LESSONS FROM THIS CLASSIC BIBLE NARRATIVE TO PRESENT THE GOSPEL PERSUASIVELY TO THE GOOGLE GENERATION YOUTH FROM OTHER FAITHS
Dr. Duke Jeyaraj
INTRODUCTION
The Google Generation youth—the modern generation youth, that is—hail from different religious backgrounds. They actively seek and choose a religion of their choice. Take for example, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the daughter of former Indian Prime Minister and a Google Generation icon of India. This is what a report published in a leading news magazine says about her:
Though she guards her privacy fiercely, it is an open secret that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has turned to Buddhism in her quest for personal peace. A Vipassana practitioner for 11 years, she has done many courses, including the advanced, very rigorous and intensive ‘Sattipatahana’ courses, as taught by S.N. Goenka and his Vipassana Sadhna Sansthaan. Last October she also participated in a retreat to learn about Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh’s meditation techniques. Priyanka is currently in the last year of completing her MA in Buddhist Studies. [1]
The task of sharing the good news of the Gospel to such folks who have deliberately chosen a non-Christian faith after much deliberation is certainly not easy. In this paper, practical lessons to do that are gleaned from the way Apostle Paul presented God’s truth to those from other faiths. I have chosen Apostle Paul because I agree with Ajith Fernando when he writes, “Paul’s ministry is extremely helpful in learning how to relate to people of other faiths.”[2] The Bible passage in which Paul interacted with King Agrippa as recorded by Luke is used as the primary Bible passage of consideration to do this. This passage was deliberately chosen, because, I discovered that while there are lots of material that pulls out lessons on evangelism of folk/people from other faiths from passages such as Acts 17 (where Paul speaks in Athens), there is hardly any literature that does the same from Acts 28 (where Paul speaks to King Agrippa).
Appreciate the Good in Those From Other Faiths
When Paul was speaking to King Agrippa, one of the first things he does is appreciate him. He appreciates his expertise on “Jewish customs and controversies.”[3] Earlier on, when he stood up to speak to the Council of Philosophers[4] in Athens, he said: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious!”[5] Again, these words can be seen as words of appreciation for their spiritual hunger.
When one shares the Gospel with the Google Generation, one must consciously look for ways to appreciate them. Straightaway attacking their false religion may put them off and may possibly completely close their minds from considering the claims of Jesus. Therefore, special effort must be taken to find out certain positive things about the religion of the Google Generation youth which the Gospel agrees with. These findings should be shared right at the start of the Gospel presentations with such people.
Attach Your Testimony in the Gospel Presentation
In his Gospel presentation with King Agrippa, Paul then/also shares his detailed testimony (Acts 26:4-22). A philosophy can be argued against, but a personal story cannot be. That is why it is pertinent that one attaches his own testimony in every Gospel presentation that is presented to a non-believer from the Google Generation background. As a group, the Google Generation just loves sharing their personal stories. This is seen in the huge popularity of social networking websites such as Facebook where ‘status updates’ are basically a short report of what someone is actually up to (a testimony). Here is a comment from a news magazine about Facebook’s role in helping people open up their life stories with greater ease and regularity:
Facebook has changed our social DNA, making us more accustomed to openness. But the site is premised on a contradiction: Facebook is rich in intimate opportunities — you can celebrate your niece’s first steps there and mourn the death of a close friend — but the company is making money because you are, on some level, broadcasting those moments online. The feelings you experience on Facebook are heartfelt; the data you’re providing feeds a bottom line.
The willingness of Facebook’s users to share and overshare — from descriptions of our bouts of food poisoning (gross) to our uncensored feelings about our bosses (not advisable) — is critical to its success. Thus far, the company’s m.o. has been to press users to share more, then let up if too many of them complain..[6]
Since the Google Generation is not wary of sharing their personal stories, as we’ve seen above, testimonies from the mouth of an evangelist would be mostly welcomed by them.
Appeal to Common Sense
While sharing his testimony in his talk with King Agrippa, Paul includes this statement: “Saul, Saul why are you persecuting me? Is it hard for you to kick against the goads?” By using this statement, Paul is appealing to the common sense of his listeners, including King Agrippa. Those who kick against the goads would hurt themselves in the process. What Paul is trying to say is this: a life without a relationship with Jesus is self-destructive in its core essence. When one observes the world of the Google Generation that are from other faiths and which is without Christ, the same is found to be true. A report in a news magazine about a real life story of a student studying in a college touted to be India’s best engineering college, confirms this:
Dad – sorry I couldn’t be a better son to you… all you asked was my betterment of my career and future and I couldn’t give it to you… I have failed you dad and I am so sorry about it. I cannot show my face to you
Mom – Sorry mom, I really did love you more than dad….
