Book of Acts Continued

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Book By Michael Fitzgerald

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Book of Acts Continued:

Growth in India's Home Fellowships

Introduction

Batting average:

Do you desire to increase your batting average in terms of spiritual fruit in your life and people won to the body of Christ? The believers in India's home church fellowships have been putting up "hall of fame " numbers for years. When they step to the plate as God's ambassadors, they are truly power hitters, power-of- God hitters. In the natural realm, great hitters trust their hands. In this spiritual contest in which we find ourselves, great hitters trust God. In Book of Acts Continued, there are principles that will cause your batting average and joy to soar.

Different approach:

Prior to leaving for India in February of 2006, I chanced upon a book by Watchman Nee--What Shall This Man Do? It recounted the methods that the Chinese Christian church under Watchman Nee's guidance utilized to evangelize China from 1920 to 1952. In the history of evangelism, Watchman Nee was one of God's heavy hitters. The book proved to be a primer for what I was to observe on a three-week visit to the Indian home fellowship network. The following excerpt captures the essence of what Watchman practiced during the formative years of the Chinese home churches.

Too often those who have been saved merely through knowledge develop big heads. They progress without seeming to feel much need of God. They know it all and they even feel qualified to criticize the preacher's presentation of facts. But when it comes to a crisis in which they lose their known bearings and have to trust the Lord over something, they cannot do so. They are not in living touch with him.

Yet there are others, who may know very little but have come out of themselves and have touched the living God, who develop and grow in faith even through the severest trials. That is why our first object must be to lead people to meet him.

None of us can fathom the mysterious ways of God. None of us dare prescribe for him how he should work. There was a Chinese boy who, when he was twelve years old, was taken by his mother up to a temple in the hills. As he was worshiping before the shrine with his mother, he looked at the idol and thought, " You are too ugly and too dirty to be worshiped. I don't believe you can save me. What is the sense of worshiping you?" But out of respect for his mother he joined in the ceremony.

After it was over, his mother got into her chair to go down the mountain, but he slipped away to the back of the temple. He found an open space where he stood looking up to heaven and said, "O God, whoever you are, I do not believe that you can dwell in that shrine. You are too big, and it is too small and dirty for you. You surely must dwell right up there in the heavens. I do not know how to find you, but I put myself in your hands, for sin is very strong and the world pulls. I commit myself to you, wherever you may be."

Thirty years later I met him and told him the gospel. He said, " I have met the Lord Jesus for the first time today, but this is the second time that I have touched God. Something happened to me that day thirty years ago on the mountain top." (Emphasis supplied) [What Shall This Man Do? Watchman Nee, Christian Literature Crusade, 1961, pg. 45]

This is the same approach you will read about in the following pages. This young Chinese man first had a heart meeting with God: he touched God, and something happened. That something was the power of God in the human heart. Watchman Nee years later introduced him to the Lord Jesus Christ...grandslam.

Could it be that we have overcomplicated the process? I know I have. For many years, I introduced people to the knowledge of God, not to God. I witnessed the book and not the author. The results were paltry, the effort exhausting.

Acts Continued:

Presentation of the gospel in the book of Acts was different than it is today. Paul, Silas and Timothy had no New Testament verses to quote. The written Bible was still centuries in the future. Yet what results they had: mightily grew the Word of God and prevailed! The power of God dominated the dark culture. Wherever the power of God is presented by the Indian believers, it prevails. They are not living the Book of Acts Revisited, but the Book of Acts Continued.

Michael FitzGerald

Whosoever - Whatsoever God

We should have been exhausted. It was 10 pm Delhi time, February 3, 2006 as the American Airlines flight 235 arrived at the Delhi airport terminal. The Boeing 777 with 292 souls onboard had been airborne for fourteen hours non-stop from Chicago. Kevin and I had been planning this trip for months, and rest was far from our minds. We were visiting Sangat Bains, his family and the Christian saints of India. Sangat had visited us in Williamsburg, Virginia four times since his initial visit in November 2003, twice with his wife, Beautrice, and four children. Now it was our turn.

Our visit was far more than a returned social engagement. The reason for our visit was not to teach, minister or instruct but to learn, to raise our batting average in the things of God. The signs, miracles and wonders we heard and read about in Letters from India and other communications were a source of amazement and embarrassment. These simple saints experienced an outpouring of power and growth unprecedented since the Book of Acts. There was very little in our personal experience that would improve upon what this remarkable group of believers was living in their daily lives.

Kevin and I should have seen it coming, but we were totally blindsided. The previous testimonies and accounts in no way hinted at what was in store. What we observed firsthand exceeded even our well-founded expectations.

Rooftop Fellowship:

The first event of our visit was a three-day leaders meeting. The day after our arrival, the Bains family opened their home to over 100 leaders of home fellowships throughout India. The first meeting took place on the flat roof of the Bains home in brilliant, cloudless Delhi sunshine. The temperature and humidity were perfect. The believers flowed onto the rooftop with men and women separating into groups, men on one side and women on the other. Most home fellowships conform to the same general pattern. The only deviation is starting time and length of fellowship. Both are not specific times but more like a moving window. Sangat's comment that in India (unlike the US) we are "somewhat laid back here" proved to be prophetic. The believers casually filed in well over an hour after the announced starting time. No one seemed to mind or even notice.

At some undetermined point, quite spontaneously, music began as a drummer and harmonium (small pump organ) player casually began jamming. Very soon tambourines and communal, rhythmical clapping joined in. Eventually this became an organized praise and worship session as songbooks were broken out and the music began in earnest. Most of the songs were written by the believers and consisted primarily of the leader singing a verse and the group answering in unison. The singing was enthusiastic, joyful and infectious and lasted for well over an hour. The drum and tambourines were shared as both men and women took turns providing the rhythmic beat. Song leaders changed frequently as different saints would lead their favorite songs. One of the saints, a young man named Sutan, had experience as a professional singer of traditional Indian songs. He was particularly adept at leading songs, and he could really get things rollicking.

After music came the focal point of the fellowship: testimonies. Virtually every believer had a sign, miracle or wonder to relate and was excited to do so. It did not take long to realize that their methods of witnessing and outreach were as dramatically different from those in western Christianity as the results. They are experiencing sustained, explosive growth. Whole fellowships are being added daily. In the book of Acts, only the leaders healed and performed miracles. With this group of believers, it is common for new converts who were previously Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims and Buddhists to be immediately healed and see great miracles come to pass.

Shanti Revisited:

The majority of the testimonies on the first day were from fellowships in the foothills of the Himalayas where the local leader was Gulab Singh. One of the mountain fellowship leaders was a woman named Shanti. It was a name I recognized from the original book of testimonies, Letters from India, three years earlier.

At that time, Shanti was a recent believer who gave an account about her conversion. Shanti could hardly lift her arms, feet and legs because of acute pain. Her husband was also a drunkard who beat her. When she heard from Dev Singh that God was able to deliver her, Shanti went to receive healing. As Dev Singh began to heal her, a devil spoke through her and said that it had been in her for 23 years and was the cause of the affliction destroying her. Dev Singh commanded the spirit to depart, and it went out. When Shanti was delivered from this spiritual and physical bondage, she was able to do her housework for the first time in twenty-three years. Today, three years later, her whole family became believers, and Shanti is the fellowship leader of a very large and growing home fellowship.

