2/12/09
Scripture: The healing of a Demon-Possessed Man (Mark 5 verses 1 – 20)
Scripture verse for this year ministry
Jesus said to him “go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has Done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” – (Mark 5 verse 19)
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Greetings to all of you from our pastors and their congregations in Manipur India. It is amazing what God is doing in this country today. Incredible numbers of Hindu people have renounced and abandoned their Hindu gods. These same people have also asked Jesus to come into their heart, and have acknowledged to our Christian brothers and sisters that, “our God! Is God! ”
Multitudes of people throughout India are coming to know Jesus every day. The Holy Spirit is moving among the people. Our churches are growing by leaps and bounds. Incredible healings are taking place continuously. Just like the miracles we read about Jesus doing in the New Testament.
I have personally witnessed these healings over the years in my own life, and in the lives of those, we witness to in India. One open-air program that we had in January of 2008 stands out for me. At this open air program I saw more than 150 people out of 6000 attending become physically, mentally, and spiritually healed. I saw a woman who was blind, leave seeing, and praising God. I watched as these Hindu people came up to our microphones and gave their testimonies to their own families and friends about how God had just healed them miraculously. They told how they wanted Jesus to live within them. Some people were full of joy and praising God, while others were in tears, because they finally knew who god really was. Others were begging from the stage for their families and friends to believe in Jesus.
As I look back over my own life and see what God has done for me, and as I look back over the years and remember what God has done miraculously in the lives of others. When I read back through my journal entries over the past years. I must confess that I am ashamed of myself for even doubting God, or for that matter having a lack of faith at times. God is always working in our lives. Always showing us who he is. Always doing miraculous things.
One of the problems that many of us believing Christians face is that our memories are short lived. We forget what God has done for us in our stubbornness. We question the fact. I have heard over the years that seeing is believing. How many of us have seen something, and then wonder if what we just saw was of god or not. Even the Israelites saw and had disbelief. This was during and after the time of the exodus from Egypt.
During the summer of 2008, we received numerous phone calls from, pastors, family, and friends in India telling us about some miraculous events that were taking place in my wife’s remote village. Several people who were suffering from various ailments and diseases had been healed. As a result, people began praising God for all that had taken place. This news when circulated in the region, angered many Hindus and Meitei Hindu high priests. These Hindu high priests contacted our pastors and other Christian believers in the small village
Community and said, “they wanted to challenge our god”, with their god’s, to see who is the real god. Standing face to face, our pastors and their congregations prayed to our god while at the same time the Hindu’s and their high priests prayed to their god’s. Suddenly the Hindu high priests fell to the ground as if they were dead. They could not move, another Hindu high priest
Turned a purplish color. Others fell face down and still, others were miraculously healed. After some time, the Hindu high priests were revived, and they then renounced their god’s before all the people. They stripped themselves of their dress, and acknowledged that our God is God! Praise the lord!
Since this event, thousands and thousands of Hindu’s have given their lives over to Jesus and our churches have grown. Our church in Keinou went from 50 people to over 350 in just a few weeks. All the bibles that we had in 2008 have now been distributed, and as of the date of this newsletter 1500 more Bibles are on the way.
In other parts of India, more specifically the Indian state of Orissa, persecution is on the rise. Churches are being burned and Christians are being brutally killed, burned, and chopped into pieces. Horrible, unimaginable things are happening to our brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus in this place. These persecutions and brutal killings have recently been in the news and widely reported around the world. We must pray for these people and their families. They are enduring horrific events for the sake of our father god in heaven and his son Jesus.
Our lives are not our own.
We were purchased at a price. Purchased by the precious blood of Jesus. Consider the following: in mark chapter – 5 you can read about the demon possessed man that was healed by Jesus. How much is a man’s life worth anyway? Apparently to Jesus it was worth more than the cost of 2000 pig life’s. For Jesus when he cast out the demons, sent them into a heard of pigs. The pigs ran down a steep embankment and all of they drowned in the lake below. So, how great was the loss of those pigs to the pig farmer? How great is the value of the pigs compared to the value of saving a man’s life? Jesus showed us that man’s life, his soul is of far greater value than anything. Nothing can compare to the soul of a man, because that soul of a man was created in the image of God, by God. Therefore, what God gave to us, and because of the price his son paid on the cross. We also must pay a price.
