WHAT CONSTABLE OMBLE HEROICALLY DID ON 26/11; WHAT JESUS DID FOR YOU AND ME, SIX HOURS ONE FRIDAY

-Duke Jeyaraj

The Ram Gopal Verma movie The Attacks of 26/11 chillingly showed how Assistant Sub-Inspector of Police, Tukaram Gopal Omble, a family man and a father of four daughters, armed with just a baton took on the dreaded terrorist Ajmal Kasab in a Mumbai road on 26.11.2008. Kasab acted as if hewas dead when the police fired into the hi-jacked silver color Skoda car he and his accomplice were riding on towards a checkpost. Kasab’s accomplice died in the firing. When Omble daringly took the lead to open the Skoda car door, Kasab suddenly started to move menacingly. Omble acted quickly to catch hold of the barrel of Kasab’s AK47 rifle with both hands. Kasab, in retaliation, opened fire. A spray of bullets entered Omble’s stomach and intestines. Omble tightly held onto the barrel of Kasab’s AK 47 and would not simply let go of it till he breathed his last. This brave act forcefully prevented Kasab’s AK47 – a machine that he had mercilessly used to kill innocent people in the Mumbai CST Railway Station and the Cama Hospital just minutes before this event – from firing at anyone else. Omble died but he gave the police forces enough time to reach the terrorist and catch him alive. Kasab, part of a team of 10 terrorists who entered Mumbai that day, was the only terrorist to be captured alive (Story reconstructed using various news websites). Omble sacrificed his life for many Mumbaikars who did not even know him that day.

Omble’s sacrificial act somewhat typifies what Jesus did for us in an imperfect way. He died a cruel death for each one of us when we were still sinners and far away from him enjoying the temporary pleasures of sin, the Bible teaches (Heb. 11:25; Rom. 5:8, The Bible). The punishment that brings us peace was upon him when he hung on the Cross, the Bible declares (Isa 53:5, The Bible). Our backs should have been whipped as a punishment for the sins of our body – be that over-eating or masturbation coupled with porn-watching or any other unprintable sin. But Jesus took that punishment upon his own back. Strong-armed Arnold Schwarzenegger-like Roman Soldiers whipped Jesus’ back 39 times with leather belts that had broken bone and nail pieces embedded on them. As a result his back was lacerated and looked like a plowed field in accordance to a Bible prophecy – just one of over 110 major prophecies that Jesus fulfilled during his earthly life (Micah 3:12, The Bible). He loves us so very madly that he himself took upon his body, the punishment for our sins meant for our body (I Peter 2:24, The Bible). Because Jesus is 100% God who in turn is beyond the dimension of time he could die for all humans of all times. Because He is 100% human (even while he was 100% God) he could become the substitute for every human being. As the Bible puts it, “Jesus loved us and gave himself for us” (Gal. 2:20, The Bible). No one could have loved us the way Jesus did! No one loves us the way Jesus does. And what is more - Jesus came back to life, a feat that points to the fact that he is God and he is above everyone in the long line of self-proclaimed gods, so records the Bible (Rom. 1:4, The Bible).

THE “STAR” WHO WON’T DISAPPOINT EVER UNLIKE INDIA'S BATTING STARS!

Duke Jeyaraj put key moments of the India-Australia World Cup SemiFinal in Sydney on 26th March 2015 in poetry with an interesting thought at the end

Virat Kohli is undoubtedly World Cricket’s Biggest Batting Star,

His multiple, mind-boggling, batting feats keeps raising the bar,

Batting first, the Aussies had in this knock-out game posted a total above par,

Kohli took guard when India’s target of 329, despite the brisk 70+ opening partnership, was still very far,

A menacingly-paced, match-winning 150 would Kohli score in that India-Australia World Cup semifinal war?

After such a stupendous knock would he blow kisses to Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma, his girl yaar?

Those were the sky-rocketing expectations Indian fans had about their Batting Caesar.

Like my daughter, who unable to resist temptation, would often reach for the Nutella jar,

He fished outside the off-stump for balls from which he should have stayed afar,

His batting tempo appeared far slower than what he drove during the TV ad break: the car,

Pretty soon, the Aussie keeper easily caught an edge from his pull-attempting bat without a scar!

With Rohit and Raina following him soon in a whimper, India’s World Cup Celebration cake did char!

Rahane was out when his snick, notwithstanding the deafening crowd noise, caught Steven Smith’s alert ear,

Maxwell’s direct hit caught short of the crease, India’s lone late warrior that night, Dhoni, the czar,

“In Sydney, the Indian batting became a chutney!” – this, the creative critics did roar,

It’s true all human heroes will at some point disappoint us: they are all hit by the sin tar,

A vacuum in the heart results and that can't be filled-in by that cute chudithar or the latest cellular,

But know that God-in-flesh, Christ, died on the Cross for everyone - the beggar to the zamindar,

And we need to come in repentance and faith to the Christ, whom the Bible calls, “the Bright Morning Star!”

DHONI’S DREAM LEG-SIDE CATCH; THE FLIGHT BACK HOME THAT BANGLADESH HAD TO CATCH; AND AN IMPORTANT GOODNEWS TO CATCH…

Duke Jeyaraj puts in poetry the India-Bangladesh World Cup 2015 Quarter Final in Melbourne on 19 March with an important message at the end.

Will Bangladesh Tigers stop the Indians in the World Cup quarters?

Well that was the burning question for the starters!

Rohit Sharma’s elegant first-ball four beat the boundary riders,

But Virat’s early dismissal did give India the early jitters,

Roebel’s ugly send-off only fell on Kohli’s deliberately deaf ears!

Raina showed the MCG crowd why he is one of the game’s biggest hitters,

Rohit not given out when he was on 90 was one of the Umpire’s blunders,

His caressed big shots after reaching his 100 took their attack to the cleaners,

Jadeja’s late flourish ensured that India crossed 300 and sent Victory feelers!

Tamin’s early aggression implied that Bangladesh wanted to reach their target in 40 overs,

But he edged one to Dhoni and the Indian bowlers were back to their business of being run-chokers,

Jadeja’s brilliant fielding and throw-in made the batsmen in the middle look like jokers,

Memmudullah ‘s skier was taken by Dhawan as if to show that he had no butter fingers,

The way Bangladesh’s best player Shakib batted, it looked like he was in a hurry to become one of the Melbourne-Dhaka flight passengers,

Umesh’s right-on-the-money’s spell left the Bangladesh innings in tatters,

Over the hapless Bangladeshis went mercilessly over, the Dhoni’s bulldozers!

The win marked Captain Dhoni’s 100 ODI win – said the statistics-informed cheer leaders!

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This image from this game remained with me: Dhoni diving to take an seemingly impossible leg-side catch,

This image also reminded me of Jesus, God-in-flesh who dived into Mary’s womb to snatch,

Human beings on the road to eternal hell, and a possibility for their soul’s salvation through his death on the Cross, hatch!

When you repent and put your faith in this Jesus, you join the heaven-headed batch!