My name is Shanti. I too am also from Uttaranchal Pradesh State. There was a woman in my village that came to me for healing with a problem with her eyesight. She had no vision and some other problems. I asked if she believed. If she believed, then I could heal her, and she would be all right. She said, "Just heal me," which I did. The woman became all right. The next day the woman had the same problem. I told her that her believing was very poor. I ministered healing to her, and she was healed. I told her to stop coming to my house. "You need to trust in God yourself, and pray to God in your own house." She is healed now.

Last month on the 23rd at our fellowship, another lady who believes in God had a sister who had a cancer. The sister was an unbeliever. So this woman taught her the Word of God, and she began to believe. They then brought the woman to my house. She had a cancer in her stomach. The doctors had taken an x-ray and told her that within three months, she was going to die. The family said that if she were healed, they all would come to the One True God.

I told her if she could trust in God, she would be all right. I told her to come to God and taught her the Word of God and I ministered healing. I commanded in Jesus's name that the cancer to go away. They believed, so they went away to their home.

When their son came from the Army to know his mother's situation, he said it was not possible that the cancer could go away just like that, so the son insisted on another check-up and another x-ray and scanning. They went to the doctor. The cancer was gone. It had become a small stone. They operated on the small stone. The doctor and the family started fighting because the doctor said it was not possible for cancer to become a small stone. The whole family is now believers and come to fellowship.

The family had another problem with one daughter who had a devil spirit problem. They again came to my house. I told the daughter to believe as her mother believed. I said, "According to your faith and believing, I can heal you. We all prayed, and I said, "If you can believe, I can minister healing to you." I commanded the devil spirit to go. The family then went home.

However, the devil spirit returned. I spoke with my spiritual teacher, Gulab Sing, who told me not to be concerned. He asked me how I wanted to deal with this spirit. I said that I did not want to do it in a crowd, but I want to take the woman into my house and kick out the devil spirit. He said, "As you wish, you can do, and the spirit MUST GO!"

I took the woman into my house and told those who have fear to stay outside and those who have boldness to come inside. I brought the woman inside, and she became mute. I demanded that the devil spirit reveal himself, who he was and where he came from. Immediately that devil spirit started putting fear in my heart. I told that spirit I was not afraid of it. The spirit said that it had been with the woman for 13 years. I said that was no problem; I commanded it to just go in Jesus's name. The spirit said, "I am not going. I am going to kill her."

My spiritual teacher said this might happen. He told me to command the devil spirit and while doing so, to look it in the eye. I commanded the spirit to look me in the eye. It said it would go, but it would return. The devil spirit in the woman started crying, and then the woman became normal. The woman then said that she was all right and thanked God.

As we moved on to the next testimony, I asked one of the leaders about Shanti. He mentioned that she was originally from Nepal, worked a farm with her husband, forty-something, six children and illiterate.... SAY WHAT??? ILLITERATE!!! What a shock to my western thinking. How can that be? What a sobering bit of information. I would have gladly traded thirty years of Bible study and knowledge for Shanti's confidence in the power of God.

In less than three years, Shanti's home fellowship had exploded with growth, all new converts. Not only Shanti's testimony but also subsequent testimonies revealed the simple but effective approach to outreach. The saints introduced new people to God and taught them HOW to trust Him.

Victim to Victor:

A young woman named Lakshimi gave another sharing that day. Her particulars were similar to Shanti's story. They were both from the same area and conducted large home fellowships. Lakshimi, only nineteen, was an incredibly beautiful and radiant believer. Only five years earlier, Lakshimi was living on the street with a physical affliction that caused her to shake uncontrollably. No one would have anything to do with her. She attended a fellowship and received complete deliverance. Once a victim of the adversary, she is now a victor. Still a teenager, she says, "All I want to do is to live my life for God."

This is a testimony of December 24. I am from Uttaranchal Pradesh State. I visited my elder sister in Dehera Dun. My sister had a four-month-old baby. The baby was taken to the hospital, and the doctor said that the baby was going to die. The doctor told them definitely that the baby was going to die. Then my father called me from the hospital and asked us to pray for the baby. So I told my father that if the doctor said the baby is going to die, why keep it at the hospital? Bring the baby home. I told him, "If you believe the baby is not going to die, then the baby is healed." My father asked us to pray. I told my father to bring the baby home.

We prayed for the baby, and I told God that I wanted to get a phone call that the baby is healed. Within fifteen minutes, I got a phone call from my father that the baby was completely healed. I really thank God that what the doctor refused to do, God did in fifteen minutes. I thank God that I prayed from a distance, and God heard and healed the baby.

Here is another testimony. This happened on January 19. I had much pain in my eye. My vision was very poor; I could not recognize a person when they came in front of me. Everyone told me to go to the doctor. But I had faith because God had done many miracles for me. I went to a fellowship on the 21^{st and I requested to Father God that after this fellowship, I would be healed. After I prayed, I could see properly.}

^{I have another testimony from two days ago. The same baby of my sister that got healed had another problem. Everyone said that the baby had pneumonia. I told them that there is nothing in the baby. I ministered healing to the baby. After fifteen minutes, the baby took milk and started playing. There had been an irritation earlier, but I ministered healing and everything was fine. I really thank God. This is my testimony and everyone should be strong in God and His grace.}

Certainly Shanti, Lakshimi and the other saints present and teach the Word of God, but it is their presentation of the power of God that separates the outreach in India apart from all previous Christian outreach efforts. It is the message of the power of the kingdom of God that is sweeping the rugged Gural Hills where Shanti and Lakshimi live. Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and Muslims are being introduced to the power of the One True God.

Lakshimi and Shanti

I Corinthians 4:19&20

But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power. For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.

The kingdom of God is come to mankind in power. The accounts of both Shanti and Lakshimi and many others we were to see and hear lined up with what is recorded in the book of Acts.

Acts 9:32-35

And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all [quarters], he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda.

And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy.

And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately.

And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord.

How simple can it get? One miraculous healing and all that dwelt at Lydda and Sharon turned to the Lord. These wonderful Indian believers are on to something because they utilize the same power. They know very little Word of God but have much power of God. Their doctrine is very simple. It is, "Come meet a God who is real, powerful and willing to help all who come to him." Shanti, Lakshimi and hundreds of other Indian believers have a whosoever-whatsoever God.

Mark 11:23

For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he says shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he says.

The No-Limit God:

The Indian believers totally stretch the limits of whatsoever of Mark 11:23. They confidently proclaim an all-powerful, all-loving God willing to meet any whosoevers and do whatsoever. This produces a Christian population convinced of the willingness and ability of God to help in any situation. It also produces occasionally humorous testimonies. A believer from the Gulab Singh's area relates the following:

Previous to coming to the Word of God, as an unbeliever whatever I tried failed. When I would purchase a water buffalo, it would die in four or five months. It got to the point where my family hated the word "buffalo" because I could never keep a buffalo. I started to believe God. I told God, "You know my family hates the word "buffalo", but I need a buffalo." So I went looking for a buffalo, and God showed me a buffalo. The man wanted 8500 rupees for the buffalo. He also informed me that the animal only gives milk only once a day and that was 3 1/2 liters. Immediately at that time, I prayed to God. I prayed to God that if You are giving me this buffalo, then I want the price to come down to below 8000 rupees (about $200.00).

I had no argument with this person. I just offered him 7000. He said 7800. I was not going to buy it, but my heart reminded me of what I prayed. I took that buffalo and went to my home. This same buffalo that was only supposed to give milk once a day immediately began giving milk twice a day, and it totaled 5 liters. My family was so surprised.

