Magyar Egyház, 1985 (64. évfolyam, 1-5. szám)

1985-07-01 / 4. szám

MAGYAR EGYHÁZ

9. oldal

Or recall the people in Egypt, when the ten plagues came upon the land and rich and poor alike suffered and finally the first born children in each family died! What great fear must have penetrated the hearts at that time.

Later on when David was anointed to be king by the prophet Samuel, how the attempts on his life must have gripped his heart with fear, when his own son, Absolon rebelled against him, and David lived with the fear of death every moment.

Also, when the Israelites were conquered and carried away into the capacity of Babylon, young and old lived in constant fear not knowing when the horrible days and years will end? Fear and more fear everywhere.

Time fails me to give you more instances, where fear is mentioned in the Bible in the lives and actions of men and women, throughout the ages.

Let us go from biblical times into our own modern age and see, that fear is a current problem even today in our 20th century. A man came to the United States of America with no resources, no money but with ingenuity and willingness to work hard; he had some brilliant ideas and one of them worked out so well, that he became wealthy. Suddenly fear gripped his heart and his successful business venture almost failed.

Have you never felt, that you cannot accomplish something, you would like to do? Have you never been tempted by the devil wispering into your ears, that you shall never achieve your goal?

Watching the Olympic Games on TV many times I saw one or another athlete drop out of the race. WHY?

. .. Because fear overtook them and they simply could not go on. You probably have seen people, who started to do something and never completed it.

Do you not fear, a dreaded desease or unexpected accident, that may suddenly bring to halt all your dreams and plans for the future? Or do you not fear, the time, when you shall die? Oh, how many are concerned with the final destruction of the world and all mankind.

Yes, fear is in the heart of millions today, not because everyone shall perish, but because of the dreadful consequences that the surviving men and women may remain wretched species of the human race.

Others may have the fear of final judgement, when everyone must appear before the throne of our Heavenly Father. Indeed, fear from the terrible judgement should be in every heart constantly, knowing, that we shall all receive our judgement.

But God wants to free us from the fear of the problems of the world, from the fear of death and eternal judgement. We read in the Bible: “For God has not given us the spirit of fear!” No one can enjoy this life if he is in constant fear. God wants to fill your entire being with peace and calm, so that you will have no more fears.

This is the fear of His holy name: the fear of God, which the Bible speaks about! When you have this in your heart, you can rely on God, knowing, that everything will fall into its proper perspective.

Teach your little children early, that we are all in the hands of God, and they will have no fear in their heart. Learn to appreciate every day as a blessing, fear and honor God, give Him all the glory and no other fear harms you. Intimidations cannot harm you, if you are God’s chosen one. Faith replaces fear. The Psalmist says: “The LORD IS MY LIGHT AND MY SALVATION, WHOM SHALL I FEAR? No one indeed!”

Men who trust God and have this fear of our Heavenly Father in their heart can accomplish great things. Children of God need this faith. You may have to face trials as out Lord did, when He looked ahead to Golgotha, but remember our Lord never hesitated to face the hour of suffering and death. He prayed: “NOT MY WILL, 0 LORD, BUT HINE BE DONE!”

I cannot give you this faith. No one else can give it to you: but God alone! Jesus said: if you ask anything in my name, my Father will give it to you. Ask for this faith, which is stronger, than fear, and you will be able to say with the Psa mist: “The Lord is my light and my salvation, wnum rb"r I fear?!”

FROM SACRED TO PROFANE

When Congress voted in 1975 to grant most-favorednation trading status to Rumania in recognition of improvements in that nation’s emigration policy, some conservative members supported the move because they had been impressed by an unusual concession from the Communist regime. Rumania had agreed to import and distribute 20,000 Bibles supplied by churchmen in the West to members of its Hungarian Reformed Church. However, outraged clergymen and conservatives displayed proof in the Rayburn House Office Building last week that the Bibles had not been put to their intended use. Close inspection of a roll of toilet paper manufactured in a Rumanian factory and smuggled out of the country revealed the Hungarian words for God, Jeremiah and other biblical names. Instead of distributing the holy books, said Calvinist Minister Alexander Havadtoy, Rumania’s Communist rulers recycled them into pulp“ to show their contempt.”

Several human rights organizations and church groups said this was only the latest instance of the regime’s repression. With Congress due to consider renewal of MFN trading relationships this summer, conservatives want to strip Rumania of its special status.

The Immigration and Refugee Program of Church World Service has been instrumental in the immigration and resettlement of thousands of Hungarians seeking a new home in the United States of America for over 30 years.

Refugees have been coming from all over the world and CWS has been helping them regardless of religion and nationality.

The last report available, for 1984, shows a total of 6,321 refugees resettled. The largest number of them came from Asia (Kampuchea,'Laos, Vietnam): 3,370, some (316) from Africa, most of them from Ethiopia; others from the Near East (746 — Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq).

Refugees of European background were 1,694; among them 75 from Hungary, 42 from Czechoslovakia, 10 from the Soviet Union, 4 from Yugoslavia, 21 each from Bulgaria and Albania. 1,399 were listed as from “Romania.”

A significant number — if not the majority — of those listed from “Romania” and Czechoslovakia” are of Hungarian origin but it is impossible to find uot how many unless every single dossié were carefully read. From various church reprots we know, however, that a good number of Hungarians came to the U.S.A. in 1984. (The remaining 195 of the total number of 6,321 were family reunion cases.) A.H.