YEAR OF RESTORATION

July 2004

Volume 33 Issue 7  No. 340

(A Report of the National Staff Retreat, 24-29 May, 2004)

A. Malarselvan

"Jai Masi Ki," "Vandalu," "Devarige Sthothra," "Salaam," "Devachi Sthuthi Aso," "Praise the Lord!" Multilingual greetings reverberated on the morning of 24 May as over 300 BYM missionaries began to pour in at the prayer campus near Christhukula Ashram in Tiruppattur, the venue of the National Staff Retreat. After our founder, Mr. R. Stanley, and our General Overseer, Mr. A. Lionel, jointly released doves, the missionaries were warmly welcomed into the meeting arena. Mrs. Lizzie Arthur, wife of the Chairman, lit the lamp to inaugurate the occasion. Dr. M. Arthur John, the Chairman dedicated the Retreat for the glory of God. Missionary families exchanged love gifts and prayed for one another.

Mr. A. Lionel in his inaugural address encouraged us by sharing about the privileges of a missionary. Mr. R. Stanley set the theme, Together To Gather, in motion by delivering the keynote address. He exhorted us regarding restoration in ten areas of our life. Daily Bible Studies were led by Mr. Valentine Davidar, the Asia Director of Haggai Institute. He gave the clarion call for Righteousness in life, Responsibility in ministry, Relationship in family and Excellence in personal life. Mr. Patrick Joshua, former General Secretary of FMPB, talking on the lifestyle of a missionary, stirred us up for simple living. Rev. Benjamin, the Director, FEBA, addressed family issues. When he asked the children to hug and thank their parents many eyes brimmed with tears. Mr. Sam Jebathurai, the noted author and evangelist in the Tamil Christian World, exhorted the missionaries to keep the fire in the altar of their lives continuously burning and led a powerful prayer time for a fresh anointing. The multi-cultural colour the BYM has acquired over the years was reflected in the fact the messages were interpreted to Hindi, Kannada, Oriya, Telugu and Tamil.

The Missionary Kids had a different track specially designed for them by Mr. Joe Duthie, (Ambassadors For Christ, Pune) and his team. They kept the kids buzzing as their own problems were dealt with. Praise and worship ascended to God led by different regions clad in their colourful cultural dresses.

There was plenty of variety. Testimony time to glorify God was edifying. Workshops on 14 areas of ministry burst forth with suggestions that led to lively discussions. There was a question and answer session too. The History, the Vision and Mission Statements were communicated superbly through a LCD projector show by Mr. E. L. Mathansingh, Field Ministry Coordinator and the Convenor of the Retreat.

Evenings were times to play volleyball and throwball. Full throated cheers rent the air. Nights were time for fun as diverse sections presented exuberant cultural programs. It was a thrill for the missionary parents to watch their kids performing. The marchpast of the MKs was a big hit!

Missionaries who excelled in exemplary and courageous service, those who had systematically reported, retired missionaries, and ex-missionaries were honored. Apt momentos and awards were presented colourfully.

Gifts from our partners like travel bags, books, cassettes, towels, uniforms for missionaries, toys for kids, etc brightened every face. Thanks to all those who prayed earnestly, contributed liberally and helped cheerfully as volunteers for this historic gathering of Missionaries after a span of six years. Kudos to Jeyaraj, Shanthakumar, Mathansingh, Paul Dinakaran, John Thomas, Rebekah Thomas and Malarselvan, the members of the Steering Committee who meticulously planned and coducted the program. Deena Elisha and Malarselvan coordinated the entire programme interestingly.

After the Chairman’s closing remarks, all solemnly took part in the Lord’s Table. Each family planted a lighted candle on their choice State, in the huge India map drawn on the floor. The inevitable parting time came too soon. We hugged each other and whispered words of encouragement as we bid farewell. In short, the participants had experienced Psalm 133 literally! Together we marched out to gather!

We come across some contemporary Church advertisements like, ‘Revival here on every Sunday morning’ and ‘Revival here every night except Sunday.’ The word ‘Revival’ is thus used to refer to a ‘Worship Service or a Special Meeting!’

