![](pics%20for%20Orissa07/Map%20of%20India%20-%20Orissa.JPG)
State
of Orissa along India's east coast is encircled
![](pics%20for%20Orissa07/john%20thomas_1.jpg)
Founder
& Director
John Thomas of Shalom Ministries (center) with
his wife at his side
Rayagada
Orissa
is a very poor, Hindu-dominated state. Pastor John
Thomas, an American citizen originally from South
India, founded and oversees Shalom Ministries which
organized and hosted the event. On the first day
in the town of Rayagada there was a brief introductory
morning session followed by
an
afternoon
session.
That same
evening
we started the open-air Evangelistic Healing Services
for the public where the gospel was preached and
the infirm were healed. For the servants of God who
had just received but a couple hours of the teaching---and
that with translation into the local Oriya dialect---it
was either sink or swim. The Lord was extremely gracious,
and he enabled them to swim.
There was much excitement as Jesus healed many infirm
people through His servants through the laying on of
their hands. Those who were healed came up to the platform
to testify what the Lord had done for them. Among the
testimonies were blind eyes being opened.
The conditions were difficult with the
daytime Equipping Seminar being held outside in the
same place as the evening Crusade. The difficulty came
with using an LCD projector to teach outside in the
daylight. But our translator, Pastor Subodh K. Jena,
was excellent.
![](pics%20for%20Orissa07/equipping%20servant%20of%20god_1_1.jpg)
Equipping
God's servants in the open air
At the second evening of the Healing
Crusade attended by perhaps 2,500 people,
many
were
healed
as the believers exercised their authority
given by the Lord. See the photos below.
![](pics%20for%20Orissa07/crowd2_1.jpg)
Above
& below: Second Evening Evangelistic Healing Crusade
![](pics%20for%20Orissa07/crowd1_1.jpg)
![](pics%20for%20Orissa07/two%20translators_1.jpg)
Two
interpreters: one for the Oriya dialect and another
for the Telugu dialect
![](pics%20for%20Orissa07/testimonies%20from%20mass%20healing_1.jpg)
People
healed simultaneously during the healing-at-a-distance
come up to stage to testify what the Lord did
![](pics%20for%20Orissa07/individual%20testimony_1.jpg)
Woman testifies through tears that Jesus
has healed her
![](pics%20for%20Orissa07/laying%20on%20of%20hands%20for%20healing_1.jpg)
After
the healing-at-a-distance: the individual laying
on of hands by trained servants of
God which resulted in still more miraculous healings
![](pics%20for%20Orissa07/john%20thomas%20praying%20at%20altar%20call_1_1.jpg)
Pastor John Thomas prays with people
at altar call
On
the third night of the Crusade, I excused myself
and Pastor John Thomas led the meeting
where
an estimated
300 people out of 3,000 in attendance decided to follow
Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. This harvest was
likely
related
to the
signs
and wonders they had seen and heard about on the first
two evenings of the Crusade.
Bhawanipatna
In
Bhawanipatna, our second venue in Orissa, we held
a similar event where we equipped the
servants of God. The equipping was held in a local
branch of the mainline Church of North India (CNI).
One Hindu man who had suffered from a heart condition
that
had
led
to
a stroke came to the training sessions. He showed us
the official diagnosis from his doctor. But when one
of
the servants of God laid hands on him during the
demonstration, his heart immediately felt much better
and he promptly accepted Jesus Christ as he testified
about what the Lord had done for him.
Both
charismatic/pentecostal as well as evangelical
servants of God attended the training.
Isaiah 53:4-5 Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows, but we considered him stricken
by God, smitten
by Him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities, and the punishment
that brought us peace was upon him; and by his stripes
we are healed.
Jesus’ power
to heal our infirmities---which are ultimately a
consequence of sin---came from his
death on the cross where he bore and removed our sins.
The testimonies of the people
whom the Lord had healed demonstrated to all that
He had authority to forgive our sin through his atoning
death on the cross.
