M/E International - CDP Scripts

Vasant:	Come in, Sunder. Welcome... When did you return from your native place?... How are Kasturi and the children?
Sunder:	Good morning, Annan (Elder Brother).... Good morning Akka (Elder Sister).
Mano:	Good Morning, Thampi (Younger Brother).... How are you?
S:	O...K.... We are O.K.... No.... problem.
M:	You look a bit worried.... Are there problems at home?
S:	There are no problems as such.... As days fly past, I feel dejected. I know when I talk with you I get peace. That's why I came to see you.
V:	Thampi.... There are highs and lows in life. Life is a mixture of joys and sorrows. One should not get dejected.
S:	Why not? You speak so much about God. Why should He give problems to man?.... It seems as though He is a villain who sends problems to man so that man gets entangled in a web of misery;... and then He sits and watches the fun.
M:	Oh.... no....no... God is a villain?... No.. no.. Never ever say so. God is good... He is loving. He loves you, me and all the people of this world. It's us and....
S:	So.... Do you imply that I do not know God? O.K...Let it be so. Then let me ask you a question.......Why is man good and bad at the same time? Why are both good and bad natures intermingled in Him?
V:	Oh, I see.... Now I understand your problem. If you want me to answer this question, you should sit patiently and listen to the way God created this world and man.
S:	Certainly, yes... Please tell me.
V:	The Bible, the Holy Book of Christians, says that before God created the heavens and the earth, the entire face of the earth was covered with waters and darkness.
S:	I.... I.. can't even imagine that....
V:	I know.... What we see before us -- as the world -- was created by God in just six days.
S:	In six days?.... This vast expanse of the world? -- in six days?.... Oh, my God!
V:	Yes, Sunder, yes. Now listen carefully. On the first day God said, "Let there be light," and light appeared.
S:	Just on a command?... Wonderful!
V:	Yes. On the second day, God said, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters."... And... it... was.. so."And God called the firmament 'heaven'."
Sunder:	Marvelous... and then....?
Vasant:	On the third day, God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place and let the dry land appear."... And.. it was so... He called the dry land, "Earth," and the water, the Seas." He also said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed and fruit trees bearing fruit after their kind, withseeds in them.".... And... it... was so.
S:	Oh... my! All these kinds of flora and fauna!... That too, instantly at His word?....
V:	Yes, Sunder, Yes... Instantly! Then on the fourth day, on His command, two lights were made. They are the sun and the moon, by which to identify day and night. And the multitude of stars also appeared at His command.
S:	How many stars!... I could never think of counting them.
Mano:	Very true. And on the fifth day, God said, "Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens."
S:	Ah... Ah... That clears a big confusion in my mind.
M:	What confusion, Sunder?
S:	Whether the chicken came first or the egg came first. It seems your Bible has answers for everything under the sun.
V:	Very true... The Bible has the correct answers for man's questions and also the right remedies for his ills.
S:	That's good.... Please tell me more.
M:	On the sixth day, God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind. And it was so."
S:	It is so good to hear how God created this world and all that are in it. Your God is certainly a God of Power and Might.
V:	Very true.... Now, Sunder... I want you to listen to a song written by one poet who trusted this God of creation.
	(An Indian rural song is played here on the subject of creation.)
S:	A very melodious song.... really. I will teach this song to my wife and children.
M:	That's a very good decision, Sunder.... Now listen....On the seventh day, God created man.
S:	What?... You have been saying all along that God commanded, and everything in this whole world was made. But now, all of a sudden, you say that God created man?
Vasant:	Sunder....You are a very shrewd man... really. You listen so very carefully. I appreciate that. To create man, God took the dust of the ground and he formed man out of it and He breathed His breath of life into his nostrils. He made man in His own image and according to His likeness and man became a living being.
Mano:	And God made man, as man and woman, and gave them full dominion of all that He has created. God planted a beautiful garden and named it "Eden" and place the couple in that garden.
Sunder:	You have taught me that God created this world by His Word. The song I heard also gives meaning to what I learned from you.... But.... there are many who say there is no God. I have heard that a man called Darwin proved that this world and everything in it evolved on its own.
M:	Darwin said so. But he could not prove his theory.... I would like you to hear another song, sung by our children at school. It was written by a celebrated poet. (This is a song that emphasizes the need of a Creator to create the world, giving details of the rising of the sun and moon; about the one who causes the thunder and lightning, etc.)
