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Missions challenge of North India
India, not least the North of India, has long been regarded as a challenge for the gospel. Since the times of early missionaries such as William Carey, the North has been a particular challenge.
Today the South of India has proportionally larger numbers of Christians in it's states than the North. States in the north with a significantly largely population of muslims, with strong Hindu nationalist movements and the Punjab with it's Sikh population, present challenges to the gospel. Northern states such as Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh and Gujarat have experienced unrest from both internal and external sources.
But one part of India that has seen a move of God, despite some of the challenges, is the North-East and particularily Nagaland.
In this article I want to share some of what God has been doing. This acts as a shining example in Asia of what God can do, and how he can inspire a people with a vision to reach beyond their own people into the region. A region surrounded with such places as Burma, Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal, China and many unreached peoples within India itself.
Nagaland
Nagaland- not exactly the most well-known of places on the global directory,... did you know where it is?
But for those concerned about missions and intercession in Asia, Nagaland is significant. Undoubtedly the state in India where there are more Chistians by percentage than any other. Nagaland has experienced tremendous revival in the 1960's and 1970's even in the midst of great difficulty and persecution.
The context of the Nagaland revivals, in the midst of feeling betrayed by greater powers such as India or Britain, exemplifies the mercy of God to a forgotten people.
I recommend Paul Hattaway's recently published work on the Nagas :
'From Head-Hunters to Church Planters' (Piquant editions ISBN 1-903689-37-6).
The testimonies of native Naga believers read at times like chapters of the book of Acts, as God intervened in mercy (and on occasion in judgement too).
Useful links:
(re outreach to Asian Ethnic groups)
Let me share an extract from the story just to whet your appetite:
(source
http://www.asiaharvest.org/pages/WhenHeavenCameDown2.htm)
Nagaland, India
When Heaven Came Down
(Part 2)
Deliverance from Attack
In April 1959, a well-known Indian Army Officer, Major Thomas, decided to completely annihilate all the people living in Sendenyu village, a Rengma Naga village near Tseminyu. This village had gained the wrath of the Indians because it had been one of the first villages to hoist the flag of the Independent Republic of Nagaland, and the villagers were known to be active in helping the Naga armies who were hiding out in the mountains.
Two days’ prior to the arrival of Major Thomas and his men, the occupants of Sendenyu were alerted to his diabolical plans to wipe out the people and destroy the village to ashes. The trembling villagers gathered in the church and prayed to the Merciful God for deliverance from the cruel hand of the devil. The Holy Spirit spoke through various members of the congregation and instructed the people on how to receive Major Thomas.
The Lord told them not to be afraid because He was with them. They were to receive the Major at the village gate, on the eastern side, by singing a hymn entitled ‘Let Him In’.
Let us continue the story in the words of eyewitnesses of that day.... “They were to stand in a row, with the Pastor in the front, followed by the little children, then the young girls and women folks and so on. Upon his arrival, everyone should greet him by shaking hands with him, all the while singing the proposed hymn as they escort him to the church.
It was further instructed that once they reached the doorstep of the church the Major’s shoes should be removed and his feet washed. Then he must be made to sit at the pulpit next to the Pastor, and time allotted for him to give a speech....
Before reaching the village, the Major and his troops burned the shacks in the fields that lay on his way. This terrified the villagers, but the Lord God reminded them not to be afraid because He was with them. Upon his arrival at the reception gate at the village entrance, the Pastor, children and everyone in the row greeted him by shaking his hands, singing songs, and escorted him to the church.
At the church entrance, the believers took off the Major’s shoes, washed his feet and made him sit with the Pastor at the pulpit. The congregation prayed for him and gave him time to deliver a speech to them.
Major Thomas then stood up in the pulpit and started to tremble. His voice stammering, he said that he had been sent by the Government of India to destroy the village of Sendenyu. ‘I, therefore, have come to burn down Sendenyu village to ashes and wipe out the people in it.’
The Major continued, saying that his intentions had completely changed at the village gate when he saw the little children singing joyful songs. The next day, Major Thomas left the village with his troops and went to Tsosinyu village, another Rengma village situated on the other side of the Nra River.
Reaching the village, he looked back at Sendenyu and announced that he would supply rice to them [because he had destroyed their fields] as soon as he reached his station at Chiechama village, until the time of the next harvest. And true to his promise, he supplied rice to the village of Sendenyu till harvest that year.”
Lost and Found Child
"Everyone who asks receives; and he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks the door will be opened.” (Luke 11:10)
One way that the Lord Jesus Christ showed his loving concern for the plight of the Naga people during their years of turmoil, war, and famine was demonstrated by several examples of lost people being found.
Nichulo Rengma of Nyishunyu village became deeply traumatized when he saw the dead and mutilated body of his father, who had been butchered by Indian soldiers. Nichulo, without saying a word, took a gun and went into the forest, and did not return. The villagers organized search parties, but after three days there was no sight of the boy.
Seven days after his disappearance, a message was sent to various churches, asking the believers to pray for the missing boy. As they prayed, the Holy Spirit gave a vision to the Christians.