Kesinga
In
our absence, Pastor John Thomas led the Healing Crusade
at the third Orissa State venue
called Kesinga. The Lord continued His glorious
work of healing the infirm that evening through the
trained servants of God without us present. All who
came forward---as many as twenty people---testified
that
the Lord had healed them. See the photos below.
![](pics%20for%20Orissa07/john%20thomas%20leading%20healing%20in%20kesinga2_1_1.jpg)
Above
& below: Pastor John Thomas leads healing ministry
at Kesinga Crusade
![](pics%20for%20Orissa07/john%20thomas%20leading%20healing%20in%20kesinga_1_1.jpg)
![](pics%20for%20Orissa07/testimony%20of%20healing%20kesinga_1_1.jpg)
One
of many testimonies of healing in Kesinga
The
equipping in Orissa was effective. The
servants
of
God trained are serious about obeying Jesus’ command
to heal the sick as they proclaim the kingdom of
God to the lost. In particular, Pastor John Thomas’ second-in-command
Pastor Subodh, who did most of the interpreting for
us into the local dialect of Oriya, is determined
to continue the work of teaching and equipping the
saints with The Elijah Challenge End Time Model of Evangelism.
Received from Pastor Subodh on November 13, 2007
"I
am very much grateful for your good advice and wonderful
teaching which I could able to practice it
and use it powerfully in my ministry...
Nowadays our ministry is going on a very special way.
Many miracles are taking place in these days. We
are visiting almost all the places of this dry land
(Kalahandi District). Hoping for the success of our
ambition to cover all the enriched generation through
your pattern. Please pray for this matter earnestly.
Let
me briefly highlight to you about the land of Orissa.
Orissa is known as a soul of India. It is a second
tribal state in India. Bhubaneswar (Orissa’s
capital) is the temple city of India. You might have
heard about the Puri city where the Hindu God Jaganath
has originated. The Christian population is only
1%. And most Christians are Roman Catholic, CNI and
Lutheran. In other side persecution is out standing.
Few years ago an Australian missionary Dr Graham
stain and his two minor sons were burnt alive. Father
Arul Das has killed by Fanatic Hindu group. In this
way persecution very much strong. When we look in
another side the Orissa is known as the poorest state
of India.
I
think you know much about the Orissa especially about
the Kalahandi district. It is a vast
Hindu denomination
area. We can’t preach or can’t do the ministry
in public but simply God uses us for the extension
of His kingdom. This is what the main obstacle for
our ministry and also the problem of the RSS people
who always opposing to the Christianity same way they
are keeping on their target to the pastors and to the
leaders."
Received
from Pastor Subodh on December 5, 2007
"Our
ministry is going on well; we are little bit in tired
scheduled because now we are preparing for Christmas
program and other programs too. At the same time we
much concentrate on our ministry. Miracles are taking
place in every
month in our fields. And so many people know the Lord
very intimately. Many are willing to take water baptism
so I may conduct the baptism program in the New Year."
Received
from Pastor Subodh Jena on December 29, 2007
"You
might have not known about the Phulbani District
of Orissa’s Christian people.
The big fight with the Hindu RSS people. It was 24th
December and people were
preparing for Christmas and they had decorated for
the program. A few Hindu people came and broke the
things. It turned into a dangerous problem meanwhile
the
RSS leader visited. The Hindus attacked not only
that, they have burnt so many villages and vehicles.
One
hundred and fifty churches were destroyed. A few pastors
were killed and more then twenty Christians killed
by the fanatic
Hindu RSS.
People
are not able to stay because they are still persecuting.
They scattered to other places to save their lives
from this situation. Moreover they have attacked
other
districts
also.
In every place things are moving
in unexpected ways. No one is able to get there even
for relief work because the problem is not yet solved.
Here
in
Bhawaniptna as well the situation is not favorable.
They have already started to attack. Please continue
to hold
us in your prayers for this particular situation."
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