One of the Church historians, James Bauchanan, defined revival this way: ‘It is the imparting of life to those who are dead and the imparting of health to those who are dying.’ Revival is neither a theoretical concept nor a theological idea one can play with. On the contrary, it is an intensely practical and personal experience and it has always brought radical results in the Church. Duncan Campbell, a man who was involved in a famous revival movement, described it simply as ‘a community saturated with God.’ He pointed out that true revival results in total restoration, moving men and women who had no concern for spiritual things and Christian ethics, to seek after God. In short, those who don’t experience a spiritual renewal in their own personal lives can never become useful instrument in God’s hand to bring about revival in the lives of others. During times of revival, things happen suddenly and supernaturally and God uses His chosen instruments to fan the flame.

One such instrument in God’s hand was King Hezekiah. Bible history has this glowing tribute to record about him: "Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was never another kind like him in the land of Judah, either before or after his time" (2 Kings 18:5). His story is told in three books of the Old Testament: 2 Kings (8-20), 2 Chronicles (29-32) and Isaiah (36-39). His reign experienced a fresh visitation of God: "Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced at what God had brought about for His people, because it was done so quickly" (2 Chron 29:36). The greatest blessing of his 29 years of reign was a spiritual revival and reawakening of faith. His life illustrates a few principles about the instruments that God uses in revival.

God’s instruments in revival are...

Men whom God mightily used in revival in the past have always been men who maintained a close fellowship with God. David Brainard spent whole nights in prayer. So did John Wesley and Whitefield. They were men who knew what God wanted them to do and were determined to accomplish it by paying whatever price. Revival commences with those who remain good in bad times, remain Christian in godless days, remain holy in a sin-soaked society and who manage their value system with an eternity-perspective in their hearts. Revival begins with those who stand firm for Yahweh’s cause like king Hezekiah in an age of moral degradation and when religious dilution was rampant. Hezekiah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord (2 Ki 18:3). He was a man who ‘ran to God’ (19:1). He sought godly counsels from men of God like prophet Isaiah (19:2). Prayer was his lifeline (19:15; 20:2). His heartcry was that the earth should know the Lord God Almighty (19:19). What a wonderful relationship he maintained with God! ‘Hezekiah trusted the Lord…and the Lord was with him’ (18:5,7). Men of such holiness are awesome instruments in the hands of God. They can see the state of the Church and the condition of the nation from God’s perspective. 

God chooses, trains and uses ordinary men in revival according to His own way. At every crucial stage of Bible history, God motivated and prepared ordinary men to lead His people. Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Gideon, Deborah, Samuel, David, Daniel, Nehemiah and the many prophets were some of them. The Church history of the first century is woven around the lives of men like Peter and John, Philip and Stephen, Paul and Silas, Barnabas and John Mark — all ordinary men.

King Hezekiah was one of the very few rulers in Judah’s history under whose rule the nation experienced a spiritual renewal. He is introduced as a young man of twenty-five. His father, King Ahaz, was a godless man "who encouraged his people to sin." He even went to the extent of shutting "the doors of the Lord’s Temple so that no one could worship there and then set up altars to pagan gods in every corner of Jerusalem" (2 Chron. 28:19,24). You can imagine what sort of influence this kind of a father would have been for Hezekiah. The age in which he lived was totally corrupt and given to idolatry. But he chose to be different in a defiled age. 

The people God uses may not be physically attractive. Apostle Paul had an unimpressive personality (2 Cor 10:10). Timothy was a timid person with physical weakness. God did not choose King Hezekiah because of his pleasing personality or powerful political background. God is neither partial nor does He choose according to outward appearance. Rather He is interested in men and women who are available for His purposes, considering it as the number one priority. David Brainard who walked miles in frontier territory to minister to the North American Indians wasn’t a goodlooker. Tuberculosis took a toll of his body. Similarly, Brother Bakht Singh, one of God’s instruments in the revival movement in South India wasn’t exactly handsome. ‘He was a lean, unimpressive young man with neither moustache nor beard, and not dressed up like a great preacher in tie and collar and shoes either, but barefooted and simply clad…’ writes Mr. Rajamani.  He further writes, ‘God recruits men from various backgrounds to play a part in seasons of revival and restoration.’

