Navapur convention now has been the attraction of the year for thousands of worshippers, pastors, leaders and those hungry for the word of God. None of them were disappointed, but rather they went back enriched in the presence of God.
People hired cars and jeeps to come to the meeting this year. A group of 15 believers were crammed in a van that could hold eight people, and they had driven nine hours to reach the venue. But the were not tired. They were ready to go right in and worship and spend time in the presence of the one they loved.
One of the key sights in the convention was the hunger of the people for the Word of God. They were hungry for God, for His Word, to worship Him and to spend time with Him. It is not a dormant type of hunger, but something that was passionately displayed in their prayers, in their singing, in the way they used their fellowship times. You could hardly stop the people from sitting in the front row, below the stage. They were coming before time and would be found praying passionately for the sessions to follow. It was a humbling experience.
More than you ask, think or imagine
“More than you ask, think or imagine” – Ephesians 3:20 was the theme of the convention. Dr. R. Stanley, Bishop Jonathan Ansar and Pastor Babu Cherian, were the speakers this year. All of them are renowned teachers of the Word and it was a ready feast to hear the Word and to soak in his presence. Dr. Joy Punnoose, the Chairman, also addressed the people and shared the highlights of the past year and also what was to be expected in the year to come.
Separate track sessions for the leaders, women, children and youth were well attended. Coming together in smaller groups enabled the people to relate to one another. Focused teaching and worship times imparted the people with a sense of vision and purpose for the future. Every session had a word or an encouragement to go out and reach and plant congregations among new people.
Course correction for a year
The participants came with an amazing sense of hunger for God. You can see it in the way they sat and heard and also prayed between the sessions. For many, this is the time of year, where they will correct their course and also set the pace for the next few months. This is true especially for pastors.
The blessings of the Lord it maketh rich
While talking to the sound and tent provider, a pre believer, I heard an amazing testimony. He put it this way, “Providing sound and light at Navapur is the only time that I can rest and enjoy. Because once I have done this task faithfully, and at a subsidized cost, I am so blessed and so busy that I hardly get time to rest for the rest of the year. Coming to this place is a big blessing for my business. It is all because of your prayers and God’s favour! When I started my work, I had no no generators to work with, but now I have bought seven brand new heavy duty ones!”
Monday, November 21, 2011
What was new this time?
At Navapur there were several things that set it apart from the other conventions so far. Some of the highlights as mentioned by various leaders and preachers were:
• No one seemed to be ‘in-charge’ of the sessions, but it all was beautifully woven together into a beautiful tapestry. The Lord Almighty was in-charge!
• The preachers, the worship leaders, the announcements were all in sync with the Lord’s presence
• The Word in the general sessions and in the Leaders Session were spoken with great anointing and every person sensed the strong presence of God.. One of the leaders later commented “I could not take in all that was being said because I was under the presence.
• Brotherly love, the true meaning of Filadelfia, on display in all the sections of the crowd.
• A great exhibition of unity among the leaders and the believers.
• An elderly participant commented, “ I could hardly move my feet during the conference. As the days progressed, I could hardly sit because of joy. So I jumped up and did an impromptu dance for my Lord”. This dance triggered other women to join her and in a few minutes the sisters, young and old, rural and urban were dancing to God’s heart beat.
• After the closing session, there was half an hour of what I would call a Miriam dance – an impromptu dance of celebration, thanksgiving and pure rejoicing in all what God has done for His people and in which the leaders, the elders, the women and the children all joined in.
• The dedication of the Grace Hospital, a 70 bedded hospital which would meet the health needs of the people in Navapur and nearby localities, was the other highlight of the week.
• No one seemed to be ‘in-charge’ of the sessions, but it all was beautifully woven together into a beautiful tapestry. The Lord Almighty was in-charge!
• The preachers, the worship leaders, the announcements were all in sync with the Lord’s presence
• The Word in the general sessions and in the Leaders Session were spoken with great anointing and every person sensed the strong presence of God.. One of the leaders later commented “I could not take in all that was being said because I was under the presence.
