We should have been exhausted. It was 10 pm Delhi time, February 3, 2006 as the American Airlines flight 235 arrived at the Delhi airport terminal. The Boeing 777 with 292 souls onboard had been airborne for fourteen hours non-stop from Chicago. Kevin and I had been planning this trip for months, and rest was far from our minds. We were visiting Sangat Bains, his family and the Christian saints of India. Sangat had visited us in Williamsburg, Virginia four times since his initial visit in November 2003, twice with his wife, Beautrice, and four children. Now it was our turn.

Our visit was far more than a returned social engagement. The reason for our visit was not to teach, minister or instruct but to learn, to raise our batting average in the things of God. The signs, miracles and wonders we heard and read about in Letters from India and other communications were a source of amazement and embarrassment. These simple saints experienced an outpouring of power and growth unprecedented since the Book of Acts. There was very little in our personal experience that would improve upon what this remarkable group of believers was living in their daily lives.

Kevin and I should have seen it coming, but we were totally blindsided. The previous testimonies and accounts in no way hinted at what was in store. What we observed firsthand exceeded even our well-founded expectations.

Rooftop Fellowship

The first event of our visit was a three-day leaders meeting. The day after our arrival, the Bains family opened their home to over 100 leaders of home fellowships throughout India. The first meeting took place on the flat roof of the Bains home in brilliant, cloudless Delhi sunshine. The temperature and humidity were perfect. The believers flowed onto the rooftop with men and women separating into groups, men on one side and women on the other. Most home fellowships conform to the same general pattern. The only deviation is starting time and length of fellowship. Both are not specific times but more like a moving window. Sangat's comment that in India (unlike the US) we are "somewhat laid back here" proved to be prophetic. The believers casually filed in well over an hour after the announced starting time. No one seemed to mind or even notice.

At some undetermined point, quite spontaneously, music began as a drummer and harmonium (small pump organ) player casually began jamming. Very soon tambourines and communal, rhythmical clapping joined in. Eventually this became an organized praise and worship session as songbooks were broken out and the music began in earnest. Most of the songs were written by the believers and consisted primarily of the leader singing a verse and the group answering in unison. The singing was enthusiastic, joyful and infectious and lasted for well over an hour. The drum and tambourines were shared as both men and women took turns providing the rhythmic beat. Song leaders changed frequently as different saints would lead their favorite songs. One of the saints, a young man named Sutan, had experience as a professional singer of traditional Indian songs. He was particularly adept at leading songs, and he could really get things rollicking.

After music came the focal point of the fellowship: testimonies. Virtually every believer had a sign, miracle or wonder to relate and was excited to do so. It did not take long to realize that their methods of witnessing and outreach were as dramatically different from those in western Christianity as the results. They are experiencing sustained, explosive growth. Whole fellowships are being added daily. In the book of Acts, only the leaders healed and performed miracles. With this group of believers, it is common for new converts who were previously Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims and Buddhists to be immediately healed and see great miracles come to pass.

Shanti Revisited

The majority of the testimonies on the first day were from fellowships in the foothills of the Himalayas where the local leader was Gulab Singh. One of the mountain fellowship leaders was a woman named Shanti. It was a name I recognized from the original book of testimonies, Letters from India, three years earlier.

At that time, Shanti was a recent believer who gave an account about her conversion. Shanti could hardly lift her arms, feet and legs because of acute pain. Her husband was also a drunkard who beat her. When she heard from Dev Singh that God was able to deliver her, Shanti went to receive healing. As Dev Singh began to heal her, a devil spoke through her and said that it had been in her for 23 years and was the cause of the affliction destroying her. Dev Singh commanded the spirit to depart, and it went out. When Shanti was delivered from this spiritual and physical bondage, she was able to do her housework for the first time in twenty-three years. Today, three years later, her whole family became believers, and Shanti is the fellowship leader of a very large and growing home fellowship.

My name is Shanti. I too am also from Uttaranchal Pradesh State. There was a woman in my village that came to me for healing with a problem with her eyesight. She had no vision and some other problems. I asked if she believed. If she believed, then I could heal her, and she would be all right. She said, "Just heal me," which I did. The woman became all right. The next day the woman had the same problem. I told her that her believing was very poor. I ministered healing to her, and she was healed. I told her to stop coming to my house. "You need to trust in God yourself, and pray to God in your own house." She is healed now.

Last month on the 23rd at our fellowship, another lady who believes in God had a sister who had a cancer. The sister was an unbeliever. So this woman taught her the Word of God, and she began to believe. They then brought the woman to my house. She had a cancer in her stomach. The doctors had taken an x-ray and told her that within three months, she was going to die. The family said that if she were healed, they all would come to the One True God.

