by Kim Turkington on January 9th
“Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord!” (Psalm 31:24)
As the people of God, we close 2012 and enter 2013 with HOPE. Yes, we are concerned about the future for our families, about the direction of our culture and about the plight of the world’s poor and oppressed, but above all else, we know our hope is secure.
You see, our hope in the Lord isn’t the world’s kind of hope. The world’s hope says, “I hope the country doesn’t fall off the fiscal cliff;” and “I hope my team wins the championship this year;” and “i hope this ice cream cone won’t make me fat!”
That kind of hope is little more than wishful thinking. But because the hope you and I have is based on God’s attributes, our hope is rooted in reality. It is not wishful thinking or a positive attitude. Instead our hope is based on the eternal love and faithfulness of the omnipotent God of the universe. So we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, in Who He is, in His glory. He is the fullness and perfection of all that is good. His glory, which is His very nature, is the source of our hope.
As I opened the Fishhook mail and as I saw the year end donations coming in online, I rejoiced as I saw God’s people demonstrating by their generosity the hope they have in Him. We may face economic and political uncertainty, but we choose to hope in the One who called us to take His “Good News to the whole world as a testimony to all nations.” (Matthew 24:14)
Thank you for standing with us by your prayers and your gifts to take His hope to the people of India! May the Lord bless you and keep you in His care in 2013!
by Kim Turkington on January 16th
I have a map of India on the wall in my office, and I’d love to have 50 rupees for every time someone walks in and says, “I didn’t know India was next to Pakistan or so close to Afghanistan or China…” or whatever.
So I thought a short geography lesson might help us and inspire us as we pray for India today. As you can see from the map on the right, India is bordered on the west by Pakistan which was partitioned from India in 1947, just prior to India’s independence from Great Britain.
In the extreme northwest in the disputed area of Kashmir, there is also a short border with Afghanistan. In the North in the Himalayan Mountains, India shares a border with China, Bhutan and Nepal. More »
by Kim Turkington on October 10th
“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:1-4)
I was reminded today of the need to continue praying for peace and protection for our brothers and sisters in India. While India doesn’t rank near the top of the list of countries with extreme persecution of Christians, believers there do face pockets of trouble ranging from general harassment to outright attacks. More »
by Kim Turkington on February 14th
In a culture as diverse as that of India, one could argue there are infinitely more than just two Indias. But the very obvious divide between the tiny minority who have benefited from the country’s explosive economic boom and the vast majority who live in desperate poverty is painfully obvious to those who take the time to look.
What may not be obvious is why the compassion of the Body of Christ is needed so urgently in this land of software development and call centers, but this article from theGlobalist.com may help us understand the need: Reconciling the Two Indias
by Kim Turkington on January 24th
The good news is that food prices in India aren’t going up as fast as they were a few weeks ago.
The bad news is prices of vegetables have skyrocketed in the past year, putting pressure on those living on the edge of survival and on those working to help them - including Fishhook’s ministry partners.
Even though news reports say food inflation is easing because the published weekly rate fell from over 18% to 15.5 $, the reality is that prices of many basic foods are dramatically higher then they were just a few months ago. More »
by Kim Turkington on October 13th
The 2010 Global Hunger Index (”GHI”), compiled by the International Food Policy Research Institute, concludes that while India has made progress since 1990, the hunger index in the country still ranks in the “Alarming” category.
The three measurements that make up the Hunger Index for a country are the proportion of people who are undernourished, the percentage of children under age five who are underweight, and the child mortality rate. More »
by Kim Turkington on October 4th
Seems like we and many people we know are going through some monumental changes and difficulties these days. Maybe you can relate. If so, I hope Abraham’s life will encourage you as it did me today.
I was drawn to the passage in the second half of Hebrews 6 where it says: “We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.” I am pretty sure that I sometimes get lazy as I wait on the Lord. More »
