The Sealed

admin — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 21:04:05 +0000

Three Elijah Challenge churches planted at September Feeding Event in India

Elijah Challenge — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:26:24 +0000

Melbourne, Australia
Monday, September 28, 2009

Dear Friends and Partners in the Great Commission,

We just received word from Elijah Challenge Director Joshua Gowda in North India that their Feeding Event this month netted 410 Hindu souls for the Kingdom of God. It took place in a village called Gurudasspur Panjab. From this harvest, another three Elijah Challenge churches were planted.

It appears that the end time harvest will be reaped mostly in countries like India, China, and on the African continent. The focus of the gospel appears to be shifting to where it has never been heard.

Last night we completed our Basic Training here at the International Christian Community in Melbourne. At the two evangelistic healing rallies quite a few people testified that the Lord had healed them. Many of them were Chinese-speaking. We are seeing over the years that when we hold an evangelistic meeting where both English-speaking and Chinese-speaking people are in attendance, a disproportionate of those healed will be Chinese-speaking. This is true even when all of the people in attendance are ethnic Chinese—with some English-speakers and the others Chinese-speakers.

We believe the significant factor therefore is not ethnicity per se or even necessarily geographic location, but language and culture and background. The focus of the gospel is now turning to non-western-culture peoples who never heard. As an example of this, look at the news we just received from India. The West (and its culture) have already had the gospel for centuries—to the point of being “christianized.” Perhaps this is what was meant by the Lord in his parables about the kingdom of heaven in Matthew 13:31-33.

With the Lord’s precious help, we have completed the Training here in Australia—in Sydney with Indonesian believers, in Adelaide with Aussie disciples, and in Melbourne with mostly Chinese brethren. Thank you for your intercessory support throughout. In Melbourne and especially in Adelaide the disciples are taking the gospel out from within the four walls of the church to the lost outside wherever they may be found. We have challenged them, and the Lord will enable them to take it up.

Tomorrow we return to Houston. Please pray for a safe flight for us.

Sincerely in Christ,

William & Lucille
www.TheElijahChallenge.org

Photos from Adelaide Open-air Outreach Including Healed People Testifying

Elijah Challenge — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:21:40 +0000

Melbourne, Australia
Friday, September 25, 2009

Dear Brethren in Christ,

We have posted the report from the Basic Training in Adelaide on our website, and invite you to view it at: http://www.theelijahchallenge.org/Reports/Australia/Adelaide%20Sep2009.htm. The many photos will give you a good idea of what we witnessed in South Australia last Saturday. The Lord’s grace was very evident. Thank you for partnering with us in intercessory prayer ~

Tonight here in Melbourne we begin the second session of the Basic Training. Last night the Lord was faithful to enable us to teach our respective groups clearly and effectively (William taught the English-speaking while Lucille taught the Mandarin Chinese-speaking). Tomorrow on Saturday will be a long day for us, including a morning Training session, an afternoon Training session, as well as a climactic Evangelistic Healing Rally in the evening.

Please pray that the Lord will grant us sufficient strength in our bodies, and wisdom to train His disciples effectively. May His power and authority be powerfully released in His disciples to heal the sick to demonstrate to the lost that He is the only true God, and that Jesus is the only way to Him. May the local disciples be encouraged and emboldened to proclaim the gospel in the same way after we are gone.

Sincerely in Christ,

William & Lucille
www.TheElijahChallenge.org

Miraculous Healings Spreading in Adelaide

Elijah Challenge — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:18:21 +0000

Melbourne, Australia
Thursday, September 24, 2009

Dear Friends and Partners in the Great Commission,

We just received a report from Pastor Graham Hore whose church Torrens Valley Christian Centre hosted our Basic Training in Adelaide last week. We would like to share his and our excitement with you through the following testimony.

Hi William

I was sharing on Monday with a pastor friend of mine at Victor Harbor about ministering with authority. He was so fascinated that he rang me back on Tuesday and asked me to tell him again, which I did. I emailed him the hand-out of The Elijah Challenge Basic Training and have posted him the condensed Basic Training from Sunday night. He rang me again this morning to tell me of a meeting he had with his youth leadership team. After sharing with them about authority he set them in action ministering healing to one another. A number in the group had healings and consequently he was excited to tell me about it this morning.

Graham Hore

The Lord is good! Thank you for partnering with us through your effectual intercessory prayers.

Tonight we begin the first session of the Basic Training at International Christian Community Church here in Melbourne, a mostly Asian congregation. However, believers are coming in from other states as well to be trained. A group of street preachers is joining us from the neighboring island-state of Tasmania. The Basic Training will continue tomorrow evening (Friday) and conclude on Saturday morning. On Saturday and Sunday evenings there will be evangelistic healing services.