S:	I understand. There should, definitely, be someone who caused all these things we see around us. And that must be God; and none else.
V:	I am glad that you comprehend well. Do you recall that earlier I told you that this God who made all things on the Earth created man in His own image?
S:	Please wait a while.... "Image" means "just like Him.... Am I right?
M:	Yes.. Generally, yes... But it's more than that. God created man with all His high qualities: purity, love, justice, truth, righteousness, and the like.... And God walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.
S:	Oh, how nice! I rejoice to hear such a pleasant and beautiful relationship. But, please tell me how man lost this status.
M:	Now listen carefully. There was one person who did not like the happiness and fellowship God shared with man - - God's arch enemy .............Satan.
S:	How can that be?... How could God have an enemy? ... Impossible.
V:	That's another big story. Let me state it briefly. Before creating man and this world, God had created angels. One of them rebelled against God. God pushed him and his followers out of heaven.
S:	Oh... I guess I see something.... That is... Satan hated the joy that man enjoyed with God, which Satan had lost earlier.
M:	You're intelligent, Sunder. Satan came to Eve when she was alone. He spoke to her in such a way as to create doubts in her mind about God.
Sunder:	.... And the woman believed him?
Mano:	She believed him and was deceived. God had earlier told Adam and Eve that the could eat all the fruits of the garden except the one from the tree that stood in the middle of the garden. He even warned them that if they ate of it, they would die. Satan convinced Eve that they would not die. Eve ate the fruit and gave it to Adam also. Thus, man disobeyed his Maker, and sin entered the world.
S:	Oh! What a pity. Wouldn't they be ashamed to look at the face of God after this disobedience?
M:	They could not look into His face. They were ashamed.... They were pained.... The glory of God left them. They were afraid to meet God. They hid themselves.
V:	Thus, through disobedience to the commandment of God, the first man lost his privilege of strolling with God. He lost his fellowship with God. Adam and Eve were ousted from the presence of God and out of the garden of God. They received curses from God. They were destined for hard labor.
S:	Yes!... Now I begin to understand why man is good at times and is evil at other times. It is the sin of disobedience that makes him bad. Somewhere I have hear that the wages of sin is death. Maybe that is the reason man has a lot of problems in this life.
Vasant:	You said it, Sunder. But.... by "death" you must understand that it is not just the death of the body, but more importantly, of the soul.
S:	Yes... I understand.
M:	This man, who lost God's company, started longing for Him.... But again, Satan, through his lies convinced man to make gods for himself in the forms of God's created beings..., such as animals, the sun and the moon and the like, and persuaded man to worship them.
V:	Yes..., He did. Now listen! God wants man to feel sorry for his deeds which deprived him of the bliss he enjoyed. He wants man to repent and turn to Him. Everything in God's creation glorifies God day-in and day-out. They continue to reveal God's wisdom and knowledge and power. Have you noticed it?
S:	Of course, yes! Sometimes I am struck with wonder and amazement. The beautiful brooks and the waterfalls; the flowers of various hues and fragrance; the seas and the mountains... Oh, they are indescribable.
V:	Sunder! You sound poetic. I must make you hear a beautiful lyric put to music which explains what you have said.
S:	Most certainly... Yes.
	(Another song on the beauty of God, creation, and His power and majesty.)
M:	Just as you have seen God's power and glory in all that He has created, there were a few who felt God's omnipotence in the world. And God chose them to reveal Him to the human race.
Sunder:	What did you say? God chose men?.... That shows that God loved the human race.
Mano:	Great love...! Adam's generations filled the earth. Along with their numbers, their sins also multiplied. They brought great sorrow to the Creator God. Among mankind, at one time there was just one family of eight members who did not defile themselves with the sins of the world. That was the family of Noah. They worshipped and served God with a single-minded devotion. God chose that family and decided to multiply the human race through that family alone. God asked Noah to build an ark and collect two of all the birds of the air and beasts of the field in pairs and preserve them inside the ark. Then God caused it to rain for 40 days and nights, which created a flood that covered the Earth and destroyed the rest of the human race.
S:	Incredible... It seems God is an angry God who hates sin.
