Sunday 7/17
Day 3
Journaled on James 1:22-25. I am to be a doer of the Word and not just a hearer. If I just read His Word and not put feet to it I’m fooling myself. I believe my time in India will be a beginning of a change that will hopefully surprise me.
We walked the back alley about 300 yards from Ravi’s parent’s home to go to church today. An incredibly small cobbled together building with a sign greeting you over the narrow 5 ½ foot front door, “Real Hope Revival Church”. Once inside this nearly decapitated building I was amazed that it was smaller than my daughter’s ½ bedroom apartment, no joke. Housed within the bright blue walls was a small table being used as a pulpit, 6 straw mats on the concrete floor and a brass drum 16” in diameter. (Side note: Ravi grew up as a teen in this church when his dad was the pastor and that was his brass drum!)
After the opening 20 minute prayer led by Pastor Stephen, we entered into a time of worship that was some of the most vibrant yet simple that I have personally been a part of. (Another side note: The volume of the worship and prayer time was WAY over 85 dbs) Ravi and I were given the privilege of teaming up to deliver the Word of God to these dear people. I am learning what pure and simple devotion to Christ better looks like as I watch them receive from the Lord all that He has for them and in turn give to Him all that they have.
After the Gospel was delivered and exhortation given, every single person pressed in for prayer. There is no “coming forward” in this church; the “front row” is less than 6” away from the pulpit. Not 6’ but 6”! People press in for prayer seeking a touch from the Lord.
After the 3 hour service we were served a meal fit for a king…I my never use a fork and spoon again…maybe. Worshipping with all of your heart in a hot cramped room for 3+ hours…we have no idea of what we have as well as what we are missing.
The evening service at Pastor Justin’s home church was just as moving, being held in a very small no bedroom house in the middle of a Hindu village. The Hindu temple greets you on your right as you enter in through the only road leading there. Mostly Hindus came as evidenced by their varied markings on their foreheads. A woman came in carrying her 10 year old crippled son and laid him in the middle of the crowd wish only to be near Gods people…the need here is truly and without doubt of biblical proportion. (Last side note: A chapter can be written about this woman and her son that would fit into a biblical narrative, of which I am not emotionally prepared for)
Before leaving, they took us a couple hundred yards away to an 11’ X 60’ piece of ground filled with rubble in between 2 houses asking if we could help them build a church…the 1st church ever in that village..I left with the burning question, If not us then who?
As we left I was instructed for our safety I needed to be in the back seat out of site for the ride home…
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