Please pray that once again the Lord will be gracious to grant us wisdom to train His people clearly and effectively. William will be teaching the English-speaking, while Lucille will be teaching the Chinese-speaking disciples in a separate room.

Thursday 24 Sept 2009 7.30pm - 9.30pm International Christian Community Church Friday 25 Sept 2009 7.30pm - 9.30pm Saturday 26 Sept 2009 9.30am - 12.00nn 1.00pm - 3.00pm Healing Rally 7.30pm - 10.00pm International Christian Community Church Sunday Morning Sunday Service Healing Rally 7.30pm - 10.00pm International Christian Community Church Venue : International Christian Community Church 758 Waverley Road, Glen Waverley Victoria 3150 Tel : 03-9560 7677

Sincerely in Christ,

William & Lucille
www.TheElijahChallenge.org

A first for Adelaide: the gospel is preached and the sick are healed in a public square

Elijah Challenge — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:49:10 +0000

Adelaide, South Australia
September 22, 2009
Dear Brethren in Christ,
The Lord has revealed His grace here in Adelaide. A crowd larger than expected from different churches gathered for the Basic Training the first two evenings at Torrens Valley Christian Centre. The Lord was gracious to enable us to teach the Aussie brethren effectively.
On Saturday afternoon following the final Training session, an evangelistic healing outreach was held at Whitmore Square. A barbecue, healing ministry, and outdoor games drew people to the park. Among those present were a number of homeless people. Teen Challenge provided supplies and a mobile stage plus sound equipment. William presented the claims of the gospel to the people: only Jesus Christ has authority to save sinners from God’s righteous judgement and the lake of fire. These claims would be proven to be true by the miraculous healings done in the name of Jesus Christ.
The trained disciples assembled at the front. Then those with infirmities came up to be healed. After some minutes, people who had been healed or manifestly touched by God came up to the stage to testify. Eight in all testified. The Lord touched one man so deeply that he wept and could hardly share before the people. The testimonies were the proof that the gospel was absolutely true.
In response to these miracles, a handful of sinners came forward to repent and to follow Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. This was perhaps the very first time such an event was held in Adelaide. It was very encouraging for the disciples. Our host Richard Hawke hopes to bring them together on a monthly basis to continue such evangelistic outreaches. This is the very purpose of the Training—to equip local disciples to heal the sick and proclaim the gospel in public places. Please pray that the Lord will grant them the grace, wisdom, and boldness to do so on their own in the future.
This week beginning Thursday evening in Melbourne we will conduct the Basic Training at International Christian Community Church.
We’d like to share with you the below testimony from Tom Briggs of Open Air Seattle, who had us conduct the Basic Training for them last January. Do rejoice with us!
Sincerely in Christ,
William & Lucille
www.TheElijahChallenge.org
——————————————————————————
The streets of Seattle — September 18, 2009
A man named Lenny stopped to inquire what my banner meant. “WANTED: The Lame, Deaf, Blind, Possessed, Tumors … FREE PRAYER FOR HEALING”
His back was injured when in his 20s and was now on constant pain management drugs. He let me minister to him, so I laid hands on his lower back and you know the rest.
Then I also asked if he wanted to be free of the pain drug addiction. YES, of course. He was skipping around, and showing people how he could now bend over as you see in the YouTube video below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVQe8lVkriY
He went around the whole intersection from one crosswalk to the next. When he went by Brother Mark and Paul’s corner, they thought he was mocking because he was smiling, hopping and saying God healed him! Lenny took a copy of John’s gospel and a gospel tract. He probably heard us preaching later at Pike Place Market, because I saw him there that afternoon.

Teenage boy prophecies, woman healed at New York shopping center

Elijah Challenge — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 09:52:03 +0000

Adelaide, South Australia
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Dear Friends & Fellow disciples of Jesus Christ,
We just received a testimony from New York. It involves a 15-year-old radical disciple named Rodrigo Luna who serves in the Army for God led by John Slionski. Army for God trained with The Elijah Challenge last June under Joseph White, who in turn attended the Advanced Elijah Challenge Training last spring in Houston.
Here is the testimony of Rachel Mieses, the woman who was healed:
“Hey, this is Rachel Mieses. Your friend or family Rodrigo Luna ministered to me at a shopping center and I had a broken leg! I didn’t believe in God before but now I do and there is no way that anyone who reads this can say He is not real! I was crying because I broke my leg playing basketball with my friends … and today the pain was so bad for some reason. It hurts sometimes but today it was horrible, but not no more. I was with my friend, I saw Rodrigo praying for some people and then my pain came really bad again. I was crying with my friend saying I just want this pain to go away. Somehow after 2 or 3 minutes Rodrigo came back saying “I know what you can do.” I said “what, take some pills?” He said “No. If you let me pray over you, the Son of the Living God is gonna heal you.”

