Badlapur - Gujarat - Mumbai - Pune - June 2022

I was invited by Pastor Shekhar David to be one of the guest speakers at his End Time Believers Meet: Harvest Jubilee Convention, to be held from the 3^rd to the 5^th of June, 2022 at ‘Almost Heaven’ Convention Centre in Badlapur, Mumbai.

This trip came after a huge lull in the ministry and I was happy to oblige. It would be a time of renewal for me as well, meeting the brethren from other parts of India, good Christian fellowship, soaking up the Spoken Word, and visiting with old friends I had not seen in years.

I left by an early morning flight on the 1^st of June and was in Mumbai by 8:30 am. I was received by Bro Ashish, a part of Pastor Shekhar’s team, and we traveled by car to Badlapur before the morning traffic had a chance to spread its tentacles across the Mumbai roadways.

We didn’t stop for breakfast, but picked up some fast food (Mumbai’s famous vada pav :-D) on the way.

Almost Heaven, Badlapur is true to its name. Pastor Chacko, who has been in the ministry since 1985, with his talent for planning and organization, had set up the place in such a way that it was indeed a haven for us, those few days we were there.

The expansive grounds were decked with fruit trees – papayas, jackfruit, bananas, mangoes, and chickoos in abundance. The theme of the centre was, “Ask and you shall receive.” But the Chackos had my menu well in hand. They kept me well supplied with mangoes even without being asked. J

The center has 12 non AC dorm rooms with 15 beds in each room, and 3 AC rooms with 6 beds each, all separated by screens for privacy, ample walking space in the corridors, and the piny, woody scent of the ourdoors in the air.

Click here for 'Almost Heaven' Bird's Eye View

I was waiting to meet Bro. Prashanth and his family who had said they would be attending, and Sis. Gladys and her friend who had also planned to come. There’s nothing like good friends and fellowship to rest the mind and merry the heart.

I had the run of the place with only the organizing team inhabiting the center until the 3^rd. I met Pastor Shekhar and the other organizers, and had some time to spend in rest and meditation before the other guests from Gujarat, Punjab, and other parts of Maharashtra arrived.

The Gujarat Music Team, part of Pastor Shekhar’s ministry in Gujarat arrived on the 3^rd with their instruments and musical set up. The orchestra began playing that evening on the grounds and it was as if a celebration had begun.

Almost 700 people were estimated to arrive by nightfall.

Click here to watch Gujarat Orchestra Pre-Meet Jam.

The meetings were divided into 4 sessions: 7 to 8 am, 10:30 am to 1:00 pm, 5:00 to 6: 00 pm, and 6:00 to 10:00 pm.

Pastor Shekhar and his team would handle the Morning Devotion Prayer Sessions and some of the Evening Preaching Sessions.

I was given a chance to preach on Saturday Morning. My message was the ‘The High Mountain Vision’ based on Luke 9: 28 to 36.

It was a call for all believers to examine their faith and their calling, to determine where exactly they stood in the present - sleeping while the transfiguration was taking place? on the sidelines looking in to the glory cloud and pondering on setting up tents for Moses and Elijah? or covered by the Glory Cloud and hearing the Voice of God speaking to them directly.

Pastor Robin Shinde interpreted the message in Hindi.

I was also asked to lead a Youth Meeting on the afternoon of the 5th.

Pastor Shinde from Mumbai, spoke at the Pastor’s Conference on Saturday, the 4th.  

Pastor Samuel led the Women's Meeting from 5:00 to 6:00 pm on Sunday Evening, the 5th.

An overwhelming joy swelled in my heart to hear the youth from different parts of India come together and praise and worship the Lord in their own tongues and cultural melodies.

Click here to watch a worship video.

Bro. Prashanth and family, and Sis Gladys and her friend Sis. Bella, whom she had been sharing the truth with all arrived on the morning of the 3rd.

Bro. Prashanth and family

Sis Gladys and Sis Bella

Pastor Shekhar's messages throughout the Convention emphasized the Unity of the Godhead.  

Pastor MacDonald Samuel preached on The Coming of the Lord.

Pastor Shinde shared experiences from his Ministry and exhorted the congregation on The Way Ministers in the Word Ought to Live.

Many young believers came forward with testimonies and songs to the Lord.

The young ones gathered together to put up Biblical Skits and Praise Dances at the end of the day.

The daytime sessions were held in the indoor auditorium, and the evening meetings and programs were conducted on the campus grounds.

Click here for a glimpse of the Convention's programs.

On Sunday evening, the evening of the last day, a Healing and Deliverance Service was organized. All of us ministers formed 2 lines facing each other and all those in need of prayer were asked to walk between us in a prayer line as we raised our hands above them and prayed for the sick and oppressed. As they passed under us, many were healed and delivered of evil spirits. The presence of the Lord was palpable, and the anointing on the congregation was mighty.

The youth meeting on day 3 was cancelled due to certain circumstances, and it was a bit discouraging as I had planned a wonderful message for the young people there. However some of the youth who had been looking forward to my message for the day came to my room in a small group, and after some time of worship and prayer, asked me to share the Word with them. I advised them regarding the Trials of Youth, the Young Christian’s Prayer Life, and Growing in the Holy Spirit. They all confessed they had been touched and would pray that they had a chance to hear me preach again.

Click here to watch Youth Prayer Video.

