Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Greetings in worthy name of Jesus Christ who is LORD overall!
This week I will be reporting on the most recent working of God in Meghalaya. As I last reported, our God has opened doors of ministry for us among some young men who contacted us after they read some of our literature. They live in Meghalaya’s capitol city, Shillong, but have visited with Bir at the border area where we minister. It seems our God has chosen some young servants to understand the truth concerning the doctrines of Grace, the Scriptures, the Lord’s church as well as the essential gospel truths of repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ. At the same time, their coming to the knowledge of some truth has met with much resistance from several sources.
Shillong, Meghalaya:
One of the men (V...) with whom we had been working told Bir that he did not want him to come back to Shillong. He was the self-proclaimed leader of a small group of young men who had been studying our literature. Since speaking with Bir several weeks ago, he had spent a lot of time on Reformed web sites and had spoken to several of his reformed friends in the US. As a result, he determined that he did not want to listen to any further teaching concerning the biblical position of the Scriptures, the gospel of the grace of God, the Lord's church, and biblical baptism. Thus, he cut off all communication with Bir.
However, Bir decided to go to Shillong to try to meet with him and a few others. After meeting with V…, V... lied to him and told Bir that none of the other young men were in agreement with him and that they did not want any further communication with him. Bir did not believe him and sought to find a young man named Danny. It turned out that Danny had been very ill but had also been praying and fasting for three days to know the will of God in the situation.
While talking to Danny, Bir found out that V... had told the group that because Bir did not have any bible college credentials he was not to be considered a biblical source of truth. This is the common understanding in North East India which we have fought against it from the very beginning.
Part of the problem that V... had was that Bir has used my material to show them how the NIV and the ESV were full of errors and that the KJV was the best English translation and the only one to be trusted as being God’s revealed word. That position has created a real problem with V... and others as they are greatly influenced by many Evangelicals and Reformed Baptists in the US who hold to the NIV or ESV or some other translation.
In the end, Bir told the brethren in Shillong that they must follow their own convictions as it is led by the word of God alone and not the teaching of men (no matter how religiously influential). He also told them that they would be accountable before God to follow truth alone.
After much debate over many issues, Bir is convinced that we have a few contacts with whom we can work. The others will do whatever they will do. We will continue in our work and see what our God will do in the hearts of those with whom we have had contact.
Danny and Don
Danny and Don are the contacts with whom we now have some agreement. Because of this, I asked Bir to take Danny with him to Manipur to spend some time with him as he ministered in a conference there. It was a good time for him since he was able to see something of our ministry first hand. He spent a total of three weeks with Bir in Meghalaya and Manipur.
During that time, it seems that our God has given Danny a true interest in rightly dividing the word of God. Bir has been teaching him the practical implications of our doctrine - especially relating to the gospel, the church, and the scriptures.
As he sat in the conference and listened to Bir minister, his questions were answered one by one from God’s word. During the time he was with Bir, Danny received several phone calls from Shillong with people asking him many questions. Because he was with Bir, he was able to get all their questions answered.
It turns out that Danny is the one who has the burden and grace to gather people together to teach them God’s word in Shillong and is the true leader among the people.
Danny returned to Shillong and immediately began to gather people together and teach them what he had learned. Some who attended meetings began to go to their friends to bring them to the meetings. It quickly developed into spontaneous gatherings.
Of course we have learned that when God is working, Satan is not far behind.
Many of those who have earned bible degrees began to attend the meetings and tried to sow some controversy. Issues against such doctrines as election, hell, the law, the gospel, and the church were raised. But Danny and Bir stood with the word of God and answered each issue. Those with “letters” who came to sow discord could not stand before the word of God. Presbyterians and many from among the Charismatic movement were the ones who attended to disrupt.
This past week, I learned that Danny is very sick. He is suffering from food poisoning. Though he seems to be improving slowly – he remains very weak at this time. Please pray for him. The Charismatics are mocking him saying that because he has forsaken the Charismatic movement God has afflicted him with this problem. Please pray for him and for his safety.
Finally, I spoke with Bir this morning and he told me that Danny and Don have both read The Trail of Blood and are seeing the error of the Evangelical and the Reformed Baptist view of church history.
Brethren, I rejoice to see the truth of God prevailing in many areas in North East India. I have been sowing seed there for many years. It seems that, at this time, our God is beginning to bring forth some fruit from that labor. Rejoice with me that our God is giving the increase (I Corinthians 3: 6).
Santa Anna, Texas:
Dianne and I continue to meet each Lord’s Day with five other adults and a number of children. The Lord seems to be blessing His word while he is uniting our hearts together. We are waiting upon Him as to the exact date as to when we will organize.
Over all, I am very encouraged as to what I am seeing our God do here.
At this time, I am praying about my return to India. I am tentatively planning to leave the US at the end of January or the first of February. I am planning a conference just after I arrive in India and Bir is checking with a conference center as to the available dates. Lord willing, we will be bringing men from Tripura, Assam, and Meghalaya to this conference so as to minimize my travel time within India. Please pray with me as I must put many things in order before leaving the US.
While I am gone, Brother Joe Maldonado who is pastor of Hillburn Drive Grace Baptist Church in San Antonio, Texas has graciously agreed to help cover the Sunday services here. Brother Joe has at least two men who he might send to Santa Anna to help the brethren in my absence. Please pray for the group here as we do not want to leave them without biblical teaching and preaching while I am ministering in India.
The Lord knows all our needs and has promised to provide for them all.
The Lord bless and keep you all,
Pat Horner (phorner1@yahoo.com)
Sent from:
Raleigh Springs Baptist Church
PO Box 34788 Bartlett, TN 38184
Jack Duplechain, pastor (jvdup1@hotmail.com)