A mixed group led the revival that broke out in the early Church following the Pentecost. The inspiring and influential ones spectacularly used in that revival were the apostle Peter, an ordinary fisherman and Apostle Paul, a scholar. They were poles apart in their background and training! A person like Peter was unqualified in the eyes of men. An unassuming Evan Roberts of Wales was used mightily (1 Cor 1:26-29). God uses both men in leadership and also hundreds of ordinary men who are lesser-known or unknown servants of the Gospel, who work behind the screen. John Milton, the epic poet wrote, "They also serve who only stand and wait."  Each vessel is unique in God’s ministry.

Revival and Restoration invariably starts with just one person who has a broken, contrite, and a committed heart. Personal revival precedes a corporate revival. A careful study of the lives of those used mightily in revival explains that they did not go for impressive gifts and exciting sights. Their only desire and determination was a revival breakthrough. 

Hezekiah ‘trusted in the Lord…held fast to the Lord and did not cease to follow Him’. This ‘holding fast’ speaks of a deep spiritual commitment. The early disciples were committed, but God took them to the Upper Room so that they would experience a personal Pentecost in their lives that deepened their commitment (Acts 2:4). Jonathan Edwards, a committed revivalist writes of his own experience: "God, in the communications of His Holy Spirit, has appeared as an infinite fountain of divine glory and sweetness; being full and sufficient to fill and satisfy my soul…"

God’s instruments in revival look for more than mere programmes, projects and popularity. Instead they are committed for a cause. A careful analysis of the lives of the men of God used in Bible time brings out this truth. They remained true to God and their calling to the end. They were not discouraged by defeats, quelled by queries or hampered by hurdles. Abraham at Mamre (Gen 15), Jacob at Luz (Gen 28), Moses in the Midian desert  (Ex 3), Joshua outside Jericho (Josh 5) and Isaiah in the temple (Isa 6) are a few ready examples for the above statement. Ministry was much more than a mere job for them; it was not a hobby they had hit upon to pass time, rather, it was an all consuming passion. God is looking for people who will remain committed to Him in order to trust them for the task of revival. 

Inspired men of God with a glowing inner life always affect the Church and the society at large. They become godly examples by their life style. The Holy Bible spells out clearly that ‘Hezekiah lived according to all that his father David had done’ (2 Chron 29:2). Hezekiah purposed in his heart to follow the godly model of his ancestor David, rather than his ungodly father, Ahaz, who was unfaithful to God and walked in the detestable ways of the world. Hezekiah was unwilling to inherit the evil from his father but was interested in following a godly example. Thus he himself became a role model. A fire needs fuel to stay burning. Reading the histories of the past and the stories of great Christians of the past will keep your heart burning for revival. Foxe’s ‘Book of Martyrs’ and Geoffrey Hank’s ‘Seventy Great Christians’ are a few titles suggested for reading in this regard. Hezekiah inherited the rich stories of God’s care for his people by paying heed to the Psalms of David (Psa 43:5). 

Reading the accounts of Missions and missionaries opens up new horizons. The spiritual awakenings in the lives of God’s people are always contagious. The revival in India in 1905 was influenced by the happenings in Wales. The servants of God ministering in Khasi and Jaintia Hills in Assam wrote ‘When we read of the wonderful work of the Spirit in Wales, our desire for a spiritual revival was fanned into flame.’ Many, including John Wesley, have been motivated to long for God in revival by reading the life of David Brainard. Similar effects have been caused to those who read the lives of C.T. Studd and Hudson Taylor. 

