Missions Partners – June 10 2008
Dear Missions Partner,
Each time I begin to write to you my heart fills with emotion and love because you are standing with us in missions. You are enabling us to tell the gospel story, bringing the light of the gospel to those who sit in darkness. Your faithfulness to God for evangelism has made it possible for us to invest our lives for the last twenty two years on the greatest harvest fields on earth.
Recently in a ‘sharing time’ we were recounting some of the Sovereign moves of God in missions, a few of which I feel I should share briefly with you:
His Supernatural Power
In one evangelistic meeting, just before preaching, I felt led to pray for any Christian young people who were open to God’s call on their life if He directed them to ministry. Expecting four or five from a mostly unconverted crowd, about two hundred ran forward to fill the altar. Not being able to go down to pray individually for so many, I began to pray from the platform with my arms stretched to the far left of the building moving them like windshield wipers as I prayed across the crowd. Three quarters of the way across I happened to look at the young people, only to find that the first three-quarters, up to where my hands had stopped were all resting in the Spirit. As I continued to pray for the balance, they also fell under the power of the Spirit. That supernatural demonstration progressed into an incredible evening with many hundreds saved and delivered by His Supernatural power.
A Providential mistake
From a terrorist area we accepted an invitation to do several, week long outdoor evangelistic meetings. Each one went well, but one had a ‘small problem’. Two different printers produced the handbills, one indicating the conclusion of the event a day earlier than the other. The earlier period was the correct one. Each night the crowd almost doubled and many hundreds were converted, healed and delivered. On the final evening (earlier date) perhaps six or seven thousand attended the open jungle area. Many hundreds, (perhaps fifteen hundred) came forward for salvation on the last evening. God gave us a blessed and safe week of meetings. The next day after clearing the equipment and all workers had left the area, (later date) a huge explosion ripped approximately one quarter of the deserted field apart, and could possibly have killed up to two thousand people if the later date had been correct.
Before we call He will answer and while we are yet speaking He will hear.
The wrath of men to praise Him
On one occasion, after months of planning and preparation for a stadium evangelistic outreach, the religious leaders objected to the event and persuaded the city planners to cancel the week long event on the morning of the opening day. Frantically our workers searched for adequate space to contain the crowd. Tons of equipment was moved to the new location and we were ready by the advertised time. Loudspeaker vehicles advised of the new location. Because of the dispute with the leaders, the city fathers called the police and told them to be at the meeting, expecting serious trouble from the objectors. Perhaps two hundred police were on duty around the crowd the first night. At the altar call we had hundreds come forward for salvation and almost all of the police. The second night there was a much larger crowd, and up to three hundred police. The third night brought about five thousand people and even more police, almost all of whom were at the altar. All things considered, a much better result than had the original location worked. Additionally, two police chiefs came to the hotel and gave their lives to Christ. God’s ways are not our ways.
Abundance of rain
On many occasions, prayer teams will walk around a venue, (building or stadium) cleansing it and believing God for His miracle in people’s lives during the services. On one such occasion the location was a large sports field flanked by a roadway thirty feet higher than the field, and connected by a sloping grassy embankment. As the crowd gather on the playing field many hundreds stood up on the roadway and on the embankment listening to the service but not participating.
As the message was nearing a conclusion I noticed ominous coal black rain clouds rapidly blowing toward us. From experience I knew there was little time to conclude and have the regular altar call, salvation prayer and then the deliverance ministry which could continue for a couple of hours. Then the deluge burst, hundreds ran for cover- but to where? Miraculously the playing field was divinely protected. Not a drop of rain fell on the field, but the periphery of the field including the roadway and embankment where hundreds stood was drenched, sending them scurrying to the crowded playing field for cover. The service concluded in the normal way hours later. On that occasion we had double the response of people at the altar for salvation than the number of people originally attending on the field, because of the hundreds who were providentially drawn to the service and ultimately the altar. Thank God for the ministry of prayer teams. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
Run over by a bus
In outdoor evangelism the gospel is preached first, then those who respond for salvation, are counseled, prayed with and their names recorded. Those who need prayer for other needs such as healing etc. then come forward.
On one occasion, coming to the conclusion of the message and about to begin the altar invitation I had a strong check in my spirit to change the procedure. It was so strong, and would mean not calling them forward for the altar call and praying for the sick, but to pray for the sick first where they stood, believing for their healing. After the deliverance prayer the platform director came and said a lady had asked to testify. After she had been cleared to come to the microphone, this is an excerpt of her story as we understood it by interpretation:
Earlier in the evening she and her little girl had boarded a small bus to travel from her village to the same town where we were holding meetings. She then discovered it was going in the wrong direction and disembarked. The child stumbled on the bottom step falling from her grasp under the vehicle and in front of the back wheel, which ran over the child’s stomach. Picking up the unconscious child she began to run home. Someone on the road told her the child would die before she reached home, but that she should go to the deliverance meeting being held on the jungle clearing close by. She did, and stood with her dying child stretched limply across both her arms.
It was at this moment the Holy Spirit’s prompt to me was to leave the salvation prayer and pray for the sick first where they stood, which I had not done in that order before. She heard the instruction to place her hand on the part of the body that needed healing and to trust God for an answer. She looked in faith to God and believed for prayer to work. Immediately the child stirred on her arms, regained consciousness and spoke clearly to her, walking to the platform holding the mothers hand. After closer examination the bus tire marks were still visible on the child’s clothes and skin. Subsequent examination indicated no injury, as stated in written testimony ten days later and now on file. Her testimony electrified the crowd and brought Glory to the Living God.
Shirley is recovering wonderfully from her second knee replacement in ten months, and is anticipating accompanying me overseas in early July.
I have made two overseas trips and two trips across Canada while she has been recovering. This past week we had excellent ministry in the interior of BC and God abundantly blessed every service. Shirley and I have considerable counseling opportunities while here which keeps us more than busy, in addition to beginning research in preparation to write a book.
Being in Canada a little more than usual for medical reasons, has allowed Global to assist other premier ministries financially, who are also involved in missionary work.
Financial support has gone into Russia for evangelism, into China for worker support, to missionary work in Fiji, to a Canadian ministry for broadcasting the gospel across Canada, and to a local fellowship to supply DVD players to those who can no longer attend services, allowing them to see the weekly service in their home.
Cuban ministry is on the horizon and is a real possibility as God leads and supplies in the future.
Historically, June to September is our most difficult period to sustain ministry support in Canada and while we are overseas. We would deeply appreciate your prayers that God will, as always continue to meet this pressing need. Shirley and I would also appreciate your prayers for our continuing health and safety as we travel overseas.
We look forward to our Fellowship evening tentatively set for Friday October 17th.2008. More details on this later.
You are in our prayers for good health and for God’s continuing blessing on your life and on your families. The Bible says, ‘the blessing of the Lord makes rich and adds no sorrow with it’.
In His love & service
John & Shirley Abraham
For Global Outreach Foundation
June 10 2008