On April 12th, I arrived in Hyderabad, India and joined up with my Brothers Hessel Baker and Brice Kopas, for what would be my third mission trip to India in as many years. I sensed God calling me to India for a specific purpose and in a very short time I was on the plane to India. Just three years ago, if you had asked me about India, I would have told you that it would be one of the last places on earth that I would ever want to see or visit. Oh, how God’s ways are higher than my ways; His thoughts higher than my thoughts! It was an extremely edifying, yet humbling, experience.
Before I share the focus of my trip, let me share with you what I perceive to be the greatest need amongst these pastors. These faithful brothers have tremendous prayer lives and they are so faithful to their work. With that being true, the greatest need I see in the lives of these pastors and congregations is the need for sound biblical teaching and instruction. There is a great need to educate the pastors so that they in turn can educate and disciple faithful men and women in their congregations who “will be able to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:2) Please pray for God to give the Sharon India Foundation wisdom and discernment on how it can best serve these brothers and sisters in this area. Your prayers, thoughts, comments and ideas are coveted in this matter.
This trip focused on two major areas in which I sensed God’s prompting me to encourage our brothers. The first area of focus was to encourage and exhort the brothers to unity in Jesus Christ. Imagine having nothing- literally- and living in a nation as oppressive as India. Let me tell you, I have never sensed such darkness and oppression anywhere as I do in India. With the Sharon India Foundation supporting pastors and their ministries and while living so far below the poverty line, one can only imagine the propensity to compare one’s self to others- to become discontent- to become envious and jealous- to become embittered- which can quickly lead to division. God gave me six sweet hours with the key pastors and team leaders at our condo. We worked through all of these issues and as “the Light shined on the darkness” of our hearts, it seemed the Holy Spirit was at work. We repented in tears “that every intent of the thoughts of our hearts is only evil continually.” (Genesis 6:5) Since my return, I have had encouraging reports that the unity among pastors and the zeal for the Great Commission has never been stronger. May God accomplish His redemptive plan through our faithful Indian brothers.
The second area of focus was the Great Commission- to exhort and encourage the key pastors and the entire Sharon Prayer Warriors Fellowship (apx. 160 pastors) to fulfill this calling. At this meeting there was again great emphasis (from me) on unity in Christ and unity in the carrying out of The Great Commission. There was a strong urging (from Hessel) to take our eyes off of self and place them on the souls around us who perishing- to reach the lost around us who are literally “burning their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods” (Deut. 12:31) as they give themselves and their children to the gods of today’s culture… to the destruction of their souls. Finally, there was a strong calling (from Brice) for men who will “stand in the gap” (Ezekiel 22:30) and for men to rise up and labor together- to build a wall and to guard and protect it in unity. Here again, we felt a movement of the Holy Spirit, as confirmed by the pastors since we returned to the USA. In my humble opinion, this is the message of our day in this great time of apostasy.
Help, Lord, for the godly man ceases to be, For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men. Psalm 12:1
Men, the body of Christ is under heavy attack from all directions. We are all under heavy attack from the enemy who is the master of camouflage. The enemy is everywhere and comes in every shape and form; may we as brothers around the world be on the alert; may we unite, stand in the gap and be about the business of our Lord- for “behold, He is coming quickly” (Revelation 22:7)
May I exhort you, my dear brothers, to rise up in these times of testing; to rise up in these times of temptation; to rise up in these times of trial; to rise up in the time of tribulation and stand in HIM!
Rise up, O men of God!
Have done with lesser things.
Give heart and mind and soul and strength
to serve the King of kings.
Rise up, O men of God!
The kingdom tarries long.
Bring in the day of brotherhood
and end the night of wrong.
Rise up, O men of God!
The church for you doth wait,
her strength unequal to her task;
rise up, and make her great!
Lift high the cross of Christ!
Tread where his feet have trod.
As brothers of the Son of Man,
rise up, O men of God!
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