Punjab - Haryana - Himachal Pradesh 2016
Back from a successful ministry trip to the Andamans, we had only two days at home before we set off for the Great Punjab.
Our flight was booked from Coimbatore to Mumbai, and onwards to Chandigarh for the 2nd of December.
The meetings in Punjab and Haryana had been arranged through the relative of one of the brothers who is a part of our ministry. This brother put me in touch with a couple of pastors there, who had chalked out a full schedule for the 10 days we would be in the North.
2nd December
We arrived at Chandigarh International Airport at 2:00 pm.
Pastor Peter came to receive us at the airport, and drove us the 20 kms to his home in Sector 35 C. He and his wife Sis. Reehana made us feel so much at home and turned their drawing room into a mini guest house for us.
Sis. Reehanna is a convert from Islam with a beautiful testimony.
Pastor Peter resides in Chandigarh with his wife, his daughter Hannah, and son Prince Joshua.
 |
| With Pastor Peter's family |
The family was a part of the Apostolic Christian Assembly. Called to minister at a young age, Pastor Peter now leads a congregation in Chandigarh.
Once we had a good rest, we were again geared up for our first meeting in Haryana, some 20 kms way from Pastor Peter’s home. Punjab and Haryana share the same capital city: Chandigarh which is an Indian Union Territory. And in the next few days we took many detours through the city to get from one place to the next between the two states.
We made our way there by cab with the pastor’s younger brother Stephen Raj, who we heard, was a wonderful translator. Our meeting in Haryana had been arranged for 6:30 pm in the Indian Pentecostal Assembly church in Sector 21, Panchkula, which had been established there some 20 years ago. Pastor Edward and his wife gave us a warm welcome.
The crowd was a mix of Tamil and Hindi speakers, so I preached in my native tongue, Tamil, and the Pastor’s wife, Sis. Mercy acted as interpreter.
The first day there, gauging the spiritual listlessness in the audience, I spoke about how important it was for the Christian believer to love the Word of God. I touched on John 1:1, and its parallels in Genesis 1:1, and II Timothy 3:16.
I also spoke on the suffering of Christ, the shedding off of worldliness, and the importance of sanctification, especially with regard to the times we are living in.
There were about 50 members present for the first day’s meeting.
3rd December
The following day, Pastor Peter had a thanksgiving meeting at a believer’s home in Maloya Colony, Chandigarh, on account of her grandson’s birthday, and so asked me to deliver a small message there.
After a wonderful time of worship and prayer, I addressed the small gathering with a message on how the human body mirrors the heavens and the throne of God.
I spoke about the stages in a believer’s life, and the urgency of witnessing for Christ in our times.
The youth in Pastor Peter’s church are a lively and reverent bunch. Fellowship with them was truly a joy.
We were invited to lunch at Pastor Peter’s mother’s home that afternoon, after which we left for a short break before our second evening meeting at Pastor Edward’s church.
Those who had heard the first day’s message in Panchkula, IPA appreciated the Word so much that they had called the others who hadn’t been present, and that day, the little hall was packed with around 80 believers, and also others just visiting the church.
The second day I delved deeper into the Word and spoke on the worship and sacrifice of Cain and Abel, our deliverance from sin through Christ, the believer’s spiritual walk, and Noah’s ark and its typing of Christ. Bro. Stephen Raj interpreted the message in Hindi.
Pastor Edward expressed his appreciation and bid us adieu that evening, as we made our way back to Chandigarh.
4th December
The next day being Sunday, I was offered the pulpit at Pastor Peter’s Church. The church gathered at The Musafir Auditorium in Sector 24 C, Chandigarh.
The congregation was about 150 strong.
My message covered the importance of reading and understanding the Word of God, obedience to the Word, the Fall of Lucifer, deception in Christianity, and the symbolism of Noah’s Ark and its message of salvation relevant for our times.
All those who attended were blessed.
5th December
We had time to spare before our evening meeting in the same church the next day, so Pastor Peter and his wife took us for a drive around Chandigarh. We weren’t that interested in sight seeing, (as usual L), but it was nice to take in the well planned streets and tree lined districts of Chandigarh during our drive to the local bazaar.
