My friends I have seen some great things over the years. I knew Gods hand was in this work he sent me to do overseas here in India. We are in Hyrakud, Orissa a small town surrounded by a huge man made lake and mountains. The roads are very narrow and treacherous at times. Everybody that is on the street jockeying for position includes cows, pedestrians, motorcycles, buses, cars, bikes, vans and your every day mutt. In fact when I was in New Delhi on Friday I seen packs of dogs just roaming the street bothering anyone who was on the streets at the time. Crazy!
Tonight was a wonderful welcome from my host and their ministry. We left Houston on Thursday afternoon around 4pm. Since then we have taken 2 planes for 15 hours, a train for 26 hours and a van for an hour. Including wait time it was about 50hours of travel in two days. We arrived at the Church campus around 4:30pm. We were very tired and hungry. Really we were exhausted! But once we pulled up there were 150 people waiting at the main gate. They started singing for me as I walked up from the car. They played drums, cymbals, tambourines and bells as I walked up. Put a lay on my neck then several people just started hugging me like crazy. Amazing how you’re humbled by such a loving gesture. The mother of my friend who brought me out here stood in the middle of the courtyard with her hands in the air yelling “Thank you Jesus!” The pastor/bishop of the several hundred pastors represented was so happy that I came to visit and minister. In fact they have been praying for 6 years that God would send them a preacher with a heart for their pastors they disciple.
I was so tired going up there to preach this evening. My feet were heavy and I couldn’t lift my hands very high. But to see their love and excitement moved me to pray “Lord give me the strength and oh yeah let me do a great job.” It’s hard to preach a sermon after 50 hours of travel with an hour’s notice. I basically prayed for a few minutes as I unpacked then took shower got ready and went downstairs to preach. I actually put my sermon together in 5 minutes.
A strong spirit of heaviness was upon the service. People just looked tired! A huge Hindu festival called “The Festival of Colors” is kicking off throughout the Country this weekend. In fact one of the factious parties is celebrating directly across from us in an open field with a huge bonfire. We had several spiritual resistances to overcome before getting here to minister. Our luggage carrying the sound system we donated was raising a red flag on getting on the plane. We had to reorganize the packing of all our bags at the check in counter before we left. Then my friend our crusade organizer who is from India was almost deported when he checked in at customs cause of his travel visa. But on both occasions God gave us favor. This a special time for me and my friends to see us work together to reach and empower these pastors and believers here in Sambulpur, India.
Its 10:15 at night I am sitting down to my first meal in 2 days. Up till now I had been eating two or three samosa treats a day. Samosa treats are fried shell with spicy potato inside. Not that food wasn’t around but there was no time to stop in between transportation. Rice and curry chicken never tasted so good.
Before I preached God did tell me that he was going to give me something back while I was on this trip. I had a feeling I knew what it was. On this first night I could see I was right. He gave me back the evangelistic rope a dope preaching. You know what I mean that crusade swagger and fired up preaching for miracles to happen. I could feel it! He also told me when I asked Him how to preach to these Indian pastors. He said preach to them like when you were younger speaking to the Spanish churches. So I geared myself mentally to go for that atmosphere. It worked I even slipped in a few hallelujahs and Gloria Dios by accident. No one seemed to mind. I laid hands on half the crowd. No apparent spiritual manifestations but I know the week is young. Plus God brought them the Word of God in all its wonder!
I see where the money went to do this entire conference. We had 250 pastors, 150 people of exile from families because of serving Christ, plus families, college students and pastors of campuses. Total crowd was 500 or more. Not bad for first meeting night. Those exiled people just showed up at campus gate. No one gave them directions and they just showed up this morning. God sent them here. I believe it. We only prepared food for 250 people! All 500 ate plus ministry workers including leaving left overs for the cows!!
Lots of love, Lots of honor, Lot of respect is what the Indian people have shown and sown in my life.
I was woken by the Lord at 4 am to pray. I tried to go to bed but I couldn’t sleep. So I started to pray about tonight’s message for the crusade. Because there was such a strong heaviness of the spirit I prayed for guidance on how to break through. I recalled a paragraph from Burnie Davis’ book that said sometimes you can preach about miracles and testimonies to cause God’s miracle working power to manifest. I decided in my heart that exactly what I was going to do.
While praying God told me to preach on the name of Jesus and what it did for me! He reminded me that they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony. So I wrote a sermon on the 8 things you get from Jesus. Bullet pointed out I put eight things with scriptures and beside them my testimonies. The crowd went silent when I took them through the names of God. Then I took them through how the only name in the bible that makes demons tremble and devils run is JESUS. I took them through eight things Jesus does for you that the word shares. Also I testified of each point I made. I wanted the name of Jesus shouted, spoke and cried for the next hour. I believe that when you’re in an area with predominantly fanatic religions that the only thing that can assist and if you allow me to say “works” is the name of Jesus.
Nothing else you can preach or say will do the work the name of Jesus can. This experience has proved my belief on this matter. My other thought is that I wanted miracle working power to hit this meeting. Stirring up the gift through experience and faith is what we did. About midway through our prayer service I felt God’s presence begin to fall on this place. Amazingly!
I sit today humbled at the amazing hand of God. He moved so strongly in our meeting. Several people were healed and blessed by His Holy presence. My body is drained from preaching and ministering prayer to the many hundreds that came forward. Equipped with an awesome translator I tried to hear to as many needs as we could to make sure we prayed specifically for the needs of the people.
India sent a message to my spirit about me personally. When I got here I thought I did pretty good getting alone with the Lord. After being in India for just a week I learned that getting alone meant getting away from everything. That includes any access to the kids or immediate family internet, TV, cellular phone and personal errands. This was a bit odd for me not to have access to any of those things on a daily basis. Being away from my kids and wife were the hardest things probably although I did miss the constant ability to text. Sometimes we get use to having so much activity because we are keeping informed or being available to be reached. That when we think we are getting away to spend time with God we really are not giving Him all the attention.
This week in India I felt a welcoming presence and gentle visit by the Holy Ghost. It wasn’t overpowering or abrupt. It was more a gentle breeze or even a slow entrance into the room. It was loving and warm. I felt alone with Him but also full of His presence. I conversed, meditated and prayed the normal way that I usually do. The difference was the hearing and confirmation of things. Every morning I would be awake about 4am. I think the time zone thing was affecting me more than I knew. I also am use to get up at that time to get to work in the morning so I thought that may be the reason for the early wake ups. God’s presence slowly ushered its way in the room. I almost felt like He came in through the open window. So I left a window open for Him every night. I didn’t want to miss his presence or my time with Him. I just wished it didn’t start at 4am. I guess that’s better than 3am like when I was in the Navy. Each morning I believe He gave me the word He wanted me to share with His 400 pastors in the evening crusade and pastor’s conference.
During these times I would lift up the services, pastors, crusade workers, volunteers and everyone attending. I would lie in my be relaxing with the Lord on my mind. Something about dwelling on Him that open our hearts and minds to His will. I will always remember my time spent here as well as the joy it brought me to my walk with the Lord.
An update when I got back from the trip...
I preached at a local church in Sambulpur on the way back from India. A great move happened that night almost like an overflow from the crusade night. The pastor left me an email that reported something amazing. “..everyone in our services was healed and testified on the following Sunday service after you left.” In fact people from all over the place inside the church and outside the church were healed and testified..” He then closed his email with this quote..” He healed them all..” God did some wonderful things in India with the very little we had financially. God can use what you bring you just have to bring it.
Amen
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