• Brotherly love, the true meaning of Filadelfia, on display in all the sections of the crowd.
• A great exhibition of unity among the leaders and the believers.
• An elderly participant commented, “ I could hardly move my feet during the conference. As the days progressed, I could hardly sit because of joy. So I jumped up and did an impromptu dance for my Lord”. This dance triggered other women to join her and in a few minutes the sisters, young and old, rural and urban were dancing to God’s heart beat.
• After the closing session, there was half an hour of what I would call a Miriam dance – an impromptu dance of celebration, thanksgiving and pure rejoicing in all what God has done for His people and in which the leaders, the elders, the women and the children all joined in.
• The dedication of the Grace Hospital, a 70 bedded hospital which would meet the health needs of the people in Navapur and nearby localities, was the other highlight of the week.
The police @ Navapur
As a precautionary measure the district police officials have always deployed over 100 police personnel to the convention venue. Over the years, some of them have become familiar faces. With nothing much to do, they come, greet the people and then sit down to hear the word of God. One of the senior officials called me aside. I thought it was going to be a question and answer drill. But the only thing that he said was, “Would you please sing the special song with the word ‘Yehovah’ that you sang last year?” I was pleasantly surprised and blessed at the same time. They have also been prayed over personally and corporately several times. Let us believe and pray that as many as heard the Word of God, would be saved even while being deployed in these meetings.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
New Missionary Decisions
Before the service began that night, the Holy Spirit urged me to go straight and ask young men and women to commit their lives to preaching the Gospel. So before saying anything, I shared the need and gave a call to all those who wanted to commit their lives for this.
Twenty young men and women, from that one church stood up, and prayed a prayer of dedication. Right there, we prayed for an impartation of the Holy Spirit’s power over these young lives and it was one glorious session.
Then we asked for first time decisions and fifteen other people stood up. The Holy Spirit was present to bring people to Christ and to release others into missions.
We need to be asking the Lord of the harvest for this need and also keep on encouraging and enlisting people young and old, employed and retired, men and women and children, those already doing something and those wanting to do something, businessmen and professionals. We need to be doing in fact everything possible to preach the Good News, that none would perish!
This is how we can make every church an antioch type church.
Twenty young men and women, from that one church stood up, and prayed a prayer of dedication. Right there, we prayed for an impartation of the Holy Spirit’s power over these young lives and it was one glorious session.
Then we asked for first time decisions and fifteen other people stood up. The Holy Spirit was present to bring people to Christ and to release others into missions.
We need to be asking the Lord of the harvest for this need and also keep on encouraging and enlisting people young and old, employed and retired, men and women and children, those already doing something and those wanting to do something, businessmen and professionals. We need to be doing in fact everything possible to preach the Good News, that none would perish!
This is how we can make every church an antioch type church.
Pipalpada - a church plant
One of the church plants out of Parsari church is Pipalpada. This is a story of the first couple who came from that village. For ages, this lady was never well. She was being tormented by evil spirits. She experienced pains and aches all over her body. She took medical treatment and went to several places seeking help but suffered without much relief.
People living nearby, who believed in Jesus Christ, brought her to the church at Parsari and we all prayed together. God touched her the very moment and that was the end of her misery. She went back and began to tell other people the great things God did in her life.
The news of her healing spread across the village and within a year, over 40 people were walking to this church in Pipalpada.
After initial hiccups, this couple began a church service in the village and today they have over 150 people in the congregation! The pastor comes and teaches the Word, but we pray for the people and visit them.
Now we are praying to build a building to accommodate the people. Please pray that God would give us space and building so that we can safely accommodate more people.
People living nearby, who believed in Jesus Christ, brought her to the church at Parsari and we all prayed together. God touched her the very moment and that was the end of her misery. She went back and began to tell other people the great things God did in her life.
The news of her healing spread across the village and within a year, over 40 people were walking to this church in Pipalpada.
After initial hiccups, this couple began a church service in the village and today they have over 150 people in the congregation! The pastor comes and teaches the Word, but we pray for the people and visit them.