I was weak I thought I could become strong but I was weak, I was so so so weak the fault is my own. The fault is my own. Hope something good happens with my death. Fire stallion has left the building…
I wish to donate my eyes and internal organs…. At least somebody can be benefitted with my death.
In another 2 min it will be 3:13 both my fav numbers. awesome time to die
These were Nitin Kumar Reddy’s last words in an email he sent to his father. The final-year M.Tech student at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras hanged himself from a ceiling fan in his hostel room after he got a semester extension.
The pressure cooker description given by the media certainly does not go with the IIT Madras campus, located within a 620-acre natural forest with a magnificent lake and a wide range of flora and fauna.
However, in the last three years, the campus has witnessed six suicides—the highest number across IITs. This year eight IITians killed themselves across India, and IIT Madras leads this list, too, with two students, both from the mechanical engineering department, killing themselves. [7]
Some of the students of one of India’s top colleges were “kicking against the goads” – what is most unfortunate is that they kicked against the goads till their death.[8] This real-life story provides a challenge that one must employ a line of argument that appeals to simple reason and basic logic while the Gospel is being shared with the Google Generation. Particularly, the basic reasons for the uniqueness of Jesus should be lovingly presented during a Gospel presentation. A person who rebels against such a unique Savior can only be hurting himself or causing himself untold trouble.
Announce discovery of purpose
Paul in his Gospel presentation efforts before King Agrippa announces how he discovered purpose and meaning for life after an encounter with Jesus. Christ appeared to him to make him a missionary to the Gentiles (Acts 26:16-18). The curse of the Google Generation is life without a purpose. Here is the confession of Boris Becker, accomplished German tennis star:
“I had won Wimbledon twice before, once as the youngest player. I was rich. I had all the material possessions I needed… It’s the old song of movie stars and pop stars who commit suicide. They have every-thing, and yet they are so unhappy. I had no inner peace. I was a puppet on a string.”[9]
This confession reflects purposelessness in Becker’s life. An encounter with Jesus alone can give anyone, including all those from the Google Generation, purpose and meaning in life. This news has to be shared with those from other faiths for whom life is meaningless and empty.
Address the person you are sharing the Gospel with by name
Paul continues his Gospel-laced conversation with King Agrippa in Acts 26. He addresses Agrippa by name saying, “And so, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to that vision from heaven” (Acts 26:19). He need not have included the name of King Agrippa in this statement. But he did, driving home an important point.
The Indian Premier League – season 5 was hugely popular. A particular incident took place before the toss of a game in which Rajasthan Royals was played.
During the toss their captain, Rahul Dravid was asked about the changes to his line-up, he paused for a few seconds before giving up trying to recollect the second spinner Ajit Chandila, but for sure Chandila has ensured with his match-winning performance in Jaipur that his captain and world will never forget his name…. This two first-class match’s old tall spinner responded against Pune Warriors with a hat-trick…Chandila took up Jesse Ryder, Sourav Ganguly and Robin Uthappa to record the first hat-trick of his cricket career.[10]
The press made a big hue and cry about this particular event. For them, recalling a person’s name is a basic courtesy that is expected of all. While announcing the Gospel with a person from another faith, especially from the Google Generation, one must take special care of this. Calling out the name of the person the Gospel is being shared with, brings about a certain degree of closeness between the two and creates a greater opportunity for the person to be converted to Christ.