However, one day when I was at work, the buffalo would not give milk. My family said that the same thing is happening as to the other animals. The buffalo became very hot and would not eat. When I came home at nighttime, my family said that the buffalo is sick. I said, "No, that is not possible." When I touched the buffalo, it felt very hot. I spoke to the buffalo and said, "You are perfect, and you eat in the name of Jesus Christ. Immediately she began to eat and gave milk. I told my family to give everything into the hand of God. The buffalo now gives a very good quantity of milk.

This testimony is a typical example of a believer's confidence in God's healing power. Eventually his whole family became Christians.

I have another testimony. My father was unemployed. Actually, mentally he was not good. He had a good job, but he resigned. He never listened to us, and he would sometimes fight. He had a problem with his urine. The doctor said he had a problem and said he had a stone in his kidney, and he needed an operation. My father did not care about that. But we have the Word of God in our house, and my father started reading the Word of God. In two months, he finished reading the Word of God. He said he no longer had a problem with his urine. When he went to the doctor, he said there was no stone in the kidney. I thank God for all the miracles he has done for me and all the miracles he has done for everyone.

This deliverance was a function of the Word of God converted by faith into the power of God.

God's calling card:

The Indian believers are not encumbered with tedious man-made doctrine. They utilize signs, miracle and wonders as God's calling card. Their approach is simple. They introduce those with needs to God and get out of the way. "Come to the One True God," they say," Tell God what you need. He will help you."

Sangat's 21-year-old niece, Rani, tells of a woman she met at work. This woman proceeded to tell Rani a litany of woes, the chief of which was that her husband was out of work. Rani politely listened and finally said, "I know how you can solve your problems. Just tell the One True God what you just told me." The next morning, the woman came in to work with a box of sweets. In India this indicates something good happened. The woman said that she did what Rani had recommended, and last night her husband got a job.

A God for Everyone:

Sangat's fifteen-year-old daughter, Priya, tells a similar story about one of her classmates. Her friend who lives in her neighborhood was raised Sikh and did not get good grades in school. Priya challenged her to go to the One True God with a request for better grades. This One True God was willing to help her unlike the stone gods her friend worshiped. Priya said, "What good is your god? It is made of stone; if it breaks you must go to the store for a new one. If the One True God answers your prayer, then He is a God for everyone. If your prayer is not answered, then He is a God for Christians only." The friend prayed with all her heart to Priya's God and received top grades. Priya led her into the new birth, and she is now winning their other Sikh and Hindu friends.

A family affair:

Speaking God's Word, trusting God and winning new people to the Church of the Body of Christ in the Bains family is a family affair. Everyone is actively involved and has many testimonies of God's delivering power. Sangat's eleven-year-old daughter, Nozomi, related the following:

At one time I got an infection in my feet. In time it got bigger and bigger and it pained much. After three months Mammy, Sanbi and I were in Punjab. One of my aunts in Punjab is a nurse, her name is, Rani, and she took me to a Doctor to check this up. We waited for the doctor but he did not come so at the end I said to Rani that we should go back to the house. I prayed to God and also I commanded this to go away. After some days, this was gone.

Our faithful translators: Preet, Nozomi and Priya Bains

A job for a husband, better grades in school, healthy water buffalo: these are not the type of requests common in our American churches. Some churches even teach that miraculous healing went out with the apostles. To these Indian believers, God is not merely God but is in fact Abba, Daddy. He is Daddy to whom any request is fair game. In Kampur the local leader is Tiwari (of whom we will hear more about later). His brother, Kamlesh, tells the following incident.

First I give thanks to God and to all those who came from the other side of the sea. I thank God today I have an opportunity to give my testimony. About seven years ago, after I left school, I would pray to God for a good job. My elder brother said that if you ask anything in the name of Jesus Christ, you will receive. My hair was turning all white at my young age. Wherever I went, people would tease me that I was very old. I asked God to turn my hair all black so no one will tease me and I look young again.

I used to use artificial dye. One day I was reading Matthew 5:36 where Jesus said, "Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou cannot make one hair white or black." I promised God that I would never make a false testimony (like that), but please make my hair black. I prayed alone in my house many times for two-and-a-half months. One day I went to the mirror, and 90% of my hair had become black. I continued to pray and believe, and after some time I had 100% black hair.

But people said that the hair was artificially colored black. A lady said that I am lying. Then I requested to God to make two hairs at two locations of my hair to be gray colored. God did so. The unbelievers then said that this is a miracle because if it were artificial, all his hair would be black. I have many miracles to tell that God has done, but I will have more time to relate them tomorrow. If you believe God our Father, surely He will hear you.

Full-time ministers

Question: What does the most dangerous wild animal in India, a fatal mountain bus crash in 2005, and thirty-five angry men with clubs have in common?

Answer: Gulab Singh

Gulab Singh is the leader in the northern mountain region of India. A few years ago, he was a tormented cook in a Delhi restaurant. For over twelve years, he was tormented by a devil spirit, which would interrupt his sleep. His only recourse was to hold a conversation with the spirit. It would leave him alone briefly and wake him again. His only sleep for many years were the interludes between conversations.

While working in the restaurant, he met Bhupander, the leader of the Delhi fellowships. Gulab Singh memorized the teaching he heard at the first fellowship he attended with Bhupander. That night he applied the teaching and commanded the devil spirit to depart from him and not trouble him anymore. It never bothered him again. That miracle was the basis for a ministry that has delivered hundreds.

We recorded many hours of testimonies during our visit. It was while listening to these recordings upon return that a new dynamic took shape. During the testimonies, a leader's name would be frequently involved in the account. It became obvious that the full-time ministers played a central role in sustaining the growth of the church. The Indian Church made full and proper Biblical use of those with gift ministries. Their lives were indeed gifts to the Church.

Ephesians 4:11&12

And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.

This perfecting (katartismos), or making fully ready, of the saints allows the saints to build up the church. All the saints build the church, not a select few. It is a most efficient Christ-headed church.

Each One Win One:

All outreach is based on the principle of "each one win one". Believers pray for "one hungry person" to share their story of deliverance. In the twenty-five years Sangat has been preaching in India, he has never deviated from "each one win one." The believers never pray for the harvest; they pray for laborers in the harvest for the harvest is plenteous.

For many years, Sangat prayed for one leader to open up India to the Word of God. The answer to that specific prayer was Bhupander. His story is most revealing. In 1983, Bhupander's brothers, who were part of one of the few families who were already Christians, began attending fellowship at Sangat's home. In time, his wife also became a believer, but not Bhupander. He was a businessman who had no time for this Bible stuff. Eventually, in 1996, thirteen years later, his two businesses were on the verge of bankruptcy. He had a desperate need for 5000 rupees to pay his children's school tuition. Bhupander had a need, a big need. He went to Sangat and told him his problems. Sangat's response was, "Don't tell me your problems; tell God." Bhupander did just that, and a stranger gave him the 5000 rupees.

Bhupander became a full-time minister and in turn prayed for one leader. God's response was to raise up Gulab Singh. Gulab Singh prayed for a leader, and God called out Vijay Singh. All of the current leadership came in response to a prayer for one leader.

After living in Delhi for awhile, Gulab Singh returned to his home region in the mountain state north of Delhi. His large extended family would give him a field white with harvest, or so he thought. After three months of witnessing to his family with no results, he realized that he had forgotten to ask God for the increase. He then prayed earnestly to God for just one person. It was then that hungry people started coming to his house. One man said he had been looking for him for three months.

