Shelly Ragen based in Iowa was with The Elijah Challenge on her very first trip outside the United States—all the way across the Pacific to India. On the third and final day of their ministry in Amritsar, the spiritual capital of the Sikh religion in Punjab, Shelly stood up and through our interpreter preached the gospel of Jesus Christ to the crowd which had gathered in the open-air.
After Shelly preached, the Punjabi servants of God trained with The Elijah Challenge on the first two days lined up at the front to pray over the sick in the name of Jesus Christ. The miraculous healings would be the evidence that the gospel is true—that through his death and resurrection Jesus is in fact the Son of God.
In this way the Lord healed many. One by one men, women, and children came up to the platform to testify of what the Lord had done for them. The miracles were the evidence that Jesus Christ is the the only way to the one true God in heaven.
John 20:30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Below are some of those who testified of the Lord’s miraculous physical healing.
During the time of healing prayer and subsequent testimonies, however, food was unexpectedly being served to the crowd making it impractical to give an altar call afterwards. But the seed of the gospel had been planted in their hearts—with the evidence of many miraculous healings confirming to them the absolute truth of the message of the gospel—as took place in the time of the Lord Jesus Himself.
Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?” But others said, “These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?” Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. …The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me… (John 10:20-25)
This photo appeared in an Amritsar newspaper on the morning of the third day of our ministry in Punjab. Sister Shelly is standing directly under “AMRITSAR.”
After the team returned to Delhi, their host Pastor Simon Haq called to share a testimony with them. One of the pastors who had just attended their Training had ministered to an elderly blind man with a cane at the open-air evangelistic event. The next morning the man woke up suddenly seeing. But since he was blind he had no idea who had ministered to him. So he called a servant of God he knew named Pastor Ashish to share what had happened. On Sunday morning he visited the church service of one of the host pastors of the event. The church was filled up to the balcony with believers and visitors who had witnessed what the Lord did at the open-air event.
A very thin woman suffering from severe pain in her shoulder joint starting in her wrist since she was 14 years old came forward for prayer. The pain was written all over her face (see photo below) as believers ministered to her. But there was no change and it appeared she was not healed. But the next morning when she awoke and she went about her morning chores, she discovered that she could lift up her arm freely with no pain.
A woman who had suffered severe pain for years due to a pinched nerve in her back was dramatically healed, and gave glory to Jesus Christ on the stage.
A chief minister of the state of Punjab (center wearing turban) being honored onstage at the event
According to our host Pastor Simon Haqq who organized this event, the Punjabi servants of God we trained over two days (below) now want to partner with The Elijah Challenge to take the gospel to the many unreached villages in Punjab all the way to the border of Pakistan. They want to fulfill the Great Commission in the region the Lord has entrusted to them during these last days before the great and terrible Day of the Lord.
May 2016 Update
Their first two evangelistic Feeding Events in unreached villages following this Training: India: over 500 Punjabis accept Christ in three Feeding Events
Man deaf since birth hears at Elijah Challenge Training Event in Punjab
Above & below: Host Pastor Simon Haq of Delhi at the open-air event after the Training
Many Punjabis adhere to the religion of Sikhism centered in the “Golden Temple” in Amritsar
Punjab, India
November 2015