Ministering in Tribal Indian Villages, a man from Charlotte encounters the Living God
Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010
East India
By Steve Martin, Vision for Israel and MFM member,
We are about to begin our third day of the conference. It has been a precious time, as I hope you have been able to read in my previous e-mails.
If you had told me even a year ago, before the personal invitation to come here, to east India of all places (which wasn't on my radar screen!) to speak the Lord's word to pastors...
If you had told me that this was in the Lord's plan, I would have given you a serious, puzzled, "ain't going to happen" look. And then if I was told I would be speaking three times a day for four days in India, I would have really thought you were speaking to the wrong guy.
Direct a business or ministry staff? Sure. Prepare financial statements monthly for a board of directors? No problem? Administrate a conference 40 times? Been there, done that.
But to tell me that the Lord was going to use me to share Scripture publicly, as one who can teach His Word? "You have the wrong guy" would have been my response.
Now I have some taste of what biblical men and women may have also thought when the Lord called them to do things that only He could make possible. Faith has to be a verb.
In two days I have shared six times, which triples the times I can remember ever sharing Scripture in my entire 55 years of life. Sure, once or twice at Cornerstone Church in Pineville as an elder seven years ago, but nothing like this. And I still have another six messages to go today and Friday!
(Thank the Lord for daily manna.)
So if you think God can't use you to do His will, believe it. I certainly do. And He will surprise you when He gives you those opportunities, and says, "Trust Me."
I thank God He is God. I'll let Him do His job and trust and obey Him to now do mine. I don't know of any other way to succeed down this adventurous journey.
Shalom for now,
Steve
P.S. So you can continue to get a "picture" of life here in another part of the world, here are some additional tidbits:
1. No speed limit signs anywhere that I have seen. And thus you can imagine what those results are!
2. Drivers use their brights all the time at night. Talk about "the blinding light" - everytime a truck or auto rickshaw goes by.
3. There are very few street lights, and many people walk on the streets at night.
4. Red hot pepper fields abound. And women sorting them on tarps on the ground, hours a day, is the norm.
5. Pastor John built a church two years ago for one of his pastors he personally trained. The 1/3 acre land cost $1000. The 20' x 60' block building was $8000. Imagine how many more churches could be built with our American tithes and offerings that are spent on many other things?
Wouldn't it be a great thing if leaders of our churches raised up disciples, sent them out, and helped them materially get started in the new work the Lord planned for them? Jesus did it. The Moravians did it. Pastor John is doing it. Sounds like a workable plan to me.
**If you are led to help John Ebenezer, a CMM/MorningStar Missionary, donate online at http://cmmissions.net or mail in your investment in Kingdom work to CMM PO 7705 Charlotte, NC 28241