M:	Very true. Later, Noah's generations multiplied. Satan again misled most of them to create gods for themselves without knowing and following the true God. But there was one by the name of Abraham who put complete trust in God; and God chose Him and gave him a large chunk of land, called "Canaan."
S:	... and his generations?....
V:	Blessed generations! Isaac was Abraham's son, Jacob was Isaac's son and Joseph was one of Jacob's sons. Thus, generations after Abraham loved and served God. Jacob had twelve sons, who were called the Israelites, because God changed Jacob's name to "Israel."
S:	That means -- the land of Canaan is the present state of Israel?
M:	You are right on the dot. Good! Now, listen. These Israelites sought to find short-cuts to please God and obtain His blessings. As a result, they landed in the country of Egypt and remained as slaves for 400 long years.
S:	Aha.... much more years than India's slavery under the British?
V:	We may say so... In order to redeem the people, God raised Moses as their leader. With a powerful arm, God used Moses to deliver them from Egypt. And God led them to inherit the land which he promised to Abraham. On their way from their bondage to freedom, they had to traverse for forty years. During the journey, God gave them ten commandments which would guide in their daily living. These commandments are the foundation of all rules and regulations of the free world for government, society and family.
M:	The first of these commandments is that man should not make any images or idols and worship them as a god. The essence of the rest is that man should love God with all his heart and means available and love his eighbor as himself.
S:	I agree completely.... When there is a God who is an embodiment of love, I do not see the need to make idols and images.
V:	After the days of Moses, Joshua succeeded him and led the Israelites. After Joshua, many judges showed the way for good spiritual and community life in their own land. Thereafter, kings ruled over them. The most important of the kings was David, who consolidated the kingdom. Unfortunately, the Israelites sinned again after David, which resulted in the kingdom being split in two; and the wars they waged ended them in the hands of foreign powers.
S:	I'm sure God's love would have followed them.
M:	You said it right. God sent His prophets from time to time and warned them of destruction whenever they sinned, and construction whenever they obeyed God.
S:	I can see how much effort God has put in to draw them closer to Him.
M:	Yes. One of the major prophets was Isaiah. He described the types of gods Israel should not follow. He explained in detail the qualities of the true God and His characteristics. Let me play a song for you which describes what he taught.
	(A very popular song sung in worship services that describes God's qualities and characteristics.)
S:	It's a meaningful song. I too want to worship such a God.
V:	Yes, Sunder... Another prophet called Micah taught his people to worship such a God, but also to do justice to every one and to show kindness to one another.
M:	Further, God wants to draw all those who trespass from the right path by His cords of love. God instructed His people through the prophets and repeatedly said that He is their God; ... none else. He is the one who made them. He exhorted them to turn to Him and promised that He will blot out their transgressions like a thick cloud and their sins would be forgiven. His very words were: "Return to Me, for I have redeemed you."
S:	I have a doubt.... This God, who called His people with consistency can easily strike down Satan and command that His people turn to Him once and for all. Why didn't He do that?
Vasant:	Yes, He can. But His inestimable love prevents Him from doing so.
Sunder:	How come?
V:	Haven't I told you earlier that when God created man, He made him like Himself with power of knowledge to identify good from evil? .... God wanted many to think and choose to do what is good. He has provided him with such wisdom, duty, and responsibility.
S:	Aha... That means... God has given man the right to choose between God and Satan and decide whom he will worship. Is that so?
M:	Correct! .... Sunder, you have understood it well. Let me continue our point of God seeking after man. When God found that man was not listening to the prophets, He made one final and decisive effort. He Himself wished to go to man in the form of a man.
S:	Incredible! I can't believe it.
V:	But it is true. God came to this world as a human being, born in this world through the womb of a woman, lived and worked with His parents and other members of the family; and finally, He talked to men as God would speak to them. He lived an exemplary life and showed the path of eternal life. Though at the end He was killed, He cameout of the grave, alive ...... And, He is Jesus Christ!!!
S:	I was always under the impression that Jesus Christ is one of the avatars (incarnations). Annan! I want to know more about this Jesus Christ.
V:	Very well, Sunder. I am glad that you are eager to know about Him. Shall we meet again next week?
S:	Most certainly, yes.
M:	Let me play this song for you.
	(A song of praise and thanksgiving)
	This ends Cassette 1 Go to Cassette 2

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