What struck us most was the neatness, the exemplary organized infrastructure of the place, and the brick buildings that opened up into lively Punjabi households. The driving was a bit risky with many round-abouts and a minimal stretch of speed bumps.
Chandigarh has a surplus of Tamil inhabitants, as we learned. These were the generations of the first Tamil migrators from the South who came northwards after independence, in search of better jobs, and were absorbed into government employment for laying the roadways in Chandigarh. It was nice to communicate in our own language so far from home.
After a short winter wear shopping spree, we sped home for lunch and then prepared for our evening meeting in the same Auditorium as the previous day. There were only around 50 people present owing to the lateness of the meeting time, (it began at 7:00 pm that day), and the fog which had begun to spread over the roads in the evenings.
That evening I continued my Sunday discourse, rehashing the Fall of Lucifer, explaining the Mystery of Iniquity, the threat that the Ecumenical movement poses to the Christian world, Revelation chapters 13 and 17, Daniel chapters 2, and 7, current world events shaping our future, the mark of the beast, and an explanation of Bible prophecies.
The congregation was blessed and greatly touched by the message.
They asked me to continue again the next day, however our schedule, being already pre-planned, we agreed to arrange another meeting for only the Tamil speaking brethren a day before our departure to Coimbatore.
6th December
We were up early the next morning as Pastor Muthuraj of ACA, Nabha was on his way to pick us up for a Pastor’s Conference in Himachal Pradesh. The meeting had not been pre-planned, so it was a bit of a surprise and also a joy to me to know we would be touching another state as well, with this warning from the Lord.
We were ready by 10:30 am, and Pastor Muthuraj drove us the 115 km distance from Chandigarh to Himachal Pradesh. Pastor Peter also accompanied us, as we would have to cross back into Chandigarh again to continue our journey into Punjab’s interiors.
The conference was to be held in Bethel Church, Nalagadh, Himachal Pradesh. The church building had been newly built.
Pastor Vinodh and his wife, of Good News Fellowship Ministeries, welcomed us graciously.
There were only 15 pastors and their spouses in attendance.
My message that day was a serious one, seeing that the gathering was a small one and mainly consisting of pastors from various areas of Himachal Pradesh. As was the basis of my trip to the North, I spoke regarding Mystery Babylon, the origins of pagan worship, the story of Babel, the integration of pagan beliefs into Christian Society, the Great Whore of Revelation 17, Revelation 10 and 13, the great conspiracy within Christianity, false ministeries, the falling away, the man of sin being revealed, the forecasted events before the coming of the Lord, the signs of the times, and the Biblical prophecies coming to fulfillment before our eyes today. My focus was, of course, on the pattern of the original Apostolic Church, and how the Christian World had so deviated from the original path, that it now fails to recognize the truth of the present age.
Pastor Peter served as my interpreter.
Pastor Vinod originally from Kanpur, Maharashtra appreciated the message. The other ministers who attended asked for my contact details and remarked that this was indeed a message for the current time.
 |
| With the missionaries of Himachal Pradesh (Pastor Vinod: third from right) |
A small lunch had been arranged for all those who attended.
As we left, the ministers, after discussion with Pastor Muthuraj arranged for a second Pastor’s Conference in another area of Himachal Pradesh for the following day.
This meant that we had to drive to Punjab for that evening’s meeting, and back to Himachal Pradesh the next morning, and then back to Punjab again. The journey would be tiring no doubt, but the earnestness of the ministers there, and their zeal for others to hear the message was heartening. So we agreed.
We left shortly after lunch for the 4 hour drive to Maler Kotla, Sangrur Distrcit, Punjab.
This was a mainly Moslem dominated area, with many of the inhabitants having migrated from Pakistan, across the border. There were regular buses to Karachi and Lahore, Pakistan from Maler Kotla. Pastor Muthuraj also informed us that the area was renown for its witchcraft practitioners.
We had left Himachal Pradesh by 3:00 pm, and it was almost 7:30 pm when we reached Maler Kotla, Punjab.
I had been scheduled to preach at Pastor Sanjay’s Church there.
The congregation had been waiting for some time for our arrival, so I was offered the pulpit as soon as we entered the meeting area.