Gulab Singh systematically spreads the Word of God by praying for just one hungry person in each area. Many people scratched their heads when, for many months, he would walk seven hours in the rugged 9000 ft. Himalaya foothills to teach one man the Bible. Gulab Singh said he did not see one man, but millions.

Tiger of a Bear:

It was during one of these visits to mountain villages that he and a companion encountered a mountain Sloth bear. Here is what an encyclopedia has to say about a Sloth bear.

Insect-eating bears killing humans? It's true, it can happen. Unlike meat-eating leopards and tigers, which inhabit the forests of the Indian subcontinent along with sloth bears, the bears don't see humans as a meal. But if a bear feels threatened, it will launch a swift and vicious attack that will send even a hungry tiger running.

†

Such ferocity doesn't help unsuspecting people who surprise a bear in the forest. Three-inch-long(eight-centimeter-long)†digging claws with 150 to 300 pounds (70 to 140 kilograms) of angry bear behind them can leave devastating wounds. Often when humans stumble upon a tiger or a leopard, the big cat will run away-providing it's not hunting. A startled bear, however, will attack. That, plus the horrific wounds they can inflict, explains why people in some areas of India are more afraid of the insect-eaters than the carnivores.

Sloth bears kill more people than any wild animal in India. It was this very bear that Gulab Singh and another believer met on a mountain path. His companion was fearful, but not Gulab Singh. He told the believer that if the bear behaves, then God has given it more years to live. If it does not behave, then they will kill it. The companion asked, "How will we kill it? We have nothing." Gulab Singh's replied, "We will rend it with our hands just the way David rent the lion and the bear." He commanded the bear to behave, and the men walked peacefully past the most dangerous wild animal in India. Upon reaching the village, they recounted the incident. The villagers were shocked because they knew the bear well. They said,

"Why did that bear leave you? That bear never leaves anyone!"

In March of 2005, I read on the Internet of a fatal bus crash in the Uttar Prachel area of India. This was an area where there were many fellowships and the center of Gulab Singh's area. I wondered if any believers were involved. The actual headline from Reuters News Service read:

19 killed after bus falls into gorge in India

At least 19 people were killed and 15 injured on Sunday when a bus skidded off a mountain road into a deep gorge in the north Indian state of Uttaranchal. The accident took place 12 kilometres from the tourist town of Mussoorie, Senior Superintendent of Police PVK Prasad told Reuters by telephone.He said all the bodies, including that of a small girl, had been recovered from the mangled bus and the death toll might rise because some of the injured were in serious condition.

Bus crashes are common on Indian roads where traffic rules are poorly enforced and drivers often drive rashly. -Reuters

During our visit, I asked about the crash. There were, in fact, three believers from Gulab Singh's area on the bus. He related the details of the story:

Bughwan Singh, his son and mother were on the bus with their luggage (which included a propane bottle/cylinder) on this stormy day. The driver lost control of the bus, and it skidded off the road and began to cartwheel end-over-end into a 1000-foot gorge. The believers called out to God, and the next thing they remember is that they were sitting on the side of the mountain watching the bus continue its wild plunge into the gorge. Their luggage was neatly beside them, and the propane bottle was upright. (If it had been on its side, it would have rolled down the steep bank.)

Indian busses have bars on the windows. It would have been impossible to come out a window. The only other survivors were two small girls. Bughwan Singh telling the incident later to others admits to having a strong feeling prior to getting on the bus that he should not get on it.

God's Protection:

Shortly before our arrival, Gulab Singh was at his home when he was visited by a delegation of 35 men who wanted him to cease teaching and conducting fellowships. They intended to enforce their point by beating him to death with the clubs they carried. The mob demanded he come outside, but God told Gulab Singh to have them come inside. They did so, and he informed them that the next month on a certain date, he was going to have a fellowship in this very house. He invited them to come to the fellowship, but he had no intention of ceasing his activities. The men then filed out of his house without taking any action. Gulab Singh informed God that the men were not insulting him but were insulting God. Therefore, it was God's responsibility to take care of him because he had no intention of doing as the men demanded. The men returned, and this time they had hired an assassin with a gun to kill Gulab Singh.

The thirty-five men plus the hired assassin approached Gulab Singh in his house. When the assassin walked up to Gulab Singh, he took one look at him and ran out of the house. The rest of the mob thought, since this man has a gun and was afraid of Gulab Singh, then they should be, too. They all ran out of the house. On the appointed day, Gulab Singh conducted a three-hour fellowship rather than the normal two-hour fellowship.

All the leaders I met in India operated the same confidence and trust in God that was obvious in Gulab Singh. There is no overt leadership structure. The majority of the Indian believers do not even know Sangat. They are introduced to him when he visits the various fellowships, but it is the immediate area leader to whom the fellowship leaders look for advice and teaching. Sangat assists Bhupander with his ministry, Bhupander assists the area leaders with their ministries and the area leaders assist the home fellowship coordinators. Those who attend home fellowships build the church.

Watchman Nee's China:

The home church network in India has no name other than the body of Christ; the leaders have no titles or seminary degrees. In China in the 1930s and 40s, Watchman Nee set up home churches in a similar "no-name" network. When others referred to them as the Little Flock Church (Little Flock was the name of the songbook they used), Watchman quickly took the name off the songbook. That early home church network became the basis for the work in China today. China in 2006 has between 50 and 100 million Christians mostly in home churches, making it (numbers-wise) the most Christian nation in the world. Watchman Nee held a similar view of the need for the knowledge of the power of God:

Christians should have two kinds of knowledge: one of the Scriptures and one of the power of God (Matt 22:29). Generally speaking, there are two classes of people among those who sincerely seek after the Lord, one knows the Bible but knows little of God's power; the other knows God's power but knows little of the Bible. At Christ's birth those who sought Him earnestly (the Magi) had little knowledge of the Scriptures: whereas those having great knowledge of the Scriptures (the scribes and the chief priests) did not seek Him. By this we can see that having Scriptural knowledge does not necessarily mean one knows God. [Secrets to Spiritual Power, comp. by Sentinel Kulp, Whitaker House, 1998, p. 203]

Watchman recognized very early in his ministry that having the power of God in one's life was a direct result of hearing about the power of God by way of testimonies (testifying).

The difference between sermonizing and testifying is that sermonizing cannot help others as much as testifying does. As you testify, you are describing the actual situation ----- as though you are holding out the very thing you are talking about. Thou you may not speak well you cannot speak wrong, because you are depicting something that is real to you, an actual scene that is both actual and visible. [Secrets to Spiritual Power, pp. 203-4]

Sustained Explosive Growth:

The ingredients of the astounding growth of Christianity in China has all the marks of outreach in India:

Small home fellowships

"No-name" organization with Christ as the head

Dependence on testimonies and the resulting power of God

Insulation from western Christian influence.

This explosive growth is not a phenomenon. It has been building since 1983 when Sangat first moved permanently to India. The growth really took off in 1996 when miracles and healing became commonplace in New Delhi fellowships. It was at this point when, quite accidentally, they discovered the role testimonies played in sustaining explosive growth. As the miraculous accounts mounted, people wanted to tell what God had done. Time was set-aside at fellowships for this naturally occurring praise. Praise begat praise as it became obvious that testimonies were the natural outgrowth of encounters with the power of God. Consequently, fellowships have become a vehicle of praise to a God who is manifestly also Daddy.

