From trishuls to Bibles

December 1993 proved to be a turning point in the life of Mahipal Singh, a Shiv Sena activist who was instrumental in distributing trishuls (tridents) among the youth in the industrial city of Faridabad in Haryana.

His wife, who after a major surgery was unable to walk, showed no sign of improvement. Not giving any false hopes, even doctors had declared that she was likely to remain disabled for lifetime.

However, unwilling to accept this harsh reality, Mahipal left no stone unturned. He exploited all possible options he could think of. He tried tantriks-solutions, as he himself had been a disciple of a popular tantrik and had stayed in a crematory for six months to attain occult power. But nothing was of any avail.

In the meantime, a Sikh asked him to pray to Jesus Christ for healing. This only made him furious and he threatened him with dire consequences as he thought he was trying to convert him. However on coming home, when he shared this “strange?advice with his wife, to his surprise, his dear wife asked him to at least try it out. Now, he couldn’t react the way he reacted with the Sikh. Rather, moved by his love for her, he actually began praying to Jesus.

After he had been praying regularly for three weeks asking Jesus to heal his wife, he found his prayer working. One day, he saw his wife walking, with the support of a wall in his house. He immediately took her to a nearby hospital for a check-up. The doctors there confirmed that she was indeed beginning to heal. Excited about this unbelievable improvement, he prayed for eighteen sick people right there in the hospital. His joy had no limits when he saw a hernia patient healed due to his prayer including other patients who were healed.

This experience led him to become to seeker of Jesus. He went to a Christian fellowship, where he got a copy of the Bible. Reading the Scriptures created in him a healthy fear of God; he started fearing sin in his life. He knew he could not hide anything from the all-knowing God. And the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross gave him the assurance that his sins were forgiven. He also experienced the strength to say no to sin.

However, along with the peace and forgiveness, also came opposition. His parents were disappointed over the fact that he had become a follower of Christ. He was asked to leave the house and to go away with his family. Mahipal, with his wife and three small children found a shelter in a small room built in an isolated field which belonged to an old lady who was suffering from a deadly skin disease. They lived in the room for ten long months.

In gratitude, he gave to this old woman the only thing he had: his prayers. He asked God to heal her the way he had healed his wife. And God did answer his prayer. She was healed of her skin infection.

Opposition came not only from his parents, but also from other people. Mahipal had to go to jail twelve times. His crime? Preaching the message of love, peace and forgiveness of God through Jesus Christ.

However, overcoming all hardships, he has persevered. As a result, his parents also put their faith in Christ, and the same house from which he was expelled is today used as a house of worship.

Isaiah 41:10 gives him strength to press on in his mission in life, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand?

END.