I said, “there is no way that’s gonna happen.” He said why don’t you just ask Him! I swore a four-letter curse right to his face. (I felt bad afterwards.) He said “just ask Him.”

I went like a sarcastic jerk saying, “God, if you are real, heal me!” After a couple of seconds I said “no, pain still here.” Without asking he took the crutches away and I said, “what are you doing, you idiot.”

He said, “God just healed you, the pain is going down behind your knee.” I started crying because it was true. Then he started saying stuff that I had never told anyone, not even my closest friend. I was crying on his shoulder for a while. I’m being honest. I don’t know you but it’s so impressive how a kid like that can only just come and say “you’re healed.” That’s what touched me the most. He took some pictures of my leg. I can’t believe it. I wasn’t supposed to walk until next month. Thank you, Jesus. Thanks for your time.”

We are in the last days, and the spirit and power of Elijah are being restored to the Church!
Tonight (Thursday) we will begin the Basic Training here in Adelaide. Please pray that through this Training there will be significant impact on the proclamation of the Kingdom of God here in “the city of churches.” May the Lord grant us grace and wisdom as never before to teach His Aussie servants to heal the sick and cast out demons as the Kingdom is proclaimed to the lost—as has been done in New York.

Thank you for partnering with us, dear ones.

Sincerely in Christ,

William & Lucille
www.TheElijahChallenge.org

We have arrived in lovely Adelaide, “the city of churches”

Elijah Challenge — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 09:50:50 +0000

Adelaide, South Australia
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Dear Intercessors and Partners in the Great Commission,
Upon our arrival yesterday afternoon we were greeted at the airport by our dear host Richard Hawke who attended the Basic Training when we were last here in May 2005. While in Sydney last week we were right in the middle of Australia’s largest metropolis, here in Adelaide we are staying in Golden Grove—by comparison a rustic community of well-manicured lawns and lovely gardens. It’s a nice change of atmosphere.
In Sydney we trained a congregation of Indonesian disciples originally from Southeast Asia, but here in Adelaide we will be training Aussie believers who move in a predominantly “Christian” Anglo-Saxon culture. The challenge will be different. Today we see the gospel spreading rapidly and with power in mission fields like India and China, while countries based on western culture have already had the gospel for centuries. Because of this they have in some sense been “inoculated” to the gospel. In Western Europe one can even say for the most part that the gospel has come—and gone. In the spiritual vacuum left by its departure, Islam has arrived with fury to take over.
In Australia and the United States, the situation is better than in Western Europe. In these countries although the main harvest is already complete, there is still work to be done—there are a couple hours of daylight left before night descends. In my opinion, what remains here is the final gleaning of the harvest among the lost. In addition to that, we are to make ready a people prepared for the great and dreadful day of the Lord. We are not only to complete the Great Commission to the lost, we are also to prepare the body of Christ for His Second Coming. I believe that is why we are in Adelaide at this time.
The Basic Training will take place Thursday and Friday evenings, and Saturday morning. Then on Saturday afternoon there will be an open-air evangelistic healing outreach where people will gather for free barbecue and outdoor activities. At this climactic outreach the gospel will be preached, and the trained disciples will heal the sick to demonstrate to the people that only Jesus Christ can save them from sin and eternal suffering in the lake of fire. Our goal is that this and other similar evangelistic healing outreaches will be continued by the Aussie disciples on an ongoing basis after we are gone—until the Lord returns.. That is the purpose of the Training here.
Here is the schedule:
Thurs Sept 17th: First training session (7pm to 9.30pm at Torrens Valley Christian Centre)
Friday Sept 18th: Second training session (7pm to 9.30pm at Torrens Valley Christian Centre)
Sat Sept 19th: Third training session (9am to 1pm at Torrens Valley Christian Centre)
Evangelistich Healing Outreach in Whitmore Square Adelaide (4.30pm to 6.30pm) Sun Sept 20th: Preaching at Torrens Valley morning and evening Thank you for partnering with us and praying for us, dear brethren.
Please also pray for William’s elderly mother Susan who is being cared for at home in Houston. She suffers from dementia and periodic episodes of extreme fear and anger. It can be a challenge to provide care for her. Currently Lucille’s sister-in-law from Indonesia caring for her.
May the Lord’s peace and grace be abundant for you and your loved ones today!
Sincerely in Christ,
William & Lucille
www.TheElijahChallenge.org