Pastor Sanjay conducted service in a room of his home in the area. There was also a huge compound out front for people to be seated. However for that day’s meeting, a tent had been arranged on the terrace of the building. The crowd was some 150 strong.
I especially appreciated the Pastor’s young daughter who played the congo and sang some catchy Hindi praise choruses.
My message for the people there was simple, as they were mostly villagers, some of them uneducated, and many of them new to the Christian faith. I spoke on the importance of meditating on the Word of God, Noah’s Ark, the signs of the times, the parable of Matthew 25, and the suffering of Christ on the cross.
Pastor Muthuraj interpreted the message in Hindi.
We had dinner at Pastor Sanjay's home and left for Pastor Muthuraj’s home for the night.
The journey had tired us out so we were asleep the moment our heads touched the pillows.
7th December
We awoke the next morning to a cold and frosty day. The temperature was 16 degrees outside and the fog was thick as the clouds.
We left for Himachal Pradesh soon after breakfast, this time for Kalka district.
The conference had been arranged in Pastor Robert’s home there.
There were about 10 ministers present.
My message there was a reiteration of what had been spoken the previous day in Bethel Church, but more in detail, with Pastor Muthuraj interpreting.
We were each presented with a small memento by the Pastor’s fellowship.
The ministers were astonished at the images I showed them with regard to the Ecumenical movement, the news articles, and other related pieces of information proving what I had explained about end times and Bible Prophecy.
They have invited me to the province once again in March of 2017 for a joint public meeting to spread this message further into Himachal Pradesh.
We said goodbye to Himachal Pradesh once again after lunch, and made our way speedily towards Maler Kotla for our second evening preaching there.
Pastor Sanjay had asked whether I could preach on the Mark of the Beast, the seven church ages, or the sequence of the resurrection. I decided to present a message on the Resurrection, and the coming of Christ, as simply as I could for the congregation there.
After dinner, we left once more for Nabha, but the fog impeded our journey. It was so thick that the only thing visible on the road was the white road divider. So we had to watch each side of the road and gingerly feel our way all the while through the mist. As a result, the half hour journey took almost 2.5 hours, and it was almost 11:30 pm before we reached Nabha.
8th December
The next morning, Pastor’s wife treated us to a breakfast of “Makki di roti and Sarson dha saag” (Corn meal chappathis and mustard greens) which was an authentic Punjabi dish, meant especially for guests, and served during all special occasions.
We were due to travel to another Pastor’s Conference in Ludhiana district of Punjab.
The conference had been organized by Pastor Vishwadev at Agape Prayer House.
It was the event of providing bicycles to all the ministers who were laboring in the villages and interiors of Punjab, and had no means of transportation.
Unfortunately, when we arrived at the Prayer House, we were told that due to windy weather the previous day, one of the electricity lines had given out and there was no power supply in the building.
So we had to make do without the projector. After praise and worship, I was called on to present my message.
Around 35 pastors had assembled.
Around 35 pastors had assembled.
I began with the testimony of my conversion from Hinduism, and then slowly exposed the anti-Christ system, how it had begun, how it had permeated Christianity and eaten away at the root, how it had substituted man made doctrines for God’s truth.
I exposed the ecumenical movement, the requirements of the WCC from today’s churches, the effect of ecumenism on Christian society in the future, current world events surrounding Israel and the church, the Mark of the Beast, and more.
The congregation was divided in their views. But many came forward and told me they appreciated the bold stance I had taken to bring all this out in the open. A young brother came forward and told me he was ministering in Rampur, in the village in which Sadhu Sundar Singh had ministered so many years ago.
Now this warmed my heart as I wasn’t aware that there was anyone ministering in that village, and as I was a great admirer of Sadhu Sundar Singh, and had read his biography and studied his life and work, I rejoiced when this brother, Bro. Vicky invited me to his home for a time of prayer for the following day.
I also had the pleasure of meeting Bro. Vishal, a brother who was working to provide aid and resolve issues for those who were being persecuted for Christ in certain areas of North India.
 |
| Bro. Vishal (right) |
Being the guest speaker, I was asked to lead the thanksgiving prayer for the bicycles which were being distributed to the various ministers who had attended that day.