Charge all to repent
In his conversation with King Agrippa which is the focus of our study in this paper, Paul charges all who are hearing him to repent. Hear this: “I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that all must turn from their sins and turn to God – and prove they have changed by the good things they do.”[11] Please note here that Paul says even those from a gentile background must repent. It is no co-incidence that while speaking in Athens also Paul asks his hearers to do the same: “God has overlooked people’s former ignorance about these things, but now he commands everyone everywhere to turn away from idols and turn to him.”[12] In the city of Ephesus, Paul kept hammering the point that his hearers should turn from idol worship. The response was so immense that it caused a dent in the business of those in the city that made idols! And this was the complaint that was raised against Paul: “Paul has persuaded that handmade gods aren’t gods at all!”[13]
How do we go about the sensitive task of warning the Google Generation from other faiths to turn from idol worship and follow Paul’s model? We could start of by including among the Google Generation youth, even from Christian families in the list of people who need to repent from idol worship. Perhaps the most common form of idol worship which the Google Generation youth from both Christian and non-Christian backgrounds are guilty of is the worship of technology and gadgets. The Washington Times published an article:
Let me ask this: Have you ever spoken with an Apple enthusiast and felt like you were being proselytized?… Riffing on the Greek myth of Narcissus, Mr.Marshall McLuhan in his famously complex 1964 study of the then-emerging mass media culture, “Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man” wrote that technology gadgets were like narcotic extensions of the self; we worship them as idols and thus become a self-enclosed system.
Sound familiar?
“Servomechanism” was the term of art that Mr. McLuhan employed: a device that controls something from a distance.
He said of gadget love: “We must, to use them at all, serve these objects, these extensions of ourselves, as gods or minor religions. An Indian is the servomechanism of his canoe, as the cowboy of his horse or the executive of his clock.” [14]
After making it clear that one could be guilty of gadget-worship no matter which religious background one belonged to, we could go on to lovingly warn about other forms of idol-worship. Dr. Jack Deere talks about another form of idol worship prevalent in the modern church which goes unnoticed and unnamed: “A Bible deist has a lot in common with the natural deist. They both worship the wrong thing. The deists of the eighteenth century worshiped human reason. The Bible deists of today worship the Bible.”[15]
After being humble enough to admit that the sin of idol-worship exists amidst those of us from the Christian background, we must not shy away from talking about idol-worship practiced by friends of ours from other faiths belonging to the Google Generation.
Anchor Everything in the Bible, Wrap Gospel Truth Around Contemporary Events
Paul, after doing different things in this Gospel presentation of his with King Agrippa, lets King Agrippa know where his anchor was. His anchor was in the word of God, the Bible. He said, “I teach nothing except what the prophets and Moses said would happen—that the Messiah would suffer and be the first to rise from the dead and as a light to both.”[16] As Paul witnessed, he crossed social barriers (‘from the least to the greatest’) and racial barriers (‘as a light to Jews and Gentiles alike.’)[17] The Gospel message is to be taken across social barriers (from the call center agents and to the assistant Vice Presidents, Chief Executive Officers!) and across racial barriers (to those from Nadar background, Naidu background, Nambhoodhri background, etc.) from among the Google Generation. Vinoth Ramachandra rightly wrote:
It was the conviction of the distinctiveness and universality of Jesus Christ that impelled men and women over the centuries to cross geographical and linguistic boundaries, and to offer their lives in the self-giving service of their fellow men and women. It was this conviction that enabled them to recognize the human worth, as well as desperate need, of tribes and cultures long despised by their non-Christian compatriots. [18]
After building a sufficient launching pad, Paul goes into a full-throttle presentation of the Gospel replete with prophetic proofs along with the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The number of prophecies that Jesus fulfilled is good enough proof for his divinity and uniqueness. These fulfilled prophecies presented to the Google Generation which is goes gaga over Paul, ‘the Octopus who correctly predicted the winner of all of Germany’s World Cup 2010 games, including a shock defeat by Serbia in the group stages and the ousting of Germany by Spain’[19]. The Google generation must be reminded that ‘Octopus Paul’s’ record was not perfect in reality/actually, according to his own owners. Paul had predicted wrong in about 30% of Germany’s games during the 2008 European Championship, including their loss to Spain in the finals.’[20] When it comes to predicting the future, the Word of God is far more accurate than ‘Octopus Paul’s’ predictions, as God’s word has not gone wrong even in a single prediction so far.
