Christian Revival, Kingdom of God, Jesus Ministry, Holy Spirit, Bible Study, Disciple of Christ, Spiritual Quest

This is a letter received recently from India that I wanted to pass along to our readers. It is just to help you see the impact of RevivalHut Ministry’s web teaching ministry being embraced across the nations. We receive these similar letters at least five times a week and it is our desire to steward the message God has given us. We live in a very unstable world, where many are suffering with issues far beyond our minor financial crisis. I’m not wanting to minimize our struggles, but set them in a context that helps us understand how very wealthy we truly have become. Imagine living on $1.00 a month, a week, a day even… this is the plight of most of the people we are touching everyday in this ministry. A ministry you are helping to make available by your giving and your prayer support. Thank you and may God bless you as you read this request from Pastor Sukumar of India.

Dear Pastor Ron,
I greet you in the most highly exalted name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. God has privileged me to send this e-mail for your kind cooperation for the extension of the Kingdom of God. As God inspires you, please have your involvement in the way God enables you and strengthens your hand. Years are passing very quickly. We know that our dear Lord’s coming is very imminent. We are seeing the signs of His advent, but still there is a lot of Gospel work to do. A number of precious souls are perishing before our eyes without knowing Jesus. Our ambition is to reach every nook and corner of the globe and promote the Gospel to every perishing soul. In this regard I request you to have your involvement here in the land of India. Our prayer is that a way will be open and that our Lord inspires you and enables you.

India’s Enormous Need:

You know that India is a country of idolatry and superstitions. Indians worship more than 35 million gods and goddesses. Out of one billion Indians only 2.4% are Christian. There have been endeavors to root our Christianity from India. We sense that in the coming days the doors for Gospel work in India will be closed and Christianity will not be allowed at all. Before that happens we wish to do as much Gospel work as we can and save as many perishing souls as we can.

My Request:

In this regard I request you very humbly to have your partnership in the Gospel work in India. If it is possible for you please visit India to share the Gospel of the Kingdom with our people. Your heart toward the pastors and leaders will encourage our mission. We believe for a thunder bolt of God’s love and power to be released upon the darkness of our nation. It is the work of the enemy and our desire is to lead many in the Light of Christ’s Salvation.

Looking for Breakthrough:

Your regular prayers are very important to us. Jesus said to Peter in John 21:15-17 “Feed my Lambs”. We believe that it is the will of our Heavenly Father to feed His Lambs. I have looked at your website with great delight to see the teachings there. We have used them and shall continue as the Lord leads. Our ministry reaches the poor, organizes and meets to help orphans and the elderly widows, health care etc. I await your kind reply prayerfully and hopefully.
Thanking you, Brother in the wonderful love of God,
S. Sukumar,
INDIA

• Psalm 37:23-24 If the Lord delights in a man’s way, He makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with His hand.
• Psalm 94:18 When I said, “My foot is slipping,” Your love, O Lord, supported me.
• Psalm 145:14 The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.
• Isaiah 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
• Philippians 4:11-13 …for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Knowing how to be content is one of the most undiscovered disciplines in the Christian world. More than any other skill or ability I can perfect, more than any passion I can muster and more than any amount of influence I can carry; this one character trait puts my life on solid ground. Yet, being content is not a natural thing for me. I’ve had to learn how to cooperate with God and listen for His footsteps in the cool of the day… and all too often I’ve heard His voice cry “Adam, Adam where are you” (Gen. 3:8-10). 

  I am learning to be held by God.

To be held is to discover the secret place in Christ, where the past is settled and the future is secure. Being held is more than just feeling that all is well. Its knowing, with an inward assurance, that even when storms or problems arise, there is a God who walks with me. Jesus said “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Mt. 11:28-30).

Rest for the Soul:

This is the contentment… the rest for our souls, that every follower of Christ must aim to learn. To be held by God is to delight in the perfect fit of this “yoke” Jesus speaks about. God wants to uphold us by His mighty hand and support us with the power of His love, but we must come up into the yoke for ourselves. Like a life jacket, we must learn how to put it on in rough waters, become familiar with its fit and rely upon it so that it becomes our favorite piece of spiritual clothing.