The cost of following Jesus is giving ones whole self, body, and soul to the service of the risen savior. We must be a servant as Jesus showed us when he washed the feet of the disciples. This is so that we may be a blessing to others and by so doing, bring praise, honor, and glory to God himself. A Christian must bring the saving knowledge of Jesus to the lost, no matter the cost. It says in God’s word that the man who was possessed by the demons was sitting with Jesus, dressed and in his right mind. Are you in your right mind? If you are then Jesus says, “go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you”! This is what we are doing through you in our mission program in India. This is also our theme for this year of 2009. In our present global economy everything has a price. Today people are struggling around the world with financial matters. People around the world have made money their god. When man has financial means he doesn’t seem to have a need for the living God. When man does not have financial means then he may see a need for God and a relationship with him. I believe God is calling his children around the world to put their trust in him, rather than in man, governments, and the wealth they have or had. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul. In Matthew 6 – verses 19 – 21. I will paraphrase, “do not store up for yourselves treasure on earth, but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”.
My wife Elizabeth and I want to take this moment to thank god for helping us to do the work he has called us to do in India. We also want to thank you for partnering with us in this mission endeavor to proclaim the name of Jesus to North-east India. Our pastors and their families are also very thankful for your support. Because of your love gifts, and prayers, thousands upon thousands of people have come to Jesus.
When we first started our work in north-east India in 1994, only about 4,000 Tribal Meitei’s where known to be Christian. Today our pastors and evangelists are telling us that number is nearly 26,000 Christians and growing by the minute. How awesome is that! Praise god! Today these churches in remote places are spawning more church plants in village after village. People in north-east India are knowing Jesus, and printing bibles is a non-stop
Effort. The printing presses in Bangalore in southern India are printing day And night, and moving Christian literature about India every single day. The Word of God for Asia, has distributed over 35,000 bibles in remote north-East India to six different tribes. Through you we support two large churches that we planted in two separate villages with the help of our pastors and Evangelists working in the region from the grass root level. Through you, we support – 7 – full-time pastors, and 20 part-time evangelists. Through you, we support a small orphanage for girls between the ages of 5 and 14 years old. At this date there are 12 girls staying at the orphanage. This is an orphanage that was started by one of our pastor’s several years ago, and cares for girls who have lost parents by death, and have no one to care for them. We also support a small educational seminary in the countryside of Manipur called manna spiritual institute. As of the last report, the teacher is telling us they have 8 seminary students who get seminary education, room and board free of cost.
Our responsibilities and commitments are sometimes overwhelming, but our Lord God has always provided all that we need through support partners like you. Our ministry in India is growing huge, and it is a challenge to raise the $15,000.00 – $20,000.00 a year that it takes to support pastors, supply bibles, and build new churches among the other things as mentioned above. Our prayer is that you will be blessed so that you may be a blessing to others. We also request your continuous prayer for new Christians all around the world. Finally, we want to humbly thank you in the name of Jesus for your prayer, your blessings, and your support for The Word of God for Asia, in India.
An up – date as of the newsletter written above.
As of February 20 – 2009, we have 1,500 bibles in route to north-east India, all of them paid for in full. Each bible costs about $2.50 each depending on the language and manuscript of the printing. The churches in Keinou and Kangvai that we have started and built over the years are growing by leaps and bounds. Keinou church has more than 350 members. Kangvai church located near the mountains is in an area where the underground terrorists operate, this church has nearly 50 members today. Kangvai church is in a highly dangerous area, but continues to grow despite The conditions. We need help supporting these two churches at the present time.
Our girl’s orphanage really needs help. There is never enough money to send these girls to school, and it is very hard to keep them all fed, even just once in a day. Most of the girls only have two pairs of clothing and trade changes of clothing. The girls sleep 4 and 5 to a bed. Even though the conditions seem harsh. At least they have a place to live, sleep, eat, and they have each other. This is better then what they would have, if they were left to themselves in many of the remote villages that they have come from. Many of these girls come from areas where terrorists have killed their family members and have raped many of the women and girls in their villages. Please pray for these girls.
Our pastors and evangelist are working hard. They call us and write us frequently reporting all the people who have been baptized and added to their congregations. We have to raise about $ 7,000.00 annually to meet our pastor’s salaries. These servants live hand to mouth with their families. Each full-time pastor receives about $400.00 to $600.00 dollars per year, each evangelist between $150.00 to $300.00 yearly.
We hope that you have a happy new year! God bless you and keep you safe.
Serving the risen savior Jesus!
Steven and Elizabeth Rozema / The Word of God for Asia, Inc.
A non-profit organization, our tax id # is: 38-3364751