A steaming lunch had been provided for all, after which we headed to our next destination: Patiala.
We reached in a couple of hours, and were welcomed by Sis. Jaya Lal who cares for the small congregation in Patiala. She made us feel right at home.
The meeting in the New Life Assembly there, also originally part of AOG, had been scheduled for 7:00 pm that evening. Around 70 people attended.
My message was once again a reiteration of how important it was for us to study the Word of God and be well versed with the prophetic utterances.
I touched on the subject, “As in the days of Noah…”and explained the symbolism of Noah’s ark, and the signs of the coming of our Lord, and sanctification. It was a simple message.
We slept like logs after a hearty dinner that night, and woke up late the next morning, the strain of the previous days catching up with us.
9th December
9th December
After a breakfast of parathas and over steaming cups of tea, Sis. Jaya Lal told me that she
That morning, a few church members, mainly the young crowd came to visit me there. The believers asked me how soon we could expect the Lord’s coming, and other doubts regarding the book of revelation: the seven church ages, the new Jerusalem, the rapture of the saints, the foolish virgins of Matthew 25, and the great tribulation. They were intelligent questions asked sincerely and in the spirit of learning, and I answered them as best I could. The sisters also queried me with regard to adornment and clothing, and I and Sister Benita shared our stand on the issue.
Another meeting had been arranged that evening, and I spoke on the modern face of Satanism, the influence that modern day pagan worship has on the youth, the subtle influence that Satan uses through new media to capture the young minds of our children.
I addressed the little congregation with words from Matthew 25, and emphasized the importance of seeking the Lord’s face unless we wanted His coming to take us unawares.
After the service we were invited to Sis. Lal’s son’s place to stay over before we left the next day for Rampur.
 |
| With Bro. Vicky's family, Model Colony, Patiala |
A Pastor’s fellowship had been arranged in a little town along the way, but had been cancelled at the last minute as the time stipulated for me to preach was very less, and Pastor Muthuraj conceded that I would not be able to preach in depth within that time frame. So, we decided to go straight to Rampur.
10th December
Pastor Muthuraj picked us up that morning at around 9:00 am and we drove to Rampur.
We first visited Sadhu Sundar Singh’s village and had a chance to see his home.
Sadly, the place lay in ruins. The local government had not really bothered with the upkeep of the house as the village was a predominantly Sikh one.
As the Word says, “No prophet hath honour in his own country.”, so it
was with this man of God, the Apostle of the Bleeding Feet, who travelled overseas to witness to the light he had received, but which his own countrymen scorned.
The walls had not been mortared, and were very old, and the monsoons of so many years would obviously have taken their toll, so only one portion stood erect and all the others had collapsed.
 |
| Sadhu Sundar Singh |
Pastor Philip, who ministered in the area met us there. He led us to a church building in the process of being built. A Korean missionary had visited the site, and bought and pledged the land surrounding the Sadhu’s home to the ministry. So a church was being erected there, and the local ministry had other ideas of turning the Sadhu’s dwelling into a prayer home and Christian conference center.
It sufficed us that we were able to see the Sadhu’s home, even in its broken down state, where he had suffered so much prejudice and received the visions of Christ he later witnessed to. It was a small part of Christian history that we could carry with us.
With hearts full of joy, we turned down the winding brick roads of Rampur to Bro. Vicky’s house.
Bro. Vicky and a friend of his had come down to the area as teenagers. There had been a pastor who had labored well in those parts, but had fallen prey to certain vices and lost his testimony in the eyes of the people.
So, Bro. Vicky and this other brother had come down to the village serving as part of Agape Ministeries. It was actually a part of Punjab that nobody really wanted to minister in. J They had begun the work there at the age of 17, and many of the villagers had made fun of their age. However they stuck it out, and today have a congregation of some 150 people in the area.
The group suffers persecution from the Hindu and Sikh majority in the town, having no permanent church structure, and being shunted from one rental place to the other. They currently live in Rampur with Bro. Vicky’s mother.
They received us with great enthusiasm. We had a nice time of worship with Bro. Vicky singing some soulful Punjabi melodies and playing the harmonium, and me accompanying him on guitar.