It is a joy to mention a few lines about my own mentor, Ms. Angel James, who brought me up in godly fear, in this regard. God used her as a powerful instrument when revival flames swept across Thanjavur, a small town in the central part of Tamilnadu, in early 1970s. From her sixteenth year when she committed her life to Christ, she had a consuming desire to go all out for Him. She chose to remain single and became a fulltime missionary in 1960 with Indian Missionary Society, before which she was a Headmistress in a School. After a decade of ministry in Andhra Pradesh, she returned to our hometown due to health reasons. She gave herself to the closet ministry and became an inspired counselor for many. The women’s wing of Blessing Youth Mission made her its prayer secretary. Angel aunty, as she was affectionately called, was truly a praying Angel of India. The last words in her diary are challenging— "Unknown let me live and let me die unknown." This has been my desire also since my childhood. Angel aunty had no other desires in life except to please God. No doubt I am greatly influenced by her more than several others. As King Hezekiah was influenced by the life of King David, so the lives of men and women greatly used by God have had a powerful contagious effect in the revival history of nations. In revival, whom God uses become role models. 

Revival is God sent but the human instruments play a vital role by surrendering themselves to the supreme choice of God, having an inseparable communion with Him and practice what they preach. Francis of Assissi eloquently called for role models in Christendom this way: "Preach always—if necessary use words!"

Be holy, be ordinary—just as you are, be committed and be a role model and you will be an instrument in the hands of God in reviving the Church.

Another academic year is on. You are back to school. You are already warming the chairs in your college. As you kickstart your academic year do give ear to these counsels from God’s Word. As a new school year dawns, the following must be a Christ-centered student’s priorities:

As soon as you set foot in your college or school, the call to compromise your commitment to Christ, will come from your pals. "Nothing wrong in having an occasional cigar!" "You have not lived yet, if you haven’t watched this seductive website"; Compelling suggestions like these and much more will come from them. What would you do? Trade-off the commitment you made with Jesus for passing pleasures just to please them? No way. Instead, follow the example of this University of Babylonia student — Daniel.

Notice that Daniel and his pals joined for a three year’s course (Dan 1:5). But the decision that Daniel made not to compromise came promptly — within the first ten days of those three years (Dan 1:12). When it comes to the issue of compromise, you need to take the decision immediately. If Daniel had eaten the King’s defiling diet for one year and then suddenly told his eunuch-boss that he wanted to abstain from that, this request would not have been considered. But since such a decision came very promptly, the eunuch was sort of forced to take his request seriously! Daniel stayed in Babylon for about 70 years. Daniel 1:1 and 1:21 give us a clue in this regard. The decision he took not to compromise in the first 10 days of his stay in Babylon, made it easy for him to be faithful the remaining 69 years and 355 days!

Many a time, our decision not to compromise comes far too late (after we have already compromised a little!). It must come as soon as we set our foot in the campus.

Many students think this way, "Well, I have got a lot of time for the exams. Now let me have all the fun I can. When the exams are around the corner I will start dusting my books!" That would be a foolish attitude to have. The prudent professor who penned Proverbs has this counsel for this group: "Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth" (Prov 27:1). Just as the ants gather food for winter even when there isn’t even a whiff of winter, a wise student will gather wisdom and knowledge even when the exams are streets ahead (Prov 6:6-7).

3. Cell-creation!

Sad to say, there are many Christian students who do an Esther in their college. I see Esther as a student of the Persian Institute of Fashion Technology who never let anyone know that she was a Jew who worshipped Yahweh (See Esther 2:12; 4:13,14)! No body except her cousin, Mordecai, knew that she was a Yahweh-devotee till the day she walked into the corridors of King Xerxes of Persia after tremendous pressure from her uncle, many years after her graduation! So that is why I say, don’t do an Esther in your college campus. Of course, in her case she was forbidden to reveal her identity (Esth 2:10,20). But in your case you have the standing instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ to "be his witnesses" (Acts 1:8). Show Jesus by your life in your college. You can do that even by making friends with the not-so-goodlooking and sidelined pupils in your class. Display your commitment to Jesus by your lips in your campus. The best way to do that is to start a small lunchtime Bible Study in your school campus. Paul started it all – the work of starting Scripture study groups in college campuses (See Acts 19:9,10). In Tyrannus’ college he taught theology to interested disciples! He did that for two good years! The extended period of time Paul took for Campus ministry speaks to us of its immense importance! His line of thinking when he spent so much time for campus cell ministry must have been this: "If young people (in the campuses) are won first, then the rest can be won fast!" (Meaning, the youth will become soulwinners of the rest!) Taking the torch from Paul will you go all-out to start a cell in your college, this academic year? Out of the 12,000 colleges in India, 8000 colleges do not have students’ teams teeming with the love of Jesus, did you know?