I told her if she could trust in God, she would be all right. I told her to come to God and taught her the Word of God and I ministered healing. I commanded in Jesus's name that the cancer to go away. They believed, so they went away to their home.

When their son came from the Army to know his mother's situation, he said it was not possible that the cancer could go away just like that, so the son insisted on another check-up and another x-ray and scanning. They went to the doctor. The cancer was gone. It had become a small stone. They operated on the small stone. The doctor and the family started fighting because the doctor said it was not possible for cancer to become a small stone. The whole family is now believers and come to fellowship.

The family had another problem with one daughter who had a devil spirit problem. They again came to my house. I told the daughter to believe as her mother believed. I said, "According to your faith and believing, I can heal you. We all prayed, and I said, "If you can believe, I can minister healing to you." I commanded the devil spirit to go. The family then went home.

However, the devil spirit returned. I spoke with my spiritual teacher, Gulab Sing, who told me not to be concerned. He asked me how I wanted to deal with this spirit. I said that I did not want to do it in a crowd, but I want to take the woman into my house and kick out the devil spirit. He said, "As you wish, you can do, and the spirit MUST GO!"

I took the woman into my house and told those who have fear to stay outside and those who have boldness to come inside. I brought the woman inside, and she became mute. I demanded that the devil spirit reveal himself, who he was and where he came from. Immediately that devil spirit started putting fear in my heart. I told that spirit I was not afraid of it. The spirit said that it had been with the woman for 13 years. I said that was no problem; I commanded it to just go in Jesus's name. The spirit said, "I am not going. I am going to kill her."

My spiritual teacher said this might happen. He told me to command the devil spirit and while doing so, to look it in the eye. I commanded the spirit to look me in the eye. It said it would go, but it would return. The devil spirit in the woman started crying, and then the woman became normal. The woman then said that she was all right and thanked God. As we moved on to the next testimony, I asked one of the leaders about Shanti. He mentioned that she was originally from Nepal, worked a farm with her husband, forty-something, six children and illiterate.. SAY WHAT??? ILLITERATE!!! What a shock to my western thinking. How can that be? What a sobering bit of information. I would have gladly traded thirty years of Bible study and knowledge for Shanti's confidence in the power of God. In less than three years, Shanti's home fellowship had exploded with growth, all new converts. Not only Shanti's testimony but also subsequent testimonies revealed the simple but effective approach to outreach. The saints introduced new people to God and taught them HOW to trust Him.

(Ed Note: Since the original printing of Acts Continued in the spring of 2006 there has been a major change in Shanti's life. shanti prayed to God and told Him that she did not want simply to teach only what she heard others teach she wanted to study and read His Word herself. When Shanti opened a bible she was able to read immediately.)

From Victim to Victor

A young woman named Lakshimi gave another sharing that day. Her particulars were similar to Shanti's story. They were both from the same area and conducted large home fellowships. Lakshimi, only nineteen, was an incredibly beautiful and radiant believer. Only five years earlier, Lakshimi was living on the street with a physical affliction that caused her to shake uncontrollably. No one would have anything to do with her. She attended a fellowship and received complete deliverance. Once a

victim of the adversary, she is now a victor. Still a teenager, she says, "All I want to do is to live my life for God."

This is a testimony of December 24. I am from Uttaranchal Pradesh State. I visited my elder sister in Dehera Dun. My sister had a four-month-old baby. The baby was taken to the hospital, and the doctor said that the baby was going to die. The doctor told them definitely that the baby was going to die. Then my father called me from the hospital and asked us to pray for the baby. So I told my father that if the doctor said the baby is going to die, why keep it at the hospital? Bring the baby home. I told him, "If you believe the baby is not going to die, then the baby is healed." My father asked us to pray. I told my father to bring the baby home.

We prayed for the baby, and I told God that I wanted to get a phone call that the baby is healed. Within fifteen minutes, I got a phone call from my father that the baby was completely healed. I really thank God that what the doctor refused to do, God did in fifteen minutes. I thank God that I prayed from a distance, and God heard and healed the baby. Here is another testimony. This happened on January 19. I had much pain in my eye. My vision was very poor; I could not recognize a person when they came in front of me. Everyone told me to go to the doctor. But I had faith because God had done many miracles for me. I went to a fellowship on the 21st and I requested to Father God that after this fellowship, I would be healed. After I prayed, I could see properly.