The death and resurrection of Jesus can be wrapped with contemporary events in which the Google Generation has interests in that way Paul wrapped one aspect of the Gospel with a secular quote in his Athens speech.[21] This is something I keep doing all the time in my ministry to the Google Generation. In a recent message I preached to audiences that included Google Generation youth from other faiths, I referred to a particular event that took place in the Indian Premier League and wrapped that event around the Gospel. Let me elaborate:
It was one of those moments in Bangalore that got overshadowed amid MS Dhoni and Chennai Super Kings’ onslaught. Mumbai Indians were in pursuit of 188 runs to stay alive in the fifth edition of the Indian Premier League against Chennai. Cruising at 47 for no loss in 4.5 overs they looked set to make the most of the fielding restrictions when disaster struck. Sachin Tendulkar played the ball to the off side and Dwayne Smith at the other end ran while the Little Master did not. The ball was thrown at the non-striker’s end even as Smith and Sachin were stranded on the same side. And before the bails could be dislodged Sachin made a swift decision. He took a few steps forward to give up his wicket to keep Smith, who was looking in ominous form, alive. Of course, Smith, eventually, perished eight balls later and Mumbai ended up on the losing side…[22].
Just like how Sachin Tendulkar, the legend of Indian Cricket, sacrificed his wicket in favor of little-known Dwayne Smith, the God of the entire universe, Jesus Christ sacrificed his life voluntarily for unworthy you and me. Just like Dwayne Smith got out irresponsibly— after just eight balls following Sachin’s act of sacrifice—we too treat the supreme sacrifice of Christ with utter contempt by falling back into deliberate sin. This was part of the message I preached which was well-received by the audience of Google Generation youth.
In the Face of Arguments, Win the Person as well as the Argument
After Paul’s presentation of the Gospel, Governor Festus shouted, “Paul you are insane. Too much study has made you crazy!”[23] When we present the Gospel among the cream of the society, the likes of Kings and Governors, we can expect some opposition. That is what had happened to Paul. If we preach the right Gospel, opposition ^^^! Paul handled the opposition by giving a direct reply which was not bereft of its dearness! A reply which was not robbed of its sweetness! Chris Wright points out that while Paul ‘confronts the sophisticated and curious Athenians (Acts 17:16-34)’, he was not only ‘distressed’ but also ‘courteous’.[24] He said, “I am not insane, Most Excellent Festus. I am speaking the sober truth. And King Agrippa knows about these things. I speak frankly, for I am sure these events are all familiar to him, for they were not done in a corner!”[25] “Paul knew that Agrippa had a fairly extensive knowledge of Jewish beliefs”[26], and would be the right person to counter Festus’ opposition. To counter the non-believing governor’s objection, Paul looked for the help of the non-believing king! We must try to counter the arguments of non-believers with arguments from other non-believers. It is often argued by some skeptics that Christ never existed. To counter this, I fished out a quote from a secular news magazine published in India called “Open”–a magazine that has previously published anti-Christian writings. Here it is:
There is no doubt that Jesus existed. In comparison to other ancient individuals, he is well represented by ancient sources. New Testament texts are naturally the primary sources. We have thousands of ancient fragments where the oldest preserved are written some 30 years after the Gospel (John) was composed. Compare this to Homer and Herodotus, where the few preserved manuscripts were written about 1,000 years after being originally composed. The preserved sources for Caesars’ Gallic Wars are nine or ten and the oldest were written 900 years after its original composition. The number of texts and the nearness between preserved New Testament texts and the time when they were written is without parallel in ancient literature.[27]
Ask Personal Questions and Open the Scriptures With Those From Other Faiths
As we move forward in this gripping narrative of Paul sharing the Gospel with King Agrippa, we see that Paul asks a personal question to King Agrippa next: “King Agrippa, do you believe in the prophets? I know you do – “[28] The Google Generation takes exception (/usually tries to avoid) when personal questions are asked. But Paul went ahead and asked King Agrippa if he believed in the Prophets. If he believed in the Prophets, he would not be having an incestuous relationship with his own sister Bernice[29] for these are the words of the Prophet Moses: “You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister…”[30] If he believed in the Prophets, he would not hesitate to release the unfairly arrested Paul from captivity, for he would have read from the writings of Prophet Amos, “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”[31] What one believes affects the way one behaves. That is the reason Paul asked that pertinent question to King Agrippa, who “had a reputation as a pious Jew, which is why Paul could make this appeal.”[32]