In the vision they saw the lost boy sitting under a big brown tree in the forest, east of the timber mill in the Nyishunyu area. When a message was sent to the relatives of the boy, they immediately went to the tree and found the boy sitting there, exactly as the Lord had revealed.
The village of Nyishunyu is far from the church where God gave the vision, so the Christians had absolutely no knowledge of the surroundings where the boy was found.
Release from Execution
“Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell.... Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists.” (Acts 12:7)
In May 1962, Ngaseng Kent and Solomon Kent were arrested by the Rajput Regiment of the Indian Army and were handed over to the 11th Gorkha Regiment for interrogation. They were bound together with iron chains and delivered to the military barracks at a place called Zubza. The two prisoners continually prayed for God’s protection and help.
The church members were also crying out to God and interceding on their behalf. Despite their prayers, their situation seemed to get worse and they were ordered to be shot dead. The two Christian men were forcibly taken outside the tent to be shot. While they waited for the executioner to arrive, the two Naga men prayed and committed their souls to the Lord’s care.
While they were praying, the Holy Spirit revealed to Solomon Kent that he should not be afraid because the Lord was with him in his trial. The executioner arrived and took aim at the two men, bound like animals. They closed their eyes and waited for the bullet to send them into eternity with their loving Savior.
After a few seconds they looked up and saw that the rifle had failed to fire. One of the Indian officers became outraged at the failure of the weapon. He checked the rifle and the bullets and out of intense anger he went to beat the two defenseless men with the rifle butt. As he drew the weapon above his head, however, it stuck in a rope that was holding the tent, and the officer struck himself in the forehead. The officer threw away the gun and began to weep, for he knew the presence of a greater power was against him and his evil intentions.
The prisoners were sent back to their cell, as those in charge thought about what action to take against them. After a while Ngaseng Kent dozed off and had a dream. In his dream the Lord revealed to him that the believers were praying earnestly for him and that he should get up and escape immediately. When he awoke he noted the time was 2 p.m.
After a short prayer, Ngaseng Kent touched the iron chain, which suddenly broke off, setting him free from his shackles! The Indian guards gave chase but could not catch him.
This testimony was not the first time that a Naga Christian had experienced such a miraculous escape. Earlier, in 1957, Kesinga Seb was arrested and taken to the jungle. After praying to the Lord of Lords and asking Him to show Himself strong, the chains binding Kesinga loosened by themselves, allowing him to escape. As he ran off, bullets were fired and grenades were thrown at him by the Indian soldiers, but the Living God granted Seb’s prayer and he escaped unharmed.
Prophecy regarding hailstones
“The Lord hurled large hailstones down on them from the sky.” (Joshua 10:11)
During many revivals around the world, God speaks through the weakness of human vessels with words of prophecy, challenge, or exhortation. Although there are always people who abuse prophecy and claim God is speaking when it is just their own flesh and imaginations, certain messages were surely uttered in the power of the Holy Spirit during the Nagaland revival.
On one occasion at Sendenyu, Rosenle Seb brought a prophecy that if people continued to murmur against the workings of the Holy Spirit, hailstones would be poured down from heaven to undo their unbelief.
No sooner had she finished speaking this message when a storm of hailstones came from the heavens, crashing down on the church roof in broad daylight, without a single drop of accompanying rain. Through many such signs and wonders the fear of God fell on the entire village and many were added to the church.
Raised from the Dead
“He sent forth His Word and healed them; He rescued them from the grave.” (Psalm 107:20)
Of all the miracles that God performs during revivals, the one that causes the most skepticism in the logical minds of many Western believers is when a dead person is raised back to life again. It is particularly strange that some Christians mock such an occurrence, as there are more than ten clear instances of the dead being raised in the Scriptures.
In Nagaland, at least four people were raised from the dead during the revivals. These miracles were witnessed by hundreds of people who have given firsthand testimonies to what they saw. One day, Pastor Kegwahi Kent, the leader of the Sendenyu Baptist Church, fired his weapon; an old muzzle-loading gun such as is used by many people for hunting in Nagaland.
On this occasion, Pastor Kent’s gun exploded near the firing pin, causing serious injury to his face and hands. Over the ensuing days his condition grew worse until he fell unconscious and died. A doctor was summoned who confirmed that Pastor Kent’s heart had stopped functioning and he was indeed dead.
According to Naga tradition, the church bell was rung to notify the community of the tragic death. Funeral arrangements were made. The believers who were attending to the corpse, however, continued to pray for his life, refusing to believe their beloved pastor had so suddenly departed from this life. They pleaded for the Lord to bring Kegwahi Kent back to life. Inwardly, the intercessors sensed the death was the result of a Satanic attack, rather than the will of God wanting to take His servant home.
According to Pastor Kent, after he died he was approached by a person or angel dressed in white who told him not to worry because God had ordained that he would be healed. As the man in white left, Pastor Kent returned to life in his conscious state. Over the coming weeks Kent gradually recovered from the effect of his injuries, and was able to return to the ministry of preaching God’s Word for many more years.
Other Naga men from the Sendenyu area whose lives were supernaturally extended by God include the Rev. Tsonthonga Kemp, and David Kemp.