Several years ago, Bhupander decided to evangelize the Kampur area, a huge city 300 miles southeast of New Delhi. Sangat did not instruct Bhupander to do so; it was something Christ as head of his church put into Bhupander's heart. He prayed for one leader for the Kampur area and regularly visited for four years without results. Finally, he told God that if this next visit did not bear fruit, it would be his last.

The purpose of this final visit was a meeting with several Indian Christian denominational church leaders. (Note: About 2% of India is Christian. Most of the large western denominations are represented.) They wanted to discuss a doctrinal issue with Bhupander. It did not turn out that way. The leaders proceeded to rant about their doctrine and never gave Bhupander an opportunity to speak. Present at the meeting was a former Hindu priest named Tiwari. He felt that Bhupander had been dealt with very unfairly and spoke with Bhupander privately after the meeting. That was the beginning of a long and fruitful relationship. Tiwari was the one leader for which Bhupander had been praying these four years. The following is a testimony typical of the wonderful believers Tiwari is bringing to God's household.

My name is Sanjay. First of all, I greet all our guests in the name of Jesus Christ. I am going to give a testimony I had earlier. A doctor told us this problem was not going to be solved. I had a problem with my intestines. I was not able to eat anything. I had trouble with the medicine. I went to Hindu temples and Muslim priests to get healed. One day, the truth of God came to me. My nephew, Deepak Pal, came to me--he is a believer--and said, "Uncle, you do not go after the devil spirits to get healing."

I asked him who is God where is God. He said that God is with the Hindu Priest, Tiwari, who is now a worshipper of the True God and a minister and leader in Kampur. I asked my nephew," How much do I pay to get the healing. I used to pay money when I went to a doctor or Hindu Priest or Muslim Priest. Deepak Pal said you do not need to pay anything. Hearing this, I got a little faith. I knew there must be God there because God has nothing to do with the money.

I attended one of the Sunday morning fellowships at Tiwari's home and later I asked him to heal me, and he spoke the Word of God and also built up my faith so that I could be healed. I prayed also to God as I was instructed by Tiwari. For 6 months, I studied the Bible deeply and, meanwhile, I forgot all of my problems. I was not paying attention to eating and drinking but wanted to know the Truth.

One day, Sangat Bains and Bhupander came to Kampur, and I met Sangat for the first time. I was not perfectly healed yet, so I went to receive the perfect healing. While he talked to me, I believed that I was healed and that night, I ate dinner and realized that I was totally healed. Since then, God has done many wonderful things in my life, and I certainly thank God in the name of Jesus Christ.

Bhupander, Vijay Singh, Gulab Singh

Prayer

The importance of prayer frequently surfaces in testimonies. The believers utilized, as appropriate, both prayer with their understanding and prayer with the spirit.

I Corinthians 14:15

What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.

All fellowships we attended, while enthusiastic, were very orderly. Group singing, testimonies, Bible teaching and prayer with the understanding were very orderly. One believer at a time would speak or share with never any interruptions or sideshows. Public prayer in the spirit (speaking in tongues) was never utilized without interpretation. The same individual who spoke in tongues would interpret and, at most, there were two or three. When Paul corrected the Corinthian church for its lack of order in operating public speaking in tongues, he did not tell to stop speaking in tongues. He directed them to stop being disorderly by speaking in tongues as a group without interpretation.

I Corinthians 14:27

If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be by two or at the most three, and each in turn, and one must interpret.(NASB)

Prayer in the spirit is a staple of the private prayer life of Indian believers.

My name is Rita. I came from Gurgaon about 35 miles from Delhi. I did not believe the Word of God even though I was brought up in a Christian family. Fourteen years ago, during my pregnancy with my first daughter, I had many problems. My husband at that time spoke in other tongues very much during my pregnancy. I eventually had a normal delivery, but when the doctor handed me my daughter, I thought she was dead. The second doctor took the child back. At that time, my husband told me to trust God. I believed what my husband said because I loved him. I thought whatsoever my husband said to be true. I decided to really believe in God and in three days, my daughter became very normal.

Today, from the very bottom of my heart, I want to thank God for what he has done in my life for the last fourteen years. God has done many miraculous works in my life. Now, whenever I talk directly to God by speaking in tongues, He shows me many miracles in my life. I really believe there is true power in speaking in tongues. I speak in tongues two or three hours every day. I thank God that I could tell this testimony.

Daily Prayer a Staple:

What a commentary on the daily life of the Indian believers. Rita was typical of the Indian believers I met. Shanti once told me that her oldest son left the house after a fight with her husband and vowed never to return. She said that every day for six months, she would go into a room alone and weep tears to God in private and pray for the return of her son. After six months of this daily intercession, her son showed up unannounced. There is also the example of Kamlesh who prayed for two-and-one-half months for his hair to change color.

It is evident that a large part of the individual believer's deep spiritual relationship with God is his or her private prayer life in the spirit. God showed Rita many miracles as a result of speaking in tongues two of three hours a day. The occurrence of miracles and the manifestation of prayer in the spirit are not unique to this explosion of Christian outreach today in India.

History of Prayer in the Spirit:

In the late 1820's in England, a young Scottish preacher named Edward Irving aroused in segments of the Christian community an interest in work of the holy spirit and end-times theology, subjects untouched by the Protestant reformation.

These subjects were of major interest to such orthodox churchmen as Haldane Stewart, Hugh MacNeil, and William Marsh, who together with Edward Irving and many others attended at Henry Drummond's invitation the Conferences for Biblical Study at Albury Park, Surrey, in 1826. The Catholic Apostolic Church [Author's note: No connection with the Roman Catholic Church] grew out of the fact that under Irving's influence many attending these meetings came to believe that the special gifts of the apostolic age were a permanent endowment of the church, restrained only by the faithlessness of later Christians.

In 1830 Mary Campbell (later Mrs. Caird) of Fernicarry in J.M. Campbell's parish of Row and James and Margaret Macdonald of Port Glasgow spoke in tongues and experienced miraculous healing.

[New International Dictionary of the Christian Church, "Catholic Apostolic Church," p. 203]

This was the first record of speaking in tongues in the modern western Christian church. Smith Wigglesworth in the early 1900s was the first to teach that it was possible to lead someone into the manifestation of tongues. He was known to say that "he was not moved by the spirit, but he moved the spirit." Wigglesworth inferred that the operation of the spirit of God in a believer's life was the individual's responsibility. It was not required or necessary to wait for God to move. God already moved at Pentecost. Smith Wigglesworth not surprisingly had a healing ministry that lasted for over forty years.

Miracles Just Followed:

The more recent experience of the Chinese church confirms the correlation between miracles and the manifestation of speaking in tongues. In 1988, an American missionary named Dennis Balcombe introduced the power of the holy spirit to the underground house church movement in Communist China. The event was a spiritual tsunami.

"We call Dennis Balcombe the second Hudson Taylor," said Fangcheng's Zhang Rongliiang in 2002. "Don't see me as a white guy," he told us. "I have a Chinese heart."

Wu Xinbai put Balcombe's role historically, saying, "His influence was a turning point in the history of the Chinese Church, Before Balcombe came, no one spoke in tongues, After he left, everyone spoke in tongues and people started to see healings. People saw the change when Balcombe laid hands on them. It was like a fire too big not to spread, After attending his meetings, people sometimes couldn't sleep for three to four days. One man who had been riding a bike got off every time he met someone and shared the Gospel. Before, the Fangcheng's Christians had gathered in secret meetings. Now they shared in the street. Miracles just followed. I personally know many blind people who recovered their sight." [Jesus in Beijing, David Aikman, Regnery Publishing, Inc., 2003, p274.]