At this juncture, I would like to draw a parallel between King Agrippa and the Google Generation youth. Just as King Agrippa was sexually immoral in the extremely gross sense, the Google Generation youth of today are also sexually immoral in an extremely gross sense. Let me provide a case-point: “At least 112 people were arrested in a massive police operation against online child pornography in 22 European countries, a media report said. The suspects were arrested for allegedly sharing online videos of children being sexually abused and raped, said the Daily Mail.”[33] Peter Roebuck was easily one of most renowned cricket commentators, and a Google Generation icon. “Cape Town police confirmed Peter Roebuck, 55, had taken his life about 9.15pm, plunging six storey’s to his death at the Southern Sun Newlands Hotel following allegations of a police probe into fresh claims of sexual assault.”[34] Instead of pretending that sexual sin is far away from those of the Google Generation, we must tackle the issue head on. When talking about sexual sins we could use the following phrases: “We have sinned against our Creator with our body…” instead of “You have sinned against your Creator with your body…”
Using the writings of the Prophets—the Scripture portion that Paul asked if Agrippa believed in—one can lead a person from another faith to the experience of salvation with an open Bible. It has been my privilege to do just that. One day when I was busy with my work of calling the American customers of the International Bank I once worked for, from Hyderabad, India, with the objective of trying to recover loans from them, way past mid-night. One of my call coaches saw the Bible I had placed on my desk and told me, “Someone gave me a Bible once. I tried to read it. But I could not understand it. Can you help me understand the Bible, please?” I was stunned by this missionary call that came from the mouth of an unbeliever from another faith, a modern young working professional, even as I sat in that corporate office. Of course, I was no stranger to the unmistakable hunger for the things of God among the modern young professionals. A newsmagazine in India announced on its cover with a picture of a praying techie: “Helpline God—When everything around you starts looking dismal and depressing, spirituality and prayers have become the last refuge even for preppy yuppies.”[35] After I had logged out from my computer after work, I walked up to this particular call coach with my Bible. I asked him, “Shall we sit in a quiet corner in our office so that I can take a few minutes to explain the main message of the Bible to you?” He instantly agreed. Within minutes, he was praying the prayer of salvation with me after I explained with a help of a few verses the Gospel message. All of those verses were from the prophetic book of Isaiah. We read Isaiah 54:10 to understand that God loves us abundantly. We read Isaiah 57:20, 21 to understand that sin causes an unrest/vacuum in our hearts. We read Isaiah 59:2 to understand that sin separates us from God. We read Isaiah 66:24 to understand that stubborn sin will ultimately take us to ever-lasting hell. We read Isaiah 53:5 to understand that Jesus died to forgive us and give us true peace. We read Isaiah 53:6 to grasp that we need to take a U-turn and come back to God in faith to receive Jesus’ sacrifice. We read Isaiah 66:15 to comprehend the fact that the resurrected Jesus is coming back to judge the World. The starting point for this startling development was an open Bible I had placed in my workstation!
Press the Accelerator to Lead the Candidate to a Definite Commitment
Paul’s interaction with King Agrippa—the focus of this paper—is truly absorbing. King Agrippa, in response to Paul’s personal question says this: “Do you think that you can make me a Christian so quickly?”[36] King Agrippa’s instinct tells him/ feels in his gut that Paul did not want him to delay his repentance from his possible affair with his own sister Bernice. But instead of sending Bernice out and inviting Paul to lead him in a prayer of commitment for salvation, King Agrippa leaves/left the place along with Bernice.[37] Perhaps he thought that he had lots of time to decide what he would do with Jesus. But he did not. When one suddenly dies, it becomes too late to come to Christ, for the Bible says, “It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.”[38] When the Spirit stops speaking to a heart made stubborn, it becomes too late for that person to come to Christ. Pharaoh is an example of this. God hardened his heart when he was repeatedly stubborn, despite seeing some outstanding miracles time and again.[39] When Jesus returns the second time—He is going to do that suddenly and unexpectedly as a thief in the night would—it would again be far too late to come to Christ in repentance.[40] That is why there is a dire need to push towards a commitment when one shares the Gospel with a person with faith or no faith.