Conviction and dumbness
“As many as I love, I rebuke. So be earnest, and repent.” (Revelation 3:19)
During the revival countless people committed their lives to Christ, but some sinners held out and resisted the conviction of the Holy Spirit. One such man was Gwanilo Seb, a notorious drunkard who had been excommunicated from the church membership because of his unrepentant heart.
Gwanilo was furious at the church and was looking for a way to humiliate and persecute the believers whom he felt had rejected him. One evening, although he did not believe the revival was God-sent, Gwanilo Seb and two of his gang members came near the door of the church to satisfy their curiosity.
An elderly Christian man, Jihlo Bukh, saw Gwanilo standing near the door, took hold of his hands, and pulled him towards the pulpit at the front of the sanctuary. Gwanilo started to tremble from the fear of God. All of a sudden an invisible hand struck him so hard on the back of his head that he fell to the ground and could not speak.
Gwanilo was unable to regain his speech for one full day, as the conviction of the Holy Spirit broke down his stubborn heart. Finally, Gwanilo motioned for a piece of chalk. He wrote on the church blackboard, requesting the believers to forgive him and to pray for his re-admission into church membership.
The church prayed for him, but he still could not speak. But the instant they took out the church membership book and wrote Gwanilo’s name in the register, he regained his speech. Gwanilo remained a committed and active member of the Sendenyu Baptist Church.
Miraculous literacy
As for Jihlo Bukh, who had taken Gwanilo by the arm and led him into the church, God did an unusual miracle for him. Jihlo had never received a formal education in his life, and now that he was an old man, he regretted that he had never been able to read the Bible or the church hymnbook.
During the revival, he received a divine enablement from the Holy Spirit so that he was suddenly able to read fluently. This gift completely changed Jihlo Bukh’s life. He was so grateful to God to be able to read His Word day and night.
God continued to work powerfully in the hearts of the Naga people, purifying and empowering them for service. The fear of God gripped the whole community. All that mattered to believers was obedience to God’s will. People desired the meat of God’s Word more than they desired their lunch and dinner. Some of the miracles that took place were unusual.
Healings
“For I will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds, declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 30:17).
The gift of divine healing was also in evident in Sendenyu village. In fact, Naga believers from many locations have heard about God’s grace and power to heal through the believers there, resulting in many sick and injured people traveling to Sendenyu for prayer to the present day. Literally hundreds of people have been dramatically and often instantly healed, many from life-threatening illnesses.
There are too many wonderful healing testimonies to start listing here, so let us just examine the background of one story, as a representative of countless others.
Raised from the Dead -1994
On the 4th of January 1994, the prayer group of the Sendenyu Baptist Church was notified of the grave situation of a boy named Atobu, son of Kholie of Botsa town. Atobu was terribly ill, with profuse bleeding from his nostrils and mouth. Doctors had been unable to diagnose the problem, and had prepared the boy’s family to prepare for the worst. Atobu’s condition worsened until he could neither talk, move, eat nor drink.
But when the prayer team laid hands on the boy he was instantly healed. He started to move his hands and feet, and asked his awestruck parents and onlookers for food and drink. Atobu soon regained his full health.
Crossing a River
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not overflow you.” (Isaiah 43:2).
In Nagaland the monsoon season lasts from around April to November every year. During the wet season roads and trails turn into mud, landslides are common, and rivers prove impassable.
On one occasion during the revival, the Lord spoke to the prayer group at the Sendenyu Church that they must take the message of repentance and faith to surrounding communities and tribes. Through prophecy, the Holy Spirit told the believers the time and date that they should go across the Nra River to share the Gospel with various villages of the Sema Naga tribe living west of the river.
On the set day, the Christians obeyed God’s command and proceeded towards the Nra River. The Nra is the largest and widest river in all the territory occupied by the Rengma Naga tribe. When they reached its bank, they found it in full flood and impossible to cross. There were no bridges at that time, and no boats to take people across.
Some of the evangelistic team wanted to turn back, but others reminded the team how the Lord had spoken to them and commanded them to go on that day. The group decided they must obey God’s command at all costs. They prayed and asked the Lord to protect them from the raging waters and to enable them to witness for His glory.
The faithful believers took a step into the river, then another, then yet another. They were surprised to find that the water wasn’t as deep as they had thought, so they boldly walked across the river to the other side. As they walked across, they could feel the bottom of the river on the soles of their bare feet.
To this day, the Christians are not entirely sure how God enabled them to cross the Nra River. They seem to think the Lord somehow made the river shallow for their crossing.
At the place they crossed it was later found the water is at least 20 to 30-feet deep during the rainy season! These accounts of miracles all took place in and around the one village of Sendenyu, but they are typical of hundreds of similar testimonies that took place throughout the length and breadth of Nagaland during the revival years.
Peace in village
According to one account from Sendenyu, “Peace, tranquility and health, economic progress and prosperity prevailed in the village. Disputes, quarrelling and social disorders were hardly heard of or seen, or experienced during the first seven years of revival in Sendenyu.”