"Miracles just followed" is the daily experience of the Indian home church groups. Their orderly fellowship meetings would be hardly classified as Pentecostal by western Christian standards, but their universal application of private prayer "in the spirit" is evident by the fruit. The Indian believers have signs, miracles and wonders beyond those recorded in the book of Acts.

Acts 19:11&12

And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: so that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.

Nowhere in Acts is it recorded that all believers were performing great miracles. In India, I heard of six accounts from individuals who had raised others from the dead and met a seventh person who had been raised from the dead. All accounts were from non-leaders. The earlier account of Lakshimi's healing of her sister's four-month-old daughter was one of these accounts. While Lakshimi did not mention it in her account at the time, others told me later that the child was in fact dead at one point. Miracles are so commonplace that the vast majority go unreported except in the home fellowship.

Conclusion:

Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the growth of this Indian church is the simplicity. No one knows how many believers there are or even how many fellowships; no one keeps count. There are no secretaries, choir directors, committees, boards or fundraisers. It is a church that grows like a tree, of its own accord.

Mark 4:28

The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. (NASB)

There is not much question that doctrine, leadership and prayer are important components of the sustained, explosive growth experienced over the last ten years in the Indian home fellowships. What we observed during our time in India was a legitimate, Biblically based dynamic move of God. Christians in the west can have the same results. We do not need to wait for or ask permission from God. He has already moved at Pentecost and provided written marching orders.

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Acts 1:8

Grace:

God's Continuous Favor

To You

Sangat Singh Bains

Ephesians 1:2

Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father,

and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

This starting greeting, "Grace be to you," is in all the seven Church epistles addressed to the Church of God to which we belong. We belong to one Church, not many churches; one ministry--God's ministry--not many ministries; one head; one Father, and one God.

A smooth life:

This epistle begins with this wonderful word "GRACE". This grace is God's favor. He is saying to us, "My favor to you right now". "My favor to you, my kids." It does not say, "work to you". In this day and time, we do not need to work. Some will say, "What do you mean by that?" I mean, let God work for you. To the degree that we allow God to work for us, the smoother our life will be. The more prosperous and powerful life we are going to enjoy depends on how much we let God work for us. This is why we look only to God, expect only from Him. That is why in the Church epistles, God starts off with this benefit, His greatest benefit--"My favor to you".

It is not that we work every day very hard, alone. Instead, we get God into the picture. We get God introduced into our daily lives. We invite Him and let Him do the works for us. That is why it starts with "My favor". We only need to just let Him do it and confidently allow Him to work for us.

So "Grace" is the first word. "Grace be to you", and that is why the next phrase is, "And peace". God is saying:

"You don't need to solve your own problems."

Peace, not "Unpeace":

We don't need to get working to accomplish something. We let God work for us. We will learn more and more about this wonderful grace of God, how He has done it all for us, accomplished through Jesus Christ. We had nothing to do with it. We stand in this grace by faith and by His favor so we can have peace. In this day and time, God does not want us to have "unpeace" or no peace, but: peace.

Whatever is going on, whether the economy is going up or down, or prices are going up or down, God says, "My grace to you. Look to me, and let Me do. Let Me work for you, My children". This grace and peace comes from God, the creator of the heavens and earth. He is the most high God, the almighty God. He has extended this grace, this wonderful favor, which is our benefit now. It is such a big benefit. It comes from God, the mighty God, who is our Father, our Daddy.

God as Daddy:

Israel had Jehovah as their God, which was good since He is the true God. Other people had Baal as their god. That was not good. We have an even better benefit than Israel for this Jehovah is not only God but also our Father, Daddy.

This information, the revelation of the mystery, gives us confidence that we can go to Him at anytime. There is great benefit in going to our Father, our God and Daddy. He wants to take care of us. Earthly fathers and mothers take care of their children. Children go to their parents expecting to receive. They do not leave them alone until they get the things they want. The fulfillment of a child's expectation is limited by the parent's ability to provide. Many times, the parents even try to do beyond their ability for their sons and daughters. Our God's ability is unlimited. Nothing is impossible with Him. Our God is good, He is almighty, and nothing is impossible for Him.

So this is our great benefit right now. God is saying, "My favor to you", and He doesn't want us to work by ourselves. He doesn't want us to solve our problems and challenges by ourselves. He wants us to come to Him. He is saying, "Come to Me, and I will solve it. Give me all of your problems, and I will solve them". That is our God, our Father. We need to recognize this and tap into His wonderful benefit. God has unlimited finances. God is able, and as God's Word says, our sufficiency is not of ourselves. Our sufficiency is of God, so that is where we should look--look only to God.

Natural praise:

Why do we look only to Him? Why do we have only one God and one Father? It is so that we can receive His benefits. That is what He wants for us. He wants us to have a fun and enjoyable life, to have meaning and purpose in this life. We can have a great life when we let Him do. Then we will see wonderful things happen when we look only to Him, and let Him do.

Then what do we do when God does for us? We automatically say, "Thank you". Praise and thanksgiving come naturally, and God is happy to hear that. His desire is that He can do everything for us. He has done everything for us, and He is doing everything for us now, and He will do everything for us in the future. His children can say, "God, You are wonderful." We should not routinely say, "Thank you, thank you" and not allow Him to do. We let Him do so that we can see what He has done for us and say, "Thank you, God". God is very happy to hear that. That is why we go to Him and let Him do.

Psalm 103:1

Bless the Lord [Jehovah], O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

This psalm was a song. God's favor at that time was towards Israel, and they sang this song. They sang these wonderful, powerful songs, and they magnify God.

Psalm 103:2&3

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases.

These are benefits for the sons and daughters of God. People should become sons and daughters of God so they can receive His many benefits. We only do things when there is a benefit, right? We don't do anything unless it is beneficial. Going to God is the same way. We go to God because He gives us all of His benefits, plenty and plenty of benefits. That is why we go to Him. That is why we expect Him to do, and we have faith in Him.

One of His benefits is "Who forgives all thy iniquities." All, but not the one that you or I did this morning, nor the one that we did this past month? He forgives everything until one month ago, right? NO, He forgives ALL our iniquities.

It also says, "Who heals all thy diseases." All the diseases; not one is missed. Even when a doctor says, "There is no cure; this disease is deadly", it doesn't matter. God's Word says that all your diseases, guaranteed, absolutely guaranteed, are healed.

Psalm 103:4&5

Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

As we look at God's Word, we see plenty of benefits--His favor to us, His children. We are sons and daughters of God, and God wants us to be very happy all the time.

Psalm 68:19

Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation....

He daily loads us with benefits; they are our benefits, and we need to take advantage of these benefits.

Benefits vs. Headaches:

So we need to focus our attention, and the first focus is God. That's the way we can enjoy life. Our focal point cannot be the world. The world doesn't load us with benefits; it loads us with headaches, worry, and doubt. We need to be disciplined so that we go to the best source. God is good, and He is for us, not against us. "How shall He not with him also freely give us ALL things?"(Romans 8:32b) So the logical decision is to look only to God. God is first, the first priority. We will then begin to really tap into all His benefits. We will begin to expect and receive. God wants us to manifest all His benefits, not just some of His benefits.