A fourteen-year old Indian girl named Taruni Sachdev, who appeared in a Rasna advertisement (Rasna is a soft drink) on Indian Television saying, “I love you, Rasna!” died in an air-crash in Nepal on May 14, 2012.[41] It may be that Taruni never came to Christ in repentance and faith, and therefore it is quite possible that this Google Generation teen never had the opportunity to say, “I love you, Jesus!” The sudden death of Google Generation youth like her pushes youth workers like me to speed up the announcement of the good news to as many as possible. Interestingly, this is Paul’s final point, as Luke’s narrative of Paul’s encounter with King Agrippa closes—he not only wanted King Agrippa to come to Christ following a genuine repentance, but everyone to do so![42]
CONCLUSION
In this paper, Paul’s encounter with King Agrippa is used to glean lessons that can be used to give out the Gospel effectively to those of the Google Generation. At times, references to other portions of Scripture are made. The lessons so gathered will augur well for those passionate about sharing the Good News with those that belong to the Google Generation!
SOURCES CONSULTED
Deere, Jack. Surprised by the Voice of God: How God Speaks Today Through Prophecies, Dreams and Visions. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1996.
Fernando, Ajith. Sharing the Truth in Love: How to Relate to People of Other Faiths. Grand Rapids, MI: Discovery House Publishers, 2001.
Ramachandra, Vinoth. Faith in Conflict? Christian Integrity in a Multicultural World. Secunderabad: OM Books, 1999.
Wright, Chris. Thinking Clearly About the Uniqueness of Christ. Crowborough, Sussex: Monarch Publications, 1997.
PERIODICALS
Our Daily Bread, 9 July 1984
The Sunday Indian, March 29, 2009.
INTERNET
“112 arrested in European online child porn racket” ,“http://in.news.yahoo.com/112-arrested-
european-online-child-porn-racket-135454313.html, 16 December 2011 (accessed on May 6, 2012).
Dan Fletcher, “How Facebook is redeeming privacy?” Time, May 20, 2010,
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1990798,00.html (accessed March 15. 2012).
Outlook, “Priyanka Gandhi Vadra – Gandhi Family Scion”, Outlook India,
http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?239775 (accessed December 14, 2011).
“Paul’s defense before Agrippa,” ESV Study Bible, http://www.esvbible.org/search/Acts+26/
(accessed on 12 April 2012).
Peter Badel, “Sex Assault Claims Emerge In Peter Roebuck death inquest,” Nov. 14, 2011,
(http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/sex-assault-claims-emerge-in-peter-roebuck-death-inquest/story-e6frexni-1226194021508, accessed on 18 Dec 2012).
IPL 5 : Chandila’s performance will not let Dravid to forget his name again”, jaipur.co, May 14,
2012, www.jaipur.co/ipl-5-chandilas-performance-will-not-let-dravid-to-forget-his-name-again/ (accessed May 15, 2012).
“Bernice”, Jewish Encylopedia, http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/3050-berenice
(accessed on 5 May 2012).
Madhavankutty Pillai, “Christ on the Cross…maybe not…” (an interview with Gunnar
Samuelsson), 20 November 2010 (http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/living/christ-on-the-cross-maybe-not, accessed 23 January 2012).
Mandira Nair and S. Neeraj Krishna, “Bright minds and Dark Angels.”, The Week, October 31,
2011, http://week.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/MMOnline.dll/portal/ep/theWeekContent.do?contentId=10350823& programId=1073755753&BV_ID=@@@, (accessed on December 12, 2011)
Somak Adhikari, “Selfless Aspect of Sachin Tendulkar Comes To The Fore”,
http://sports.ndtv.com/ cricket/features/item/190537-selfless-aspect-of-sachin-tendulkar-comes-to-the-fore (accessed on May 26, 2012).
“Rise of the Pod People”, The Washington Times, March 23, 2006,
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2006/mar/23/20060323-091545-7734r/print/ (accessed on April 14, 2012).
Rasna Girl Taruni Sachdev Among Dead in Nepal Air Crash.”
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/world/asia/rasna-girl-taruni-sachdev-among-dead-nepal-air-crash-610 (accessed on May 16, 2012).
[1] Outlook, “Priyanka Gandhi Vadra – Gandhi Family Scion”, Outlook India, http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?239775 (accessed December 14, 2011).
[2]Ajith Fernando, Sharing The Truth In Love: How To Relate To People of Other Faiths (Grand Rapids, MI: Discovery House Publishers, 2001), 27.
[3]Acts 26:2, All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New Living Translation, 1996.
[4]Acts 17:19.
[5]Acts 17:22.
[6] Dan Fletcher, “How Facebook is redeeming privacy?” Time, May 20, 2010, http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1990798,00.html (accessed March 15. 2012).