He told us that he had been really touched by the message at the Pastor’s Conference in Ludhiana, and that he would arrange for a huge youth gathering in the month of March the following year if I would be able to come back to minister.
We had a short and spirit-filled time of prayer there, and then a traditional Punjabi lunch.
A young sister from church who had come to the home to help with the cooking had told Bro. Vicky that she had a dream the night before, in which she saw a man come to the house and play guitar and worship with the family. When we called her in and Bro. Vicky asked her if I was the man, she said, “He looks just like him, but the man I saw in the dream had no spectacles on.” So I took off my glasses for her to get a better look, and she said “Yeah, that’s him”. J
 |
| With Pastor Vicky's family at Rampur. (Sister who had the dream: Second from right) |
Do pray for Bro. Vicky and his ministry. He struck me as a sincere truth seeker, sensitive to the leading of the Spirit.
Pastor Muthuraj next, drove us to his home in Nabha.
His house occupied the first floor, and his church below on the ground level.
Pastor Muthuraj resides in Nabha with his wife, Sis. _ and two sons _. I was due to preach by 7:00 pm that night. There was a small congregation gathered that day, on account of the fog that lay thick across the area hindering transport and generally causing a lot of road accidents.
Pastor Muthuraj resides in Nabha with his wife, Sis. _ and two sons _. I was due to preach by 7:00 pm that night. There was a small congregation gathered that day, on account of the fog that lay thick across the area hindering transport and generally causing a lot of road accidents.
My subject that evening was the coming of the Lord, Matthew 25, and Christ coming as a ‘thief in the night’.
11th December
The next day being Sunday, there was a large crowd of around 250 people including some of the Sikh populace.
The worship was lively, and I was all revved up for the message.
I preached on Noah’s Ark, the ark of the covenant, the rapture of the Bride, and fulfillment of Bible prophecies.
 |
| With Pastor Muthuraj |
I also spoke on the importance of sanctification in a believer’s life, true deliverance from sin, how the World had slowly crept into the Church, and how we need to diligently study the Word of God in order to be restored to the faith of our forefathers.
After the service we had a quick lunch and then packed our bags.
We had to rush as Pastor Peter had arranged a youth meeting, mainly for the Tamil speaking youth in his church, by request, for that evening in Chandigarh.
We had to rush as Pastor Peter had arranged a youth meeting, mainly for the Tamil speaking youth in his church, by request, for that evening in Chandigarh.
Our flight was due from Chandigarh to Delhi at 8:00 am the next morning, and so we bid goodbye to misty Nabha and made our way back to the city.
While we were leaving I received a text message saying that our flight for the 12th had been cancelled due to operational issues, and that we had to rebook. After contacting the airline's customer service office, we managed to get a flight from Chandigarh to Mumbai for the 13th of Dec., but at 2:30 pm. We were a little miffed at the delay, but we decided to make the best of the situation. It meant a short time of rest for us after all the hectic travelling of the past few days.
We reached Chandigarh by 6:30 pm.
We really had to appreciate Pastor Muthuraj's driving skills, especially through the Punjab fog, and his untiring fellowship along the way.
We really had to appreciate Pastor Muthuraj's driving skills, especially through the Punjab fog, and his untiring fellowship along the way.
Pastor Peter had asked Pastor Muthuraj to drive us straight to the meeting place in Maloya Colony. Around 25 youth, mainly brothers had gathered in the room above Pastor Peter’s mother’s home. It was a small room, but we all managed to squeeze in with our projector and other electronic paraphernalia.
That evening I appealed to the youth to contend for the faith which had once been delivered unto the saints. As I had already preached in depth on the fall of Lucifer, and the threat of the Ecumenical movement, I went on to elaborate on the effects of Ecumenism in our day, on our society, the tokens of ecumenism that we were beginning to see in our country, I explained how Satan, the god of this world, had infiltrated the present day religious and political system, and went over Revelation 17 and the book of Daniel with them again. I also gave them some advice on following the Lord ‘in the days of their youth’.
I preached for three hours straight with a great burden in my heart, my heart was praying: "Lord let them see your work, Let them see the truth and beauty of the apostolic pattern that so many have left behind."