Jeremiah 17:5

Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man [unhappy be the man] that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.

We don't want to do this. Why would we trust in man and have our hearts depart from the Lord? God only wants to bless us. He only wants to load us with His benefits. The world is tricky; we need to be watchful so we don't trust in anything else but God. This is why we look only to God.

Jeremiah 17:6

For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.

This is not a good picture. We don't want to be like this heath. What God is saying is very obvious: "This is not the best for you. This is how to be unhappy". Look at the contrast in the next verses.

Jeremiah 17:7&8

Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.

For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful [anxious] in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

Absolutely Guaranteed--No Failure:

Blessed is the man or woman who trusts in the Lord; who puts his or her confidence in the Lord and whose hope, or expectation, the Lord is. This person will be like a tree planted by the waters, spreading her roots, not seeing the heat come, but whose leaf is green, not careful in drought, neither ceasing from yielding fruit. This is absolutely guaranteed with no failure.

This is a wonderful benefit, and we want to tap into it. We want everyone to--young children, adults, the elderly. God says if we do this, then we are going to enjoy life in a great and wonderful way. God wants us to be really blessed. Our Father, our Daddy, wants us to be happy. He tells us that we are to go to Him, and we will be blessed, happy.

Jeremiah 2:13

For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

Habitually Go to Him:

God is the fountain of unlimited resources, absolutely unlimited. Figuratively, "living waters" is the abundance of everything that we need or want, and even beyond. That is our God. He is the fountain. This is another benefit, that we can go to the source, God, the fountain of living waters. Don't go to any other source. At any other source, we are not going to be blessed and happy. If we go to sources other than the living waters, we will be doing just what the children of Israel did. They "hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water." They made another source for themselves, but God said that source, that container, had holes through which the water ran out.

Our God is unlimited, and He wants us to go to Him on a regular basis, habitually. We need to practice this to receive His benefits. He wants us to enjoy life in a great way, the greatest way. This is ours when we go to Him.

III John 2

Beloved [we are God's beloved], I wish [I desire. Not just wishful thinking. God's intense desire] above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

So this is what God wants for us in our lives. Prosperity and health are benefits which are available now. A smooth life is absolutely available, and it is not difficult. It is not difficult to manifest prosperity, health, and strength, a life that is smooth. How do we do it? Habitually go to God. Take everything to God. Trust in Him.

II Corinthians 2:14

Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.

It says, "Now", and now is always now. Now, now, now thanks be unto God. That mean that God is always doing something for us; therefore, we can always be saying, "Thank you". When someone does something for us, especially something good and free, we say "Thank you."

Triumph, Not Just Win:

Thanks be unto God who always (not once in awhile), always causes us to triumph in Christ. God is saying to us that He always causes us to triumph, not just win. A football game could be won by a final score of 30 to 28, the winning team scoring by a touchdown pass in the last seconds of the game. That is a victory, but the outcome was in question until the last few seconds of the 4th quarter. There is much sweating and concern when our favorite team is behind until the last few seconds. But God's Word here says, "triumph." Triumph is not a 30-28 last-second win. triumph is 30 to 0, a wipe-out. triumph is God's style. He says that this is a benefit for us, that we can triumph in life.

This is no "storybook" information. Don't think, "Oh, this is nice. I wish this would happen." No, God says, " This is reality, and this is what I want for you. This will happen when you let My grace work for you." When we look only to Him, trust nothing else but look only to God, expect only from Him, then we triumph.

Actually, this is a very simple lifestyle; to live this way is not difficult but very easy. We just decide to make the decision that "From today onward, I am going to take everything to God, and I expect Him to do. I expect Him to work for me". His joy is to work for you.

What is God doing right now? What is God's job description? He is here for us. He is here to work for us so that we are happy, so that we triumph every time. He made it available in Christ. He gave us everything. Christ has done everything for us, and we look only to Him, and we are in Him. These are the wonderful benefits now and in the future.

Benefits Now and in Future:

By looking only to Him, we will also have benefits in the future. We are not just living for this present life. We are living for the next life as well. There is a time when our Lord and Savior returns. Jesus Christ is coming back. Absolutely. We will have benefits in the future when he returns.

The five senses think that the present is reality, but, no, reality is: what God says is reality. He says, "My grace, My favor to you". We are sons and daughters of the Most High God, the best group of people. He wants us to enjoy all His benefits so that those who are not His people will look at us and say, "Please, let me join your club because I want to get the same benefits that you are enjoying."

Philippians 3:13

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.

We all need to have a direction, a target, a finish line. If we don't have this, then we are like Olympic athletes with no finish line who are wondering, "Where do we run?" As God's Word says, "Without vision, people wander aimlessly."(Proverbs 29:18) Ready, set, go, and everyone runs everywhere because they have no finish line. They wander aimlessly. We don't want to be wandering aimlessly.

We need to have vision, and the vision is God's revelation. God's Word is that direction, set by God to be shared with all men. Then we will have energy. God's direction is that all men be saved and be healed. Salvation contains healing, also. God wants all men to be saved and all men to come to the knowledge of the truth. This is His desire, His continuous desire. When we share God's desire, then we have direction. God designed it that when people have direction, a target, an aim, they will have energy. We can move forward with excitement, hope, direction and energy. It is God's Word to the entire world, to all men all over the world.

Philippians 3:14

I press toward the mark for the prize [that finish line] of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

We are not called with an ordinary calling, not with a boring calling nor a mediocre calling, but with a high calling of God in Christ Jesus, and we get a prize. When we live like that, God says we are to expect to receive prizes. The secular world's athletes expect to receive prizes. They are not running for the sake of nothing. They are expecting to win, and God says we also expect to run to that finish line. Then we have energy, we have direction, and we can work together with God.

God has given us the ministry of reconciling men back to Him. He has committed to us the Word of reconciliation. God works in each of us both to will and to do of His good pleasure. When Jesus Christ comes back, we will not be empty-handed. We will enjoy the prize, the reward. We are going to receive wages. We will receive plenty of wages. The time to earn those wages is now. Now is the time, not the next life. Now is the time; we do not want to be ignorant. We do not want to be deceived, so do receive our rewards. Don't give up. Continue running towards that mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

While we move, we look only to God. He is our sufficiency. He is our strength. He is our source of energy; we are refreshed everyday, every new day, every new morning, working together with God.

Philippians 4:15

Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

Autopilot vs. Manual:

If we are otherwise-minded, God will reveal even this to get us back on track, the right track, the right direction. One of the believers in London, who owns several airplanes, recently flew me from England to Ireland. His plane had the most modern technology, including computerized autopilot. He set the flight path and the plane flew. He did not have to do anything. On the monitor, I could watch the flight path as the plane automatically followed it. On manual, the plane deviated from the optimum flight path. On manual, it would take longer to reach the desired destination.

God has a wonderful flight path for us, a wonderful destination for us, and on the way, it is very beautiful. There are no storms. If there are storms, we are more than conquerors. God gives us this beautiful, perfect flight path, and we need to stay on autopilot, not go to manual. We stay on autopilot by looking only to God.

Allow God to take us on that flight path, that wonderful perfect flight path. He is able to do it. We do not have to worry about God's side of the work. Our side of the work is to trust Him, which is very simple. Don't go to other sources, and keep drinking from the fountain of living waters.