[7] Mandira Nair and S. Neeraj Krishna, “Bright minds and Dark Angels.”, The Week, October 31, 2011, http://week.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/MMOnline.dll/portal/ep/theWeekContent.do?contentId=10350823& programId=1073755753&BV_ID=@@@, (accessed on December 12, 2011)
[8]Acts 26:19, English Standard Version.
[9]Our Daily Bread, July 9, 1984.
[10] “IPL 5 : Chandila’s performance will not let Dravid to forget his name again”, jaipur.co, May 14, 2012, http://www.jaipur.co/ipl-5-chandilas-performance-will-not-let-dravid-to-forget-his-name-again/ (accessed May 15, 2012).
[11]Acts 26:20, NLT.
[12]Acts 17:30-31, NLT.
[13]Acts 19:26, NLT.
[14]“Rise of the Pod People”, The Washington Times, March 23, 2006, http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2006/mar/23/20060323-091545-7734r/print/ (accessed on April 14, 2012).
[15]Jack Deere, Surprised by the Voice of God: How God Speaks Today Through Prophecies, Dreams and Visions (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1996), 251.
[16]Acts 26:22,23, NLT.
[17] “Paul’s defense before Agrippa,” ESV Study Bible, http://www.esvbible.org/search/Acts+26/ (accessed on 12 April 2012).
[18]Vinoth Ramachandra, Faith In Conflict? Christian Integrity In A Multicultural World (Secunderabad: OM Books, 1999), 130.
[19]“Psychic’ octopus predicts Spain to win World Cup,” BBC News Europe, July 9, 2010, ://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10566287 (accessed on January 11, 2012).
[20]Ibid.
[21]Acts 17:28.
[22]Somak Adhikari, “Selfless Aspect of Sachin Tendulkar Comes To The Fore”, http://sports.ndtv.com/ cricket/features/item/190537-selfless-aspect-of-sachin-tendulkar-comes-to-the-fore (accessed on May 26, 2012).
[23]Acts 26:24 NLT.
[24]Chris Wright, Thinking Clearly About The Uniqueness of Christ (Crowborough, Sussex: Monarch Publications, 1997), 136.
[25]Acts 26:25-26 NLT.
[26]“Paul’s defense before Agrippa,” http://www.esvbible.org/search/Acts+26/ (accessed on 30 April 2012).
[27]Madhavankutty Pillai, “Christ on the Cross…maybe not…” (an interview with Gunnar Samuelsson), 20 November 2010 (http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/living/christ-on-the-cross-maybe-not, accessed 23 January 2012).
[28]Acts 26:27 NLT.
[29]“Bernice”, Jewish Encylopedia, http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/3050-berenice (accessed on 5 May 2012).
[30]Lev. 18:9, ESV.
[31]Amos 5:24, ESV.
[32]http://www.esvbible.org/search/Acts+26/ (accessed on 13 March 2012).
[33] “112 arrested in European online child porn racket” ,“http://in.news.yahoo.com/112-arrested-european-online-child-porn-racket-135454313.html, 16 December 2011 (accessed on May 6, 2012).
[34]Peter Badel, “Sex Assault Claims Emerge In Peter Roebuck death inquest,” Nov. 14, 2011, (http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/sex-assault-claims-emerge-in-peter-roebuck-death-inquest/story-e6frexni-1226194021508, accessed on 18 Dec 2012).
[35]The Sunday Indian, March 29, 2009.
[36]Acts 26:28, NLT.
[37]Acts 26:30.
[38]Heb 9:27, ESV.
[39]Ex 7:13,14,22; 8:15,19,32; 9:7,12.
[40]I Thess. 5:2.
[41]“Rasna Girl Taruni Sachdev Among Dead in Nepal Air Crash.” http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/world/asia/rasna-girl-taruni-sachdev-among-dead-nepal-air-crash-610 (accessed on May 16, 2012).
[42]See Acts 26:29.
(Duke Jeyaraj wrote this academic article as a student of Doctor of Ministry in Southern Asia Bible College [CGLD]. This assignment was submitted to Rev. Dr. Ivan Satyavrata, the course instructor. Duke, gratuated with a Doctor of Ministry in 2014. Duke is the founder of Grabbing the Google Gen from Gehenna Mission, the G4 Mission. Find out more at http://www.dukev.org. This is a reader supported Indian ministry.)
