Muzafer
Nagar District is in Uttar Pradesh
On
January 27, 2009 Director Joshua Gowda of The Elijah Challenge
Training Center India wrote:
“We
had an unbelievable feeding event at Muzafer Nagar District
in Aklore Village. This village is surrounded
by another twenty-three Hindu villages. Our Elijah Challenge-trained
pastor Kiran Paul and five other pastors have been inviting
us for a long time to hold a Feeding Event in their villages.
This
time actually we had planned for Hryana District, but again
and again we received requests from these pastors. We put the
matter
before the Lord in fasting and prayer. This time the Lord showed
us to go to Aklore, Muzafer Nagar District. Obedient to the
Lord’s
voice, we believed it was God’s timing.
Above
& below: the village of Aklore
The
Hindu Temple
When
our Elijah Challenge-trained pastors were inviting people
to the meeting, all the Hindu fundamentalist
groups turned against
them and threatened them with dire consequences if they held
a Christian meeting. Our Pastor Kiran Paul went to the police
and they advised him not to conduct a meeting as there would
be violence. Pastor Kiran called us on the phone and told us
about the situation, but we said 'no matter what happens
we will have the meeting!'
In
the same village we knew deep in our hearts God was leading
us to the same village. As 2009 begins this is the first Feeding
Event. When Pastor Simon and I reached the village on 19th
January 2009, it was a big surprise when Pastor Kiran told
us we will
have our meeting on a Hindu temple ground where the Hindus
will feel free to come. This time we wanted to see what would
happen...it
was like an [Elijah!] challenge.
To
our surprise close to 300 villagers came to hear the gospel.
Pastor Simon preached. By this time the police
had arrived and
the press reporters came to see what we were doing. The fundamentalist
groups spread the news that “conversion” was taking
place. Everyone on the Hindu temple grounds heard the simple
gospel. At the altar call, to our amazement, 100% of the people
responded. In front of their gods and goddesses they shouted “I
ACCEPT JESUS CHRIST AS MY LORD AND SAVIOUR.” Right from
Satan’s home we snatched souls into the Kingdom of God.
Our Elijah Challenge-trained pastors healed the sick. The news
went to all those villages.
Now
our co-workers have open doors to reach all those villages
surrounding Muzafer Nagar and to plant Elijah Challenge Churches.
Please
continue to uphold us in your prayers."
The
police arrive in response to possible violence by the Hindu
fundamentalists
Hindus
gather on the grounds by the Temple
Elijah
Challenge-trained pastors lead worship
The
preaching of the gospel to the Hindus
Above
& below: Hindus listen to the gospel on the Temple grounds
Pastor
Simon Haqq preaches the gospel
Every
Hindu on the Temple grounds surrenders to Jesus Christ
Hindu
Temple priest (center) surrenders to Jesus Christ and receives
Christ
as Lord and Saviour of his life
Healing of the sick by Elijah Challenge-trained
pastors (Luke 10:9)
Demon-possessed man delivered by the power of
God
Some
testimonies of miraculous healing
Our Elijah Challenge-trained Pastor Kiran Paul
interviews Sumitra Devi as she testifies. She had been suffering
from depression and from pain in her neck and head. After she
was healed by the Lord through the servants of GOD she gives
thanks to Jesus Christ.
Because of severe back pain, this Hindu woman
for over a month could not get up on her own without help from
another person
or using
a
stick
for support. Praise God she is totally healed and has NO MORE
PAIN IN HER BACK!
Feeding
the poor villagers
The
Elijah Challenge-trained pastors of Muzafer Nagar
Elijah
Challenge Training Centre Director Joshua Gowda at
left
Host
Pastor Kiran Paul testified:
"We invited Pastor Simon Haqq to
hold a gospel event in our village. After two
years he finally agreed to come [with The Elijah Challenge team
to hold a Feeding Event]. I believe it was God's timing.
I am the only Christian family in my village. When I was advertising
about
the meeting all the Hindu militant groups turned against us.
These radical
Hindus threatened me with dire consequences if we were to hold
a Christian
meeting. So I went to the police who advised me not to conduct
a meeting as
there would be violence.
Then
I called Pastor Haqq and he said no matter what happens we
will have
the meeting. To my surprise he said we could have the meeting
in a Hindu
temple where Hindus will feel free to come. In my mind I disagreed
but in my
heart I desired to hold a meeting in a temple.
To my surprise 250 to 300 villagers came to hear the Word of
God. Brother
Simon preached the gospel.
By this time the police entered our village, followed by the
newspaper
reporters and then the CBI (equivalent to the FBI in the US).
They all came
to see what we are doing. The police and the CBI spoke to people
in the
congregation and even examined the preaching notes that Brother
Simon was
using.
The militant groups spread the news that Christian conversions
were taking
place. Pastor Simon preached the simple gospel and made the alter
call. To
my amazement 100% of the people responded. In front of their
gods and
goddesses they shouted I ACCEPT JESUS CHRIST AS MY LORD AND SAVIOUR.
Right
from Satan's home we snatched souls into the Kingdom of God.
During the altar call one policeman got touched by God. His
severe pain
vanished and he testified that God is in this place. After some
time his
officers came to pastor Simon to ask for a Bible.
As
Pastor Simon was sitting in a house the priest of the temple
came and
said "I also want Jesus in my heart."
Luke
10:9 "Heal
the sick who are there and tell them,
'The kingdom of God is near you.’"