“To say that God is faithful is a huge understatement. I simply do not have the words to express how exciting 2015 has been. God is giving us a small glimpse of what He told the prophet Joel and the apostle Peter about what would happen in the Last Days.
Joel 2:28-29 “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
Acts 2:17-18, 21 ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy…And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
I understand that the reference to God pouring out His Spirit on all people can be interpreted differently among various denominations today. However, in spite of our denominational interpretations and objections, God continues to pour out His Holy Spirit in these last days, just like He said He would. Several times our missionary pastors have reported gospel resistant Hindus and Muslims coming to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, after seeing visions of Him or hearing Him speak to them while our pastors were preaching the gospel. All I can say is God is not limited by what people think He is willing to do. His ways are above our ways.
Here are pictures of the food we serve at our gospel Feeding Events. As you might imagine, most of the people who come to eat with us are poor, so we want to serve them a tasty and nutritious meal. It consists of home cooked curried rice, a vegetable soup called dahl and nan, the traditional Indian tortilla. Delicious!
When we started doing gospel events in 2007 we had to go looking for villages, now villages come looking for us. We are booked solid with two gospel events a month through December of 2016.
When we bring a gospel event into a village it’s a major social event, but for many it is also is a divine appointment with God. Villages look forward to the gospel events, but honestly the reason we continue to be invited into so many villages is because they have heard from eyewitnesses about the sick and possessed who are healed in the name of Jesus, the only Son of God, during the events. Most families in these remote villages where we go are very poor. Even if a doctor lived close by they could not afford to go to him, so they are left with no choice but to rely on traditional homeopathic remedies and the ritualistic prayers and chants of their local Hindu priest.
Good news spreads quickly from village to village so normally when our missionary pastors arrive to feed a village and tell them about Jesus Christ, they are welcomed by hungry people who are excited to learn about this Son of God they have never heard about. This picture shows, how carefully the crowd listens when the good news of forgiveness and eternal life through Christ is presented.
However, sometimes our pastors are met by angry, militant, Hindu fundamentalists who are intent on preventing the pastors from entering their village. If the situation gets too dangerous our pastors may be forced to postpone the event or move to a nearby village. Many times when they move to another location they see an even greater harvest of souls and greater healing power of the Holy Spirit poured out on the sick. So powerful are the manifestations of the Spirit that some of the local political leaders and radical Hindus repent and accept Jesus.
The usual way of ministering to the sick and demon-possessed has been to have them come forward for prayer after the gospel is preached during a special altar call. But obviously the Holy Spirit is not limited to our schedule or order of service. Lately, God’s Spirit has unexpectedly started moving upon people during the presentation of the gospel itself. On December 30 (2015) Simon Haq, our coordinator and evangelist, called to tell me it happened again — this time in front of Al Hartman (a Baptist deacon from Houston) and his family. If anyone wants to hear more, I am sure he would be more than willing to share his testimony.
Just like he sent out his disciples in Luke 10, the Lord sent our modern day Indian disciples into a village where He was about to enter. As Simon told the people who Jesus is and what he had done for them, the Holy Spirit started confirming the gospel by healing the sick and setting people free from unclean spirits. A blind man regained his sight; people with back and heart problems were healed; and they saw the leg of a man with one short leg grow to where it was the same length as his other leg. Some were even seeing visions of Jesus as the Holy Spirit moved among the people. All these things happened before any altar call to pray for the sick.
When things had calmed down a little Simon spoke to the crowd explaining that God had done these miracles in their sight to prove that Jesus is his Son and that no one can be forgiven of their sin and go the heaven unless they accept and believe in him with all their heart. When Simon ask how many wanted to receive Jesus and place their trust in him everyone raised their hands. What an awesome privilege it is to be called into God’s harvest field. This was a perfect example of healing in the context of confirming the gospel.
OUR GOD IS AMAZING!!!
Luke 10:1-4 & 9 …the Lord appointed 72 others (disciples) and sent them out two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them the harvest is plentiful, but he workers are few. Therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out other workers into his harvest field… When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick and tell them the kingdom of God in near you.“
-Submitted by Bill and Sammye Willis, Feeding Events India, December 2015
Bill Willis is a Board Member of The Elijah Challenge
Pastor Simon Haq trained with & hosted The Elijah Challenge on various occasions in North India
Reports from The Elijah Challenge in India