Now we are praying to build a building to accommodate the people. Please pray that God would give us space and building so that we can safely accommodate more people.
A 4 hr trek to hear the Word
“Sir, I just wanted to come and greet and shake your hand,” said two young men who came to me after I taught sessions from the Word.
“Oh sure, how are you and what is your name?” I was trying to talk but had no idea of what was coming up next. In fact, I was a bit ‘surprised’ that they were not staying for the evening service. The conversation continued.
“I am Magra and this is my friend”, he said pointing to the man standing next to him. We have been blessed by these meetings tremendously.
“So good to see you here! Are you not staying for the evening session?”
“We would love to sir, but we have to reach home before it is dark”, replied the men.
“Where is your home?”
“Can you see the mountains, there? It is somewhere along that direction.”
“Unbelievable! Did you walk all the way from that distance to hear the Word?”
“Yes sir.”
“It is six now, so what time will you reach home”
“It would be about ten, by the time we reach”, replied the men as they started walking back home.
Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled!
“Oh sure, how are you and what is your name?” I was trying to talk but had no idea of what was coming up next. In fact, I was a bit ‘surprised’ that they were not staying for the evening service. The conversation continued.
“I am Magra and this is my friend”, he said pointing to the man standing next to him. We have been blessed by these meetings tremendously.
“So good to see you here! Are you not staying for the evening session?”
“We would love to sir, but we have to reach home before it is dark”, replied the men.
“Where is your home?”
“Can you see the mountains, there? It is somewhere along that direction.”
“Unbelievable! Did you walk all the way from that distance to hear the Word?”
“Yes sir.”
“It is six now, so what time will you reach home”
“It would be about ten, by the time we reach”, replied the men as they started walking back home.
Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled!
Seven Still Births and the Birth Of A Church
In his own words, Pr. Vechiya of Parsari village in Maharastra, describes his story.
We lost seven children one after the other. All the people told us that we had a demon in our house who was eating all our children. We were almost considered as outcasts of our village. When we had lost all hope, we heard that Jesus could save and also heal and give us our miracle. We went out of our village and walked several kilometers to a pastor who prayed for us. We did not feel a thing then, but when we came back we had a sense of peace and a new joy in our heart.
Within three months, we found out that my wife was pregnant. We were scared yet excited about that. When the time came, my wife delivered a beautiful baby girl, who did not die but is alive still. We knew that Jesus did this miracle for us.
We began going to church regularly and attending meetings for over two years. People began to see the change in us and in our circumstances. They also began to believe in Him. Thus as the numbers increased we started a prayer group in our village. This marked the beginning of the church at Parsari.
When people came to us for prayer we knelt down and prayed for them and God touched them all. It is totally the grace of God.
Today, we have four daughters and one son and two grandchildren. One of our daughters has finished Bible College and is a worship leader. Beside our own physical children, God has given us 500 children in our main church and another 600 in four other locations!
We love to serve this God!!!!
We lost seven children one after the other. All the people told us that we had a demon in our house who was eating all our children. We were almost considered as outcasts of our village. When we had lost all hope, we heard that Jesus could save and also heal and give us our miracle. We went out of our village and walked several kilometers to a pastor who prayed for us. We did not feel a thing then, but when we came back we had a sense of peace and a new joy in our heart.
Within three months, we found out that my wife was pregnant. We were scared yet excited about that. When the time came, my wife delivered a beautiful baby girl, who did not die but is alive still. We knew that Jesus did this miracle for us.
We began going to church regularly and attending meetings for over two years. People began to see the change in us and in our circumstances. They also began to believe in Him. Thus as the numbers increased we started a prayer group in our village. This marked the beginning of the church at Parsari.
When people came to us for prayer we knelt down and prayed for them and God touched them all. It is totally the grace of God.
Today, we have four daughters and one son and two grandchildren. One of our daughters has finished Bible College and is a worship leader. Beside our own physical children, God has given us 500 children in our main church and another 600 in four other locations!
We love to serve this God!!!!
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