His Strength Upholds:

I am so amazed at how dependable and constant the Lord is in taking care of His own. Even though I am His child and seek to please Him, He knows that I am weak and imperfect. He says He will “make my steps firm and though I stumble, I will not fall”. “Though” does not mean ”if” but “when”. He knows that I will stumble in my walk with Him. He knows that there will be times when my foot will slip. And yet, in those times when I am weak and falter He does not abandon me, He strengthens me. He stretches forth his hand to catch me and hold me up. He supports me so that I do not fall completely. He bears up under me to keep me upright. He reinforces His love for me and tells me not to be afraid or discouraged. He reminds me that He is my God and encourages me to continue on. He whispers, “Do not give up, I am here to hold you”. Even with all my weaknesses and shortcomings He loves and accepts me.

How awesome is my Lord and Savior! How wonderful is His grace to me! For I am learning that it is far better to be held… than to be strong.

The story you are about to read is not an unfamiliar part of the African Culture. There is a limited police force in the slums and often the practice of dealing with a thief is immediate and violent. I have seen with my own eyes violent mobs stoning young people who were caught stealing things from the market. I have come to feel such a burden for these pastors as their ministries are facing great challenges. This dear Brother Lucas Maina is one of our partnering pastors in Eldoret and I have written about him before. He is a faithful brother and our relationship was begun by his participation in one of our pastor’s conferences. The ripples of this event have touched our hearts deeply and I felt you would pray for their ministry to remain strong in the midst of this recent incident.

“Two of our pastors in Mombasa, Kenya were burnt beyond recognition as they were doing door to door evangelism.” (writes Pastor Lucas Maina)

We are very shocked today at the news that our two brothers were killed in Mombasa! Please pray for our nation, because our hearts are troubled. We have chosen to withdraw for a day or two to pray and seek the Lord! Two of our pastors in Mombasa, Kenya were burnt beyond recognition as they were doing door to door evangelism. It has affected us deeply. There is still an ongoing investigation, but the pastors were said to have gone to witness to a witch doctor and he accused them of being thieves! It has been reported to us that the witch doctor raised an alarm and called for a mob. Our two brothers were doused with gasoline and set a blaze. They are faithful brothers and one was a close friend, Pastor Jackson Kioko. The other is Pastor Juma of Nyali Baptist Church. Although Kenya police are still at work investigating the cause of why two clergymen were lynched - it is yet unknown. We have become very affected by this loss of two pastors in door to door evangelism.

We have been in touch with Pastor Jackson’s family. Just last week he called me and we shared much on soul winning, because we have similar mission works in Eldoret and Mombasa. Although we are independent ministries, we have much in common and we love each other as brothers. Our hearts are set on reaching and winning souls to Jesus!

It is not uncommon for us to see struggles and press on, even as the witch doctors practice in our region. We find the strength and wisdom to speak openly as God leads us. We have managed to reach 5 witch doctors in Langas area! Hundreds have been reached by the Gospel of the Kingdom and our church building is full of new believers. We give all the glory to Jesus! 

We thank the Lord for the prayers of the saints all over the world! Though we too have seen such violence, the Lord has been able to deliver us. One day on our mission a Muslim man open his dogs upon us. Again, we were threatened by a witch doctor after we removed some of her crafts. Once we were chased with a sharp panga (large knife) by a man believed to be a thief, who found us praying for his family. Realize it is not easy to reach out in the slums. We covet your prayers.

In the case of these two pastors, we do not understand. How can they be confused for thieves? We are told that the witch doctor shouted that they were thieves after they witnessed to him! How can two pastors with their Bibles and Gospel literature in their hands, be confused for thieves? The people who did this were ones who hated the Christian faith and had no understanding of the God who loves them so much! Please pray for our leaders, pray for their courage and the protection of their families as we press forward in the work of God. Thank you Pastor Ron, we love you and look forward to hearing from you soon.

Link to News Video (May 9, 2012): http://youtu.be/zSWuvRht4k4

Link to News Video (follow-up): http://youtu.be/J1zDnIkjosg

Link to News Video (Police Inquiry): http://youtu.be/Dct0Cwog5fE

Limuli, Uganda

Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I Am has sent me to you.’ God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers-the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob-has sent me to you.’ This is My Name forever, the Name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation. (Ex. 3:13-15) 

This is what you say, when they ask you – “Who has sent you? Say I Am sent me!”

