Paradox in Punjab

TL;DR: Stop. Pray for Punjab Pastors. Read about what is happening.

Punjab lies in the heart of the breadbasket of India. Fertile soil and well-developed irrigation systems make this area a top producer of wheat and rice. The seeds sown become food for millions of people throughout India.

Your support enables The Tide ministry, through its partnerships and boots on the ground in India, to sow the seeds of the gospel of Jesus Christ to feed souls that are hungry for spiritual food. They are hungry for hope and truth. 

Sowing seeds of hope and leading others to a deeper relationship with God is exactly what two pastors were doing in 2023 when they became victims of India’s “Freedom of Religion” laws. They were wrongly accused and then arrested on sacrilege charges after a torn Sikh prayer book was found outside of their village. The ordeal was so violent toward the pastors that one had to be hospitalized for weeks before he could walk again or be transported to jail. Once in jail, the pastors reconnected and were able to encourage one another. The unjust law that entangled these pastors has recently been revised to increase penalties. What once had no minimum sentence and a three-year maximum has now been amended to a 7-year minimum and a 20-year maximum. Now, anyone deemed to have been disrespectful to non-Christian religions runs the risk of extreme prison sentences and crippling fines.

In this context, a great paradox exists. The pastors are physically captive yet spiritually free. It is not jails that hold them captive. It is a legal system, legislature, and anti-Christian sentiment that restrain them. These pastors are now restricted in their livelihoods, residences, and speech in ways that make it very difficult for them and their families to survive. But they are free in Christ. Their hearts are no longer shackled to sin and death. They are no longer under condemnation, awaiting an eternal sentence in Hell, separated from God. Their “cases” have been adjudicated on the cross, where Jesus’ righteousness and sacrifice were sufficient to make reparations for their sins, your sins, and the sins of all who would seek forgiveness and grace through Him.

It is easy to feel strong emotions towards those who accuse the pastors, those who beat them, and those who passed the legislation that opened the door for mistreatment. Anger and outrage at the persecutors is natural. However, we suggest a spiritual response. 

Through a spiritual lens, we see that those hostile to Jesus are captives despite being physically free. They may feel free to make their choices and do whatever they wish. This is not the biblical perspective. Their souls are captive, in bondage to sin that controls their dark hearts (Romans 6:16, Galatians 4:3) and their actions. For that, we pity them without denying the reality of their actions. 

The Tide ministry sees this as a reminder of the critical role we play, thanks to your support, in being used by God to bring people out of darkness and into the light of Jesus. We remain committed. We will keep broadcasting the gospel as long as God gives us the opportunity. We will keep believing that Christ will be magnified even as campaigns to silence the gospel across Asia intensify. We will continue to be grateful to you who kneel with us in prayer and provide the financial support that is essential in reaching hearts on shores worldwide. 

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As you are praying, pray for the many nations where there is open hostility towards Jesus and His followers.