If you make these Bible-taught priorities as your own as you enter into a brand new academic year, this will be the end result: Satan will frown; your commitment to Christ will never drown (amidst mounting peer pressure); in heaven you will win your crown! And what is more is that you will be considered as a prudent student, in the opinion of your Master.

(A report of the Youth Restoration Camp, 14-16, May)

Mobilizing the youth to fulfill the Great Commission of Christ is the heartbeat of BYM. To achieve this goal, youth camps like HALO (for boys) and AROMA (for girls) are conducted on a large scale every alternate year, besides a few other specialized Training programmes. In order to consolidate the fruits of these camps, the Youth Restoration Camp was organized in the serene surroundings of Sitteri Hills. About 200 participants, from both sexes, between the age group of 20-35, were exclusively selected, representing various districts and denominational backgrounds. The singing sessions were led by Mr. K. Godwin and Mr. Kishan. Mr. A. Lionel, the General Overseer, Mr. E. L. Mathansingh, Field Coordinator, Mr. J. Shanthakumar, General Secretary, Dr. R. Jeyakumar and Mrs. Susila Godwin were the speakers.

The very first talk given by Mr. Mathansingh on the theme was ‘Restoring Personal Holiness.’ Touched by this uncompromising talk several participants renewed their commitment with Christ to walk in the path of holiness, let come what may! The heart searching time that followed was a real eye opener, during which time the participants knelt down crying, "Search me O God."

Restoration in Prayer Life was the focus of Mr. Lionel’s talk which he presented very practically drawing examples from his own life. He drew meaningful lessons from the life of Nehemiah to rejuvenate our deplorable prayer life. Unable to resist the summons of the Spirit of Supplication that swept the audience, all the youth were on their knees for two hours making intercession. Dr. R. Jeyakumar challenged the young people to restore and reinstate their Quiet Time. The participants were cautioned not to become too busy that their daily personal devotion was foregone. Mrs. Susila Godwin brought scriptural insights on the hotly debated topic of choosing one’s Life Partner. She also gave fantastic tips on maintaining healthy relationships in families anchoring her thoughts on the Bible.

Mr. Mathansingh sketched out the various ways a youth can go all out for the Lord’s work. His testimony about his association with BYM since its inception as a student and a lay leader was a great encouragement to all the campers. To attest what he had explained about the different avenues of ministry — Personal Soul Winning, Village Outreach, Campus Ministry, Literature Distribution and Revival cum Promotional Work — five active lay leaders lined up to share about how they do these respective areas of ministry. The talents night was colorfully organized by Mr. Sanjeevi and his wife. Youth displayed their skills in a thrilling way and their team spirit was obvious.

On the concluding day, Mr. J. Shantha kumar meticulously brought to light the multifaceted ministry of BYM carried out across the country and gave a rousing call for the youth to get involved. 64 participants responded to the meaningful Missionary challenge and decided to invest their time, talents and treasure for the furtherance of the Gospel in India. Sound counsels were given on how to prepare oneself for a missionary career.

The inspiring final message by Mr. Lionel on the model ministry of Apostle Paul renewed and re-energised the youth to take tough and costly decisions to follow Jesus Christ. They were egged on to walk in the path of discipleship with perseverance and patience. Even though most of the participants were students and unemployed graduates, Rs. 40,000/- was pledged to buy a land for constructing a Church in a churchless village in Sitteri Hills.

The coordination of the Camp was excellently done by Mr. Neethidasan and Mr. P.G.A. Victor. Beyond any doubt, this unique camp was a great boon to the youth, in the year of Restoration.