All in all it was a wonderful and blessed experience bonding with old friends over the space of those 3 days, spending the hours in the presence of the Lord, my mind completely immersed in His Word and my heart rejoicing in the fellowship of brethren of like faith.

It all ended so soon. The organizers slowly bid adieu to the attendees who had all almost left by the evening of the 5^th, and some waiting for their respective trains and buses on the morning of the 6^th.

Pastor Shekhar informed me that we had been invited to Gujarat for a meeting on the 10^th and the 11^th, and so our initial plan for Kolhapur had to be cancelled. Our meeting in Aurangabad was also postponed, as the son of a pastor in Ahmednagar had fallen seriously ill and was in the ICU. His relatives were actually the organizers for those meetings, and as such could not quite make it. So Pastor Shekhar suggested we take up the Gujarat meetings instead and then invited me to preach at his churches in Mumbai and Pune on Sunday, the 12th.

A New Borivli

I had some free time between the 6^th and the 9th, so decided to visit Bro. Russell and Sis. Reena, my faith family in Borivli, Mumbai. Bro. Russell’s mother had recently passed away and I had a chance to visit with his dad, and a chance to meet Sis. Elize (Sis. Reena’s mother) as well. Bro. Russell’s kids had grown since I had last seen them and it was a pleasure travelling through Borivli and wondering at the drastic changes and developments that had taken place over the space of a couple of years.

After some good fellowship and catching up on all the sweet and spicy Mumbai news, it was time for me to return to the Center. 

I also had a chance to fellowship with members of Pastor Shekhar’s family in the interim - Bro. Daniel and his family, Bro. Moses's family, Sis. Jyothi and her family, and Bro. Satish James's family all in Ambernath. Good food, worship and singing about our Lord together, and hearty fellowship is a good combination for happiness, which is what I had in double doses with these good people of God.

Click here to watch our home fellowship video.

We left Mumbai at 8:00 am the next day for Umargaon, Gujarat. It seemed like a never ending journey (almost 11 hours).

We reached Umargaon by 12:30 pm, and had lunch at the home of an acquaintance there. The Pinto family had begun an Ashram (orphanage) for kids in the area and we were shown around and asked to pray for the endeavour.

It was nearly 9:00 pm by the time we reached our destination – a little village named Bedwan, some 45 kms from Surat.

I was dead tired when I got out of the car. But on seeing the faces of the believers who had gathered there for the evening meeting, and (as I was told), had traveled vast distances for it as well, hungry and thirsty for the Word of God, I was refreshed in my Spirit, and after a quick wash up, I imparted the Word to them. 

My message that evening was based on Luke 21: 34 to 36 – a Warning Message regarding how the believer should live in Readiness and Expectation of the Coming of the Lord, striving always to cast off the cares of the world, and not to be ensnared by its pleasures.

The meeting was conducted in the front yard of a believer brother, Bro. Nilesh who was the School Headmaster in the area.

 

There were around 75 people in attendance that evening. Dinner was served and we retired to our rooms in Bro. Anand Padvi's house soon after, weary of the travel.

The next day was the house warming prayer service for Bro. Bhim Singh of the congregation there, and Pastor Shekhar took the morning message in hand.

He preached on how ‘We are the house of God’, and how each believer ought to Honour and Glorify the Lord in their Lives and Homes as a Testimony to Christ living in them.

We left after a hearty lunch by 3 pm on the 11^th and were on the road for a good 9 hours before we touched the outskirts of Mumbai, 12:30 am by the time we reached our lodgings. I was ready for bed the moment my head touched the pillow.

Sunday arrived, and with no time to spare I was up the next morning all packed and raring to go.

My message for the church in Mumbai was 'Prophetic Awareness for our times'. I reiterated my teachings on the prophecies that were meant to be fulfilled in our times touching on the Battle of Ezekiel and current world events, exhorted the church regarding keeping a watch on fulfilling prophecies which serve as a timepiece for us, exhorted the youth regarding a deeper commitment to Christ and separation from the world, and emphasized the soon Coming of Christ.

We then left for Pune at around 2:00 pm and were there in around 3 hours.

The meeting was held in the Salvation Army Chapel in Pul Gate, Pune.

My message that evening was again 'Prophetic Awareness for our times' - an extended version - Prophecies regarding Israel, Signs of World Conflicts, the Foretold Destruction of America, the Importance of Prayer for Revival, and an Emphasis on Yielding to the Spirit of Prophecy for our times.

Bro. Rajeev, our brother in the Lord in Pune, attended the meeting there. It was heartening to meet him after such a long time. He too had lost his father a year ago, and I hadn’t seen him since Covid had hit.

With Pastor Shekhar
& wife, Sis. Thangam.

I left Mumbai with an invitation for future meetings later in the year.

Hopefully, the meetings that could not be, this time round, will take place sometime else.

Until then, I bear in mind all the godly memories of a Word Wedding Feast that gladdened my heart.

Do pray for Pastor Shekhar’s ministry, his wife, Sis. Thangam and son Jeremiah, his brothers Moses and Daniel who assist him in the work, his sister Jyothi, his brother-in- law, Satish, their families, and the congregations in Mumbai and Pune.

With the organizers and volunteers of Harvest Jubilee Convention 2022

We thank the Lord for making these meetings a success, for the burden and toil each believer brother and sister put in as their contribution for the work of the Lord, for all the ministers who attended, preached, and interpreted the Word at the meetings, and for all those who took time off from their work and daily routine to attend and share in the blessing of the Lord.

Shalom.