I have another testimony from two days ago. The same baby of my sister that got healed had another problem. Everyone said that the baby had pneumonia. I told them that there is nothing in the baby. I ministered healing to the baby. After fifteen minutes, the baby took milk and started playing. There had been an irritation earlier, but I ministered healing and everything was fine. I really thank God. This is my testimony and everyone should be strong in God and His grace.

Certainly Shanti, Lakshimi and the other saints present and teach the Word of God, but it is their presentation of the power of God that separates the outreach in India apart from all previous Christian outreach efforts. It is the message of the power of the kingdom of God that is sweeping the rugged Gural Hills where Shanti and Lakshimi live. Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and Muslims are being introduced to the power of the One True God.

I Corinthians 4:19,20
But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power. For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.

The kingdom of God is come to mankind in power. The accounts of both Shanti and Lakshimi and many others we were to see and hear lined up with what is recorded in the book of Acts.

Acts 9:32-35
And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all [quarters], he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda. And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy. And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately. And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord.

How simple can it get? One miraculous healing and all that dwelt at Lydda and Sharon turned to the Lord. These wonderful Indian believers are on to something because they utilize the same power. They know very little Word of God but have much power of God. Their doctrine is very simple. It is, "Come meet a God who is real, powerful and willing to help all who come to him." Shanti, Lakshimi and hundreds of other Indian believers have a whosoever-whatsoever God.

Mark 11:23
For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he says shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he says.

The No Limit God

The Indian believers totally stretch the limits of whatsoever of Mark 11:23. They confidently proclaim an all-powerful, all-loving God willing to meet any whosoevers and do whatsoever. This produces a Christian population convinced of the willingness and ability of God to help in any situation. It also produces occasionally humorous testimonies. A believer from the Gulab Singh's area relates the following:

Previous to coming to the Word of God, as an unbeliever whatever I tried failed. When I would purchase a water buffalo, it would die in four or five months. It got to the point where my family hated the word "buffalo" because I could never keep a buffalo. I started to believe God. I told God, "You know my family hates the word "buffalo", but I need a buffalo." So I went looking for a buffalo, and God showed me a buffalo. The man wanted 8500 rupees for the buffalo. He also informed me that the animal only gives milk only once a day and that was 3 1/2 liters. Immediately at that time, I prayed to God. I prayed to God that if You are giving me this buffalo, then I want the price to come down to below 8000 rupees (about $200.00).

I had no argument with this person. I just offered him 7000. He said 7800. I was not going to buy it, but my heart reminded me of what I prayed. I took that buffalo and went to my home. This same buffalo that was only supposed to give milk once a day immediately began giving milk twice a day, and it totaled 5 liters. My family was so surprised.

However, one day when I was at work, the buffalo would not give milk. My family said that the same thing is happening as to the other animals. The buffalo became very hot and would not eat. When I came home at nighttime, my family said that the buffalo is sick. I said, "No, that is not possible." When I touched the buffalo, it felt very hot. I spoke to the buffalo and said, "You are perfect, and you eat in the name of Jesus Christ. Immediately she began to eat and gave milk. I told my family to give everything into the hand of God. The buffalo now gives a very good quantity of milk.

This testimony is a typical example of a believer's confidence in God's healing power. Eventually his whole family became Christians.

I have another testimony. My father was unemployed. Actually, mentally he was not good. He had a good job, but he resigned. He never listened to us, and he would sometimes fight. He had a problem with his urine. The doctor said he had a problem and said he had a stone in his kidney, and he needed an operation. My father did not care about that. But we have the Word of God in our house, and my father started reading the Word of God. In two months, he finished reading the Word of God. He said he no longer had a problem with his urine. When he went to the doctor, he said there was no stone in the kidney. I thank God for all the miracles he has done for me and all the miracles he has done for everyone.

This deliverance was a function of the Word of God converted by faith into the power of God.

God's Calling Card

The Indian believers are not encumbered with tedious man-made doctrine. They utilize signs, miracle and wonders as God's calling card. Their approach is simple. They introduce those with needs to God and get out of the way. "Come to the One True God," they say," Tell God what you need. He will help you."

Sangat's 21-year-old niece, Rani, tells of a woman she met at work. This woman proceeded to tell Rani a litany of woes, the chief of which was that her husband was out of work. Rani politely listened and finally said, "I know how you can solve your problems. Just tell the One True God what you just told me." The next morning, the woman came in to work with a box of sweets. In India this indicates something good happened. The woman said that she did what Rani had recommended, and last night her husband got a job.

God is Daddy 

Scroll back to top of this page

and click Book of Acts continued PT2

of the left hand side