I preached for three hours straight with a great burden in my heart, my heart was praying: "Lord let them see your work, Let them see the truth and beauty of the apostolic pattern that so many have left behind."
The young audience was especially attentive and receptive, and had a lot of questions and requests.
On hearing of our flight cancellation, Pastor Peter joyfully arranged for another youth meeting the following day in the same place.
12th December
12th December
The next day, that being the Christmas season, with Pastor Peter’s permission, I elaborated on the pagan origins of festivals such as Christmas and Easter, the symbolism of the 40 days of Lent, and other Christian rituals that people blindly followed in the present age. I explained the modern face of Satanism, its outreach to the younger generations, and how the world had changed over the years in making sin abound. I also went over the sequence of events from the battle of Ezekiel and the rapture, to the Great Tribulation, and how the gospel would go back to Israel. I spoke on the ministry of the two prophets, the 1,44,000, Armageddon, and the Millenial Reign.
The message had flowed easily and unhindered, the pastor's and congregation's spiritual co-operation, evident.
We ended the meeting with worship and prayer, and then were invited to a sister’s home for a piping hot dinner. After a short prayer there, we left to the Pastor’s home.
The streets of Chandigarh were foggy that night, and we bundled up and slept till dawn.
13th December
We had some good fellowship with Pastor Peter and his wife the next morning. I shared my ministry vision with them over hot cups of Tulsi tea.
13th December
We had some good fellowship with Pastor Peter and his wife the next morning. I shared my ministry vision with them over hot cups of Tulsi tea.
Pastor Peter packed us a lunch of his famous biryani and he and Sis Reehanna saw us off at the airport.
Thankfully our flight was on time despite the foggy weather.
We reached Mumbai on schedule but had a 4 hour wait there for our connecting flight to Coimbatore.
We reached Coimbatore at 10:30 pm, and it was almost 11:00 by the time we were home.
This trip to the Great Punjab was indeed very successful. I was able to see the Spirit of the Lord move many hearts to awaken to His call at this End of the Ages. I met many independent pastors and missionaries who have spent their lives establishing a ministry, but have hearts open enough to consider the possibility of starting afresh considering the times we have come to, when the Beast system will try to smother what little liberties we have, unless we open our eyes to the truth and hearken to the voice of the Holy Spirit.
Not many ministers are really aware of the precariousness of the situation they are in, in affiliation with this or that denomination, and mostly all of them were willing to listen and seek the counsel of the Holy Ghost.
The Punjai people are a lively and affectionate bunch, and their love for the Word of God goes a long way in covering their lack of knowledge in many areas. However many of the folks there are not good readers, but good listeners. Either way, do pray that the Lord may move among them, and rain His wisdom upon them before His coming.
The labour of missionaries such as Sadhu Sundar Singh, and others who have followed in his steps, who really loved the Punjabi people to the extent of laying down their lives for their faith, have had a deep impact on the spread of the gospel and the establishing of missions in the area. However the liberty of worship and the once wild fire gospel passage in the towns is somewhat being disrupted by Hindu and Sikh fundamentals today. The spread of Christianity in the interiors though, goes on undisturbed.
The Punjai people are a lively and affectionate bunch, and their love for the Word of God goes a long way in covering their lack of knowledge in many areas. However many of the folks there are not good readers, but good listeners. Either way, do pray that the Lord may move among them, and rain His wisdom upon them before His coming.
The labour of missionaries such as Sadhu Sundar Singh, and others who have followed in his steps, who really loved the Punjabi people to the extent of laying down their lives for their faith, have had a deep impact on the spread of the gospel and the establishing of missions in the area. However the liberty of worship and the once wild fire gospel passage in the towns is somewhat being disrupted by Hindu and Sikh fundamentals today. The spread of Christianity in the interiors though, goes on undisturbed.
Do pray that if indeed I make it to Punjab again, the Lord will shake the wheat fields before His great harvest, and we shall have a gathering revival there.
Do especially pray for Himachal Pradesh which is steeped in idol worship.
Do especially pray for Himachal Pradesh which is steeped in idol worship.
No comments:
Post a Comment