God wants to load us with benefits. That is His heart. He has abounded His favor to us through the works of Jesus Christ. When we were not born again, He abounded His grace, His favor. Now we are His and have accepted and confessed Jesus as Lord and believed God raised him from the dead. Now even more favor is coming our way.

I Corinthians 3:6-8

I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. [Even the increase comes from God.]

So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one; and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.

God Is the BOSS:

In our practical life today, God wants to abound in His favor, today and in the future also. The time is coming. Everyone will receive his own reward, guaranteed from the best company--not IBM or Microsoft, but the G-O-D Company. The owner is God, and we work for Him. We are not working for man, We are not working for man's organizations. We are working for God; that should be clear. Who are we living for? Who are we working for? God. Then things become very smooth. The BOSS, God, will direct us very smoothly, and then He will give us guaranteed rewards according to our labor.

I Corinthians 3:9-15

For we are labourers together with God [We are laborers together with God]: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.

According to the grace of God which is given unto me [and grace of God given to you--your talents, the desires that you have for certain things which are different from mine, different from others], as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble [figuratively so we can understand which ones are good ones and which ones are not good ones]:

Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work [This fire will judge every man's work. You and I won't judge.] of what sort it is.

If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

We will receive rewards for what we will do in the future and what we are doing today for almighty God, trusting Him. We have a purpose in this life. We are not living aimlessly. Each one of us has a wonderful plan, a wonderful flight path. God has it for us.

How do we look only to God? It is through the Word of God, God's Word. He has given to us His spirit, the spirit of God that dwells in us today. Through this spirit, we are sons and daughters of God, and this spirit is the spirit of Christ. It's not an ordinary spirit, not the spirit of Elijah, not the spirit of Moses, but the spirit of Christ. With that, we can live a great life, and we can get to know God who is Spirit.

Our only disadvantage is that we cannot see God. God is spirit. We don't see Him. He is with us right now; the almighty God is with us, but we do not see Him. So that's our little shortage or disadvantage. Looking at what Jesus Christ did, we will see that God has even taken care of this small disadvantage.

John 1:18

No man hath seen God at any time [no man has seen because God is spirit. So what was Jesus doing about 2000 years ago?]; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared Him.

Jesus declared God in the senses world. People could get to know God, that wonderful, mighty God who is good. That is what Jesus did, and that gets us to have faith. We are able to have confidence, faith in God when others or we declare the mighty God by His Word, or through testimonies.

David also declared that living and true God. He declared God's works. People can see works, so he declared the works that God had done for him, how God had delivered him from all of his troubles. His declarations inspired faith. It inspired faith in people who heard the declarations and testimonies. I am sure that while David was declaring God's work, his own faith soared. David's testimonies of God's work still inspire faith in us today as we read Psalms.

It Is Written:

Confessing the Word builds our faith. That is why Jesus Christ talked to, even spoke directly to, the tempter, Satan. In Matthew 4:4, Jesus answered and said, "It is written". We go back to "it is written," the simple and wonderful and true Word. As it is written, we don't have to add to it. We don't have to subtract a word from it, or turn it around but just as it is written. He said, "It is written." He didn't say, "I think," or, "I feel like saying to you." No, "It is written."

Matthew 4:4

But he [Jesus] answered and said, "It is written,

Man shall not live by bread alone [we can have bread, but not alone], but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

There are many pages in the Bible, and many are God's testimonies, God's own testimony about His faithfulness, His absoluteness to deliver His people. There is no failure with God. He gave many examples so that when we go to His Word, we can have confidence in Him. Though we do not see Him, we can have confidence in Him. That is why we live by every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Today our testimonies are inspiring; our testimonies of God's action, God's wonderful goodness that we can share so that people can have faith.

John 17:17

Sanctify them through thy truth: thy Word is truth.

Jesus said this, and he recognized that God's Word is truth, absolute truth. Jesus Christ was absolutely convinced that God's Word is truth. We also can become convinced and go to no other source but God. That is why we go to His truth, His Word.

Romans 10:17

So then faith [confidence, confident expectation] cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.

It is good to hear the Word of God and to hear songs that have the Word of God. That inspires, too.

Mark 11:22

And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith [confidence] in God.

Jesus Christ encouraged people to have faith and confidence in God. Jesus Christ always got people's faith to rise up. Look at the scriptures in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Jesus spoke the Word and built people to become strong in faith. That is what he was doing; he declared the Father by his works, and people's faith rose.

This faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word. Therefore, we speak the Word. We let people know that God is good. A very simple thing we can say to people is, "You can be healed right now." Declare testimonies of what God has done for you. Then people can expect and receive healing right now.

I John 5:14

And this is the confidence that we have in him [in God], that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.

This is the confidence that God wants us to have in Him. Jesus said, "Have faith in God." God's will is very wide, not narrow and straight so that we cannot ask much of God. He has many things, many wills, but above all things He wishes for us is prosperity and health. (III John 2) Asking alongs the line of prosperity and health is fine with God; it is within His will.

We can ask God pretty much anything. We don't have to worry, "Hmm, is this according to His will or not?" Don't worry; we are asking our Daddy. In this particular time in which we live, God is our Father and our Daddy. He doesn't get angry if we by mistake, or even willingly, ask something ridiculous. He doesn't care. There won't be thunderbolts or lightning striking you. It won't happen. He wants us to have confidence. Go to Him with confidence and expectation.

The revelation of the Mystery is that God is our Father. Not only our God, but also our Father. We are His children and have access to His presence all the time. We are holy, without blame before Him in love. We can go to Him with confidence, and we should. We should make a decision to make it our habitual practice to go to the almighty God who is our Daddy.

Take your requests and desires to Him and see what He will do. God's children have this distinct advantage and benefit. He says, "My favor to you." Tap into that. We will see signs, wonders and miracles left and right. Every day we will have fun because we go to the fountain of living waters. This is God's request, "Come to me. I am your Daddy. I want to answer your prayers. I want to work for you."

WHATSOEVER:

His own words say, "This is the confidence that we have in Him," not doubt. If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. God hears you. Even though we don't see Him, it doesn't matter. When we sit in our living room, bathroom, bedroom, outside walking, or in our car, we can have confidence in God, our Daddy, that He absolutely hears us.

I John 5:15

And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.

Whatsoever we ask, whatsoever. God says, "Whatsoever." That's His desire, that we stretch out, that we don't limit or stay within a box. Open those walls and reach out. We have the petitions (plural) that we desired of Him. This is our God, and that is his His heart. He so loved us that He gave His only begotten son. It is not that we live today with difficulties and challenges, and life is hard and we don't know what is going on. No! No! No! That is not why He gave His only begotten son.

God gave Jesus Christ so that we can have God as our Father. God actively acts as Father in this day and time. His grace abounds in our lives so that we can enjoy this life until His son returns. It is not that we beg His return. "Come on, Jesus; please, please come back." NO! We don't have to talk and live that way. We can confidently say, "Okay, it doesn't matter. Just wait for a little so I can enjoy this life and earn rewards."

Jesus Christ taught people to have faith and declare the God who is invisible, the almighty God. Today, by God's grace and mercy, we have knowledge of the Great Mystery. Through this knowledge, we come to know:

Who we are before Him

What we have today

Where we are seated

God has loaded us with benefit after benefit. God wants all men. By declaring God's goodness all over the world, many people will say, "I want to join your family".

if you desire additional copies of this study or other books, syllabuses or CDs, please contact Sangat at:

sangatb@satyam.net.in