter 2:6

To the astronomer, He is the sun of Righteousness-Malachi 4:2

To the baker, He is the bread of life- John 6:35

To the banker, He is the hidden treasure- Matthew 13:44

To the builder, He is the sure foundation- Isaiah 28: 16

To the carpenter, He is the door- John 10:7

To the doctor, He is the great physician- Jeremiah 8:22

To the educator, He is the great teacher – John 3:2

To the engineer, He is the new living way – Hebrews 10-20

To the farmer, He is the swore and Lord of harvest-Luke 10:20

To the florist, He is the rose of Sharon- Song of Solomon 2:1

To the Geologist, He is the rock of ages- 1 Corinthians 10:4

To the horticulturist, He is the true vine – John 15:1

To the judge, He is the only righteous judge of man – 2 Timothy 4:8

To the Juror, He is the faithful and true witness – Revelation 3:14

To the jeweller, He is the pearl of great price – Matthew 13: 46

To the lawyer, He is counsellor, lawgiver, and true advocate – Isaiah 9:6

To the newspaperman, he is tiding of great joy – Luke 2::10

To the oculist, He is the light of the eyes Proverbs 29:13

To the Philanthropist, He is the unspeakable gift-2 Corinthians 9:15

To the Philosopher, He is the wisdom of God –1 Corinthians 1:

To the preacher, He is the word of God – Revelation 19:13

To the sculptor, He is the living stone – 1Peter 2:4

To the servant, He is the Good Master- Matthew 23: 8-10

To the Statesman, He is the desire of all nations – Haggai 2:7

To the Student, He is the incarnate truth- 1John 5:6

To the theologian, He is the author and finisher of our faith – Hebrews 12:2

To the toiler, He is the giver of rest – Matthew 11:28

To the sinner, He is the Lamb of God who takes the sin away – John 1:29

To the Christian, He is the son of the living God, the Savour, the Redeemer, and the Loving Lord.”…….. Unknown