Christ in Kota

Our experience in Kota, India was simply inspiring. Even the journey there was blessed. As we traveled by train (sleeper cars, thank you), a porter noticed a Bible in my backpack and asked me if I was a “holy man of Jesus.” I answered “yes,” although I had to admit that no one has referred to me that way before.

His question caused me to reflect on the call God has placed on me to live a life that is set apart for His purpose. The young man went on to say, “My kidneys are causing my back to hurt, and I have heard that Jesus heals. Hare Krishna does not heal. Would you pray for me?” As he was telling me this, the man wobbled his head with an inquisitive smile on his face as if to say, I serve a dud of a god; for all the devotion and denial, you get nothing in return from Krishna.

I had once observed Hare Krishna disciples in Dallas, Texas when I visited a temple along with a friend of mine fulfilling a class requirement. Devotees of Krishna, wanting a higher consciousness, chant the holy names of their god while rolling a string of 108 beads in their fingers. All the chanting has to be done in a proper mood, posture, enunciation, as well as speed for meditation.

This religion is so strict in rules and practice, but it seemed obvious that God was drawing this Krishna follower to Himself. I called the other members of our team together and we laid hands on him and prayed for his healing. In southern California, I am eager to intercede for those who are sick, and I know that God has the power to heal. As a pastor, not a week goes by that I don’t go to a hospital bedside and pray for someone. But I don’t have a line of people jumping up and down because a faith healer touched them.

In the New Testament I read about Jesus healing because of His compassion for the person who was hurting and doing everything to avoid a show that would overshadow His teaching ministry. God was expanding my faith and my prayer was that this man would be healed and come to trust Jesus as Almighty God and Savior; not Hare Ram of Krishna.

Upon arriving in Kota at Immanuel, the orphanage and Bible school under the leadership of Dr. M.A. Thomas, my heart was overwhelmed. One of our main jobs in Kota was to preach at the different tents set up for pastors of different languages. There were four main language tents: Telugu, Hindi, Kannada, and Malayalam. When I visited India in 1987, I had only spoken to about 30 men, and now there were 300 pastors waiting for a word from the Lord. Eighteen years ago I had preached in the state of Kerela. Dr. Kunjumon Chacko, of the India Baptist Convention, translated my messages in Malayalam--the language most often spoken in that region.

Since then, the only phrase I could remember was "Stho-thram" meaning, “Praise the Lord,” though my heart had recorded much more. God was moving, and to hear those words again was touching and filled me with tears of joy. I started to preach by saying, “Stho-thram” and they shouted back those words to me, realizing that I had been there before. I told them they held a special place in my heart because my first mission trip was to their villages. I shared my story of how I preached all the way to Trivandrum, the southern most tip of India, and right away the pastors and I had a connection. From the Apostle Paul’s writing in 2nd Timothy, I encouraged them to be a good soldier of Christ.

I explained to them that while I was speaking, my son was in Navy Boot Camp and he was totally focused on what his task as a sailor should be. Paul says that we are called to be good soldiers for Christ, alert and doing only what your commanding officer demands. He also wrote to be a good farmer and sow the Good News of Jesus. Let others come and water the seeds of the Gospel and let God give the increase. And lastly Paul encourages believers to be like athletes for Him. Having been a P.E major in college, I lingered on this point a little longer. I ran track and knew the only way to win was to run your own race. You never look at the competition in the lanes next to you but focus only on your goal, which in the Christian life is to be like Jesus. “Run the race,” I encouraged them, “Be a champion for Jesus, Stho-thram (Praise the Lord).”

On the second night, some 6-8,000 people filled the main tent, and the leaders under Dr. MA Thomas asked me to preach to the whole congregation. What a blessing to see this river of people, eager to hear God’s Word. I had never spoken to more than 800 at one time and here were two thousand orphans and six thousand pastors and leaders that with God’s power were changing India in incredible ways. The country knew it, too. Radicals tried everything to disrupt this meeting. Hindu zealot attackers stopped a bus load of disciples, yanking them off and beating them. Others led an attack at the train station, beating twelve men so badly they were treated at the hospital for their injuries. This was no small problem as the police came, surrounded our compound and lead us in and out with armed guards and check points all along the way. The next day’s newspaper had a picture of about 200 Hindus marching upon the Immanuel compound with machetes.

The Indian government was so embarrassed by this spectacle; they sent the head of the Minorities Rights Commission to apologize for the radicalism and guaranteed our protection. That night I spoke on Jesus’ ministry and how, as pastors, they could be like Him (Matthew 9). I told them to (1) Have Jesus’ feet as He went from town to town and village to village. (2) Have Jesus’ heart of compassion. (3) Have Jesus’ eyes as He saw the multitude come to Him; don’t overlook anyone. (4) Have Jesus’ hands as He touched the hurting and gave to their needs. (5) Have Jesus’ knees as He prays to the Lord of the harvest to have more laborers in His field.

When I returned home, I received a letter from one of my translators in India, and here is what he wrote (just as it appeared):

DEAR PASTOR MARK,

HOW WAS UR JOURNEY BACK TO STATE? WHAYT ABOUT FAMILY AND THE MINISTRIES?

IT WAS MY PLEASURE TO MEET U AND TRANSLATE FOR U INTO ONE OF THE INDIAN LANGUAGE. WHILE TRANSLATING EVEN I WAS TOUCHED BY THE POWER OF GOD. I FOUND U TO BE A COMMITTED, PASSIONATE, ENERGETIC, AND DYNAMIC MAN OF GOD.

U REALLY REFLECTED THE LORD'S NATURE AND WAS SO IMPRESSED TO HEAR U HOPE THE LORD IS GOING TO MAKE ME SEE U AGAIN.

AS I AM PASTORING IN NORTH IN INDIA PLZ PRAY FOR MY MAIN CHURCH AND THE BRANCH CHURCHES AROUND 90.

I SHARED ABOUT U IN MY CHURCH AND THE SAME MESSAGE PPL ARE REALLY BLESSED, AND I HAVE ADDED U IN MY CHURCH BULLETIN ALSO THAT WE CAN PRAY FOR U.

PLZ PRAY FOR MY ONE SON AND WIFE AND THE MINISTRIES HEAR SO THAT WE CAN WIN THIS PART OF INDIA FOR THE LORD.

MAY GOD PROSPEROUS U,

PASTOR AMIT
INDIA

MISSION TO INDIA (Article 1) by Pastor Mark