A Fruitful Day in His Vineyard

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Sunday morning I was up so early trying to fit my saree but had to eventually seek the help of a kind young hotel maid. She opened the door to give us an opportunity to witness by asking us if we were going to church! We arrived to a packed church after a long bumpy, dusty ride of just 7 miles which took one hour because of the hectic traffic. Outside the church local ladies were carrying their water pots for their daily supply of water. While inside we were offering spiritual water for thirsty souls crowded on the stairs with some even watching from outside through the windows.

As we prayed and ministered at the end of the service we saw souls saved and healed by the power of God. One dear lady cried many tears of joy trying to tell us how God had healed her during our service the week before and thanked God for bringing us to their church. A family whom we had visited in their home told a young Hindu friend about God healing my body and he cycled over 25 miles to come and meet us and was gloriously set free. PTL!

In the afternoon we took much needed time out to relax for High Tea at the beautiful Taj hotel. Even there God had divine appointments for us. We meet a young hotel hostess who was  from Jamaica who came to talk with me about my saree. During our conversation she inquired if I had gone to all that trouble just to come to tea! I explained I wore it to go to church. She was so excited to meet Christians as she was a believer but had not found a church since she had come to India. We were happy to connect her with one of the local pastors. She is visiting the USA in December and will meet up with us in New York to spend a few days with us.

The taxi driver who drove us back to our hotel was playing music, we couldn’t understand the words but recognized the tune as a worship song. How wonderful to meet another young believer! This may not seem like a big deal but in India it certainly is as it usually means they will be persecuted, refused certain education and employment and cut off from their families.There will be a cost but their faith is like gold tried in the furnace and so inspiring to us who live in the West where we often take our religious freedom so for granted.

Returning to our hotel physically exhausted but spiritually overflowing to prepare for another day in His Vineyard.

2 Corinthians 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
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Reflect This Holy Week

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This coming week between Palm Sunday and Easter morning is known as Holy Week.

The most somber and reflective week on the church calendar. Perhaps the only time, during the year, that as believers we actually reflect on the awesome cost of our redemption.

1 Peter 1: 18-19 18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

Surely we should all ask God, especially during this holy week, to take us back to the place where we first believed, to the foot of the cross. To the place where we can identify with his sufferings that we might be partakers of His resurrection. 1Peter 4:13

He was betrayed, humiliated, spat upon, mocked, abandoned, not believed, wept in the Garden in prayer until he sweat blood, denied, lashed until He was almost dead, nailed to a cross He had to carry, forsaken by His Father because He became sin for us, yet while hanging in excruciating pain between heaven and earth, He could cry out “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do!”

Isa.53: 2 -10 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin.

The level of our meditative reflection during this holy week, will determine and intensify the fullness of our joy come Sunday morning when the stone was rolled away to reveal an empty tomb. Joy unspeakable and full of glory!

He is risen! He is risen indeed!

Becoming All Things To All People.

All dressed up and ready to go to church today! This will be the first time I’ve ever ministered wearing a saree.

I pray that I might reach the minds of the Indian people by wearing their traditional wardrobe that my words would reach their hearts.

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1Corinthians 9:22-23 I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.

Come Apart And Rest Awhile 

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Today we were supposed to take a 4hour cab ride to Mysore Palace for the day but not getting back until 11pm. We decided to cancel to just catch our breath and relax before a busy weekend. I have been invited to speak tomorrow in a 30 minute slot at an all city rally whose topic is “Be Prepared To Meet Your God” Praying for inspiration to use this opportunity wisely. After the rally we have a service in the evening.Then on Sunday we have two services at different locations. Needless to say we had to come apart and rest awhile today. Besides I’m wearing a saree at the rally and it will probably take me all day to practice fitting it. LOL We may even treat ourselves to High Tea at the beautiful Taj Hotel. Only I would find a place for High Tea even in Bangalore India. LOL

Mark 6:31 Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while:for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat

The Shawling Ceremony

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Today I had the honor of teaching a two hour seminar on the typology of Moses’ Tabernacle and its application to our lives and walk at a gathering of local pastors.

An official welcome of guests is accompanied by a shawling ceremony. This is a typical Indian political welcome, adopted by the Christian church in the last 10 years. In a shawling ceremony a shawl is placed around the shoulders of the guest as a sign of welcome but more significantly as a mark of respect or honor.