प्रार्थना योद्धा / THE PRAYER WARRIOR

Like any enterprise Holistic health care requires initial basic inputs of both human and material resources. If you want to do farming you have to invest in land, seed, water and manure, apart from insecticides and weedicides as well as taking care it from predators. Even then the harvest will depend on how well the land is prepared, how good the seed is and not to forget the season. It is only then that the farmer begins to live off the land. When the harvest is good , he can sell the surplus in the market and become sustainable.      Instead of giving a lecture on the subject, I will share our experience at Padhar hospital in Betul District of Madhya Pradesh in India. My father Dr. Victor Choudhrie a CMC graduate (batch of ‘53) and a Fellow of the British Royal Colleges of Surgeons, came to Padhar in 1969 and started working in a converted cow shed. Being a versatile surgeon he was the first one in the state to do mitrals, lobectomies, pneumonectomies esophagectomies, C...

The church age started 2000 years ago with 3000 baptisms on the day of the Pentecost. The original church had no buildings, no Sunday service, no salaried pastors, no musical instruments, and no tithing. They did not even have the printed gospel in their hands. They did not have any financial resources or political power but they had the power of the Holy Spirit and so the churches grew exponentially. As time went by all these things were added by human ingenuity and church growth and multiplication dwindled to a halt. They broke bread (ate food) and gossiped about the gospel and the churches grew in numbers and in strength daily. Persecution is not new. Lord Jesus himself was persecuted and so were his disciples as well as the churches throughout its history.   The worst scenario was when the institutionalized powerful big churches started persecuting the little house churches. However, the more they were persecuted, the truer churches grew in numbers and strength ( Acts 16:5 )...

Focus In the gloom and doom of the Pandemic, with the people confined to their homes under severe stress, the house church movement saw a huge expansion. Over the last decade, we have seen myriads of souls reached and discipled through these house churches from the unreached people groups. This was because our focus was on fulfilling the task of the Great Commission.  However, we are now finding that the nurturing, mentoring and releasing of the second, third and fourth generation has not been very strong due to lock downs during the Pandemic and other constraints. The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few, ( Mathew 9: 37 ) is the biblical reference that is frequently mentioned. However, to see this to fruition at a bigger scale, we need to invest resources to enable and empower emerging leaders to be more effective and productive. Donald McGavran once said, “When the harvest is ripe then you must focus on resources.”  Lord Jesus first met the “felt needs” of the peopl...

(or Feast of Booths) is a week-long fall festival commemorating the 40-year journey of the Israelites in the wilderness. Along with Passover and the Festival of Weeks, Sukkot is one of three great pilgrimage feasts recorded in the Bible when all Jewish males were required to appear before the Lord in the Temple in Jerusalem.  The word sukkot means "booths." Throughout the holiday, Jews observe this time by building and dwelling in temporary shelters, just like the Hebrew people did while wandering in the desert. This joyous celebration is a reminder of God's deliverance, protection, provision, and faithfulness. It is common to decorate the sukkah with flowers, leaves, and fruits. Sukkot begins five days after Yom Kippur. The observance of the Feast of Tabernacles is recorded in Exodus 23:16, 34:22; Leviticus 23:34-43; Numbers 29:12-40; Deuteronomy 16:13-15; Ezra 3:4; and Nehemiah 8:13-18. Agriculturally, Sukkot is Israel's "Thanksgiving." It is a joyous ...

It is common for people to spew hatred against their leaders. It may be for race, religion, ideology or whatever. Even the media gets divided between likes and dislikes. But what is the biblical position for Christians to adhere to.  Throughout history, God appointed rulers, even tyrants and dictators to work his purposes through them. Daniel told the arrogant emperor Nebuchadnezzar, ”The Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He will, and sets up over it the lowest of men.” He further told him, “You will be driven away from mankind to live with the beasts of the field, and you will feed on grass like cattle. And seven times will pass you by, until you acknowledge that the Most High is ruler over the kingdom of men, and He gives it to anyone He wishes.” (Daniel 4:17, 32).  We are not to criticize our leaders , “Don't even think about cursing the king; don't curse the rich, not even in secret. A little bird might hear and tell everything.” (Eccl. 10:20...

“The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.” (1 Corinthians 16:19)  INTRODUCTION Persecution Relief has developed ‘A CHURCH IN EVERY HOME’ for the glory of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! This booklet is a tool to guide leaders and believers who desire to plant or renew a House Church. It is a time-tested model, proven historically in the New Testament of the Holy Bible, especially in the book of the Acts of the Apostles. The Holy Bible gives us a wonderful example of how the church originally began and was established without assets, money, or education. By the power of the Holy Spirit, you can be successful in laying the foundation and establishing growing communities of believers by following the teachings and examples of Jesus Christ and the Apostles.  This booklet will help you renew or plant a House Church using simple, clear, and practical principles. Let God guide you in applying the truths...