We see Moses, who had been residing on the backside of the desert for 40 years living in the shadow of the biggest failure of his life. Now he has a personal confrontation with God, who asks him to take on a task that seems way beyond his confidence and abilities. First Moses comes up with excuses and then he asks the question, as if realizing that getting out of this task is a loosing battle. “Suppose I go… what if they ask… who shall I say sent me?” 

What a Question:  

Asking God who He is? Remember, up to this point, Moses really didn’t know the God of his fathers. He had been raised in the Egyptian Palace and walked in the courts of the Pharaoh. It was like he said, “God I’ll go, but I’ve got to know that You are backing me up here. I’ve got to be able to tell them who told me to do this. Who are You?” Note that the Lord does not rebuke the question, but instead He gives Moses an answer. The answer, that answers all the questions he would ever have again. 

What an Answer: “I Am!”  

“I AM” …not I was or I will be, but I Am! These two words proclaimed, are more effective than any other two words ever spoken. I AM indicates that God is in the present carrying the authority, right now at this very moment holding all the power in the palm of His hand. “Whatever you need Moses. At the moment you need it – I AM… will be with you!” 

An Awesome Promise: 

When shacken or rattled by life’s greatest barriers, I Am becomes your answer! God will be with you whenever and for whatever… at the moment we need His helping hand. The God of the Universe, the Everlasting Father, will be exactly what you need when you need Him. 

When I feel pressed beyond my ability to endure! When I wonder off track and come to my senses!  When I stand wanting a word in due season! Then I proclaim – “I Am has sent me!” God is here and all is not lost. This very moment I Am is ready with the resources to be everything I require for fruitfulness and success. 

God has Sent Me: 

So devil, I put you on alert… no weapon formed can prosper. Problems, I will not cast away my confidence. Sin and frailty, you are not my destiny. I Am has sent me and He has become my identity! It is God who works in me both to will and to do His good pleasure. So, I will not tremble nor step back from the assignments of my life… I Am has sent me!

This is what the Lord says- Your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go. If only you had paid attention to My commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea.” (Isa. 48:17-18)

“If Only…”

These words echo in the heart of those who live with regrets. We have all found ourselves off track to some degree… with strange perceptions, bad choices and wasted opportunities. Many times in our self-absorbed lifestyles, we think that we are doing the right thing or going in the right direction only to find out that we have been wrong. We hit the wall or reach the end of the rope and cannot find our way out. Some have so damaged their future that recovery would require a miracle. Life is not something we should guess at or rush into, but problems are often the high price we pay for trying to please everyone around us. Perhaps you have felt the shame and embarrassment that follows these words… “if only I had paid attention” to God. 

Losing Peace:

God has given us all that we need for life and godliness in His Word and by the guidance of the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:2-4). He knows what is best for us and He desires to teach us those things, because He loves us. Unfortunately we sometimes refuse what God teaches us and insist on doing our own thing. When we do this, we eventually find that we have lost our peace and our life gets full of unnecessary problems and difficulties.  

God is Gracious:

God will not leave us in our confusion if we are willing to return and recover what has been lost. His arms are always open for us and He is always waiting for our return. Although we hear within our soulish man, “If only you had listened”, God does not leave us in defeat if we will come to Him in faith. We often beat ourselves up with the “if only’s”. If only we had not done this or if only we had done that instead. But in spite of what we have done, there is hope in God!

God in His mercy, invites us into a fresh peace that flows like a river and a wealth of righteousness that washes over us like the waves of the sea.

Shifting the Focus:

We cannot change the past, but we can shift the focus and live beyond the regrets of the past. Jesus tells us, “YOU ARE FORGIVEN!”. This changes everything inside of us, when we know we are free of the past, free of the guilt and free of the entanglements. The chains that have held us fall lifelessly to the floor, so we can begin anew. We can begin today with the right choices and listen to God’s instructions for Kingdom life. We can begin now with fresh perspective and limitless possibilities. In return God will cause us to walk in the righteousness, peace and joy of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 14:17).

Life to the Fullest:

Have you gotten off track and done your own thing only to find that you have lost your peace and brought unnecessary problems into your life? Take ownership of your future and shift the focus… living beyond your regrets is a matter of choosing who gets to speak into your heart. God’s invitation is not to control you, but to free you to enjoy life to the fullest. 

The key is to hear His heart: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you.”