TEC invited to train 33 Sydney pastors next year

Elijah Challenge — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 09:48:46 +0000

Sydney, Australia
Monday, September 14, 2009
Dear Friends & Intercessors,
With the Lord’s gracious help, we have completed our Basic Training at Filadelfia Community Church with Pastor Ray Kaunang. God was gracious to bless the Evangelistic Healing Service yesterday morning with manifestations of miraculous healings for the infirm as the trained disciples ministered. One sister who came with a frozen shoulder was able to move her arm freely over her head as she testified through tears. The healings demonstrated that Jesus Christ has authority to forgive our sins and save us from the lake of fire, and that God’s people must produce fruit for Him in obedience to His commands.
The disciples were encouraged to see what God had done through them as they boldly applied what they had been taught. Please pray that they will now launch out in the spirit and power of Elijah to proclaim the gospel to the lost publicly in Sydney.
Pastor Ray was evidently pleased with the results of the Training. He has invited us to return to Sydney next year to train the pastors of the thirty-three Indonesian churches in the city. He will be in charge of the Sydney Pastors’ Fellowship and wants us to train them at their gathering next year. Inasmuch as the Basic Training is not typically “charismatic” in nature, included in the meeting will be both evangelical as well as charismatic pastors. When the trained pastors then train their own congregations to heal the sick and cast out demons, there will be considerable impact on the gospel to the large Indonesian population of Sydney.
Thank you for your ministry of intercession in partnership with us, dear ones.
Our next stop is the city of Adelaide where Brother Richard Hawke will be hosting us for the Basic Training. We will fly out tomorrow.
Sincerely in Christ,
William & Lucille
www.TheElijahChallenge.org

Update from Sydney, Australia

Elijah Challenge — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 09:45:43 +0000

Saturday Evening, September 12, 2009
Dear Friends and Intercessors,
We have completed the 9-hour Basic Training for the Filadelfia Community Church here in Sydney. The Lord was gracious to confirm the teaching to the disciples who came to be trained to proclaim the kingdom of God in the spirit and power of Elijah. During the demonstrations, the Lord released His power and authority to heal. One young man with scoliosis could no longer find a bump in his spine after disciples ministered to him through the laying on of hands and the exercise of authority. There were other testimonies as well.
It is wonderful that Lucille and I are now again traveling together after about a year of my traveling by myself. We were able to take turns teaching the Basic Training today, and that is helping to offset the 15-hour jetlag we are still experiencing after our arrival from Houston last Thursday morning. Lucille is now able to join me because her sister-in-law has arrived to provide care for William’s elderly mother at home. His mother suffers from dementia and it is a challenge to take care of her. Please pray for her and Lucille’s sister-in-law.
Tomorrow at the Sunday morning service here we will hold an evangelistic healing event. We will preach the gospel, and the trained disciples will heal the infirm to demonstrate that Jesus is the only way to the Father.
Please pray that the Lord will release His power and authority through these disciples to heal the infirm tomorrow morning. May the lost repent and come to Christ after they hear the gospel and hear the testimonies of miraculous healing.
May this be just the beginning for this committed group of Indonesian disciples of Jesus Christ!
Sincerely in Christ,
William
www.TheElijahChallenge.org
P.S. Sister Natalie in Boston who was healed of chronic tennis elbow a few days ago while viewing a video on the TEC website just sent us a follow-up report:
“I went to the physical therapist today for a follow up appointment and they took tests and documented my arm healing, so they told me I don’t need to continue going now with the therapy sessions, which is a miracle because I had 6 more weeks scheduled and possible surgery lined up and now I don’t need pain medicine or any further treatment and am stronger in the arm than before. Praise God!”
Natalie’s entire testimony can be viewed at http://www.theelijahchallenge.org/Flash%20Files%20for%20Basic%20Training/Testimonies/Testimony1.htm#natalie.

Report: Elijah Challenge-trained churches are the fastest growing churches in North India

Elijah Challenge — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 09:43:52 +0000

Sydney, Australia
Friday Morning, September 11, 2009
Dear Friends and Partners in the Great Commission,
Peace and grace to you in abundance through our Lord Jesus Christ.
We just received a praise report from Pastor Joshua Gowda, the Elijah Challenge Training Center Director in India. He informed us that Elijah Challenge-trained churches are now the fastest growing churches in North India in terms of winning souls! We are unworthy servants and thankful to be used by Him in such a way.
Early yesterday morning Lucille and I arrived here in Sydney. We are staying in a very nice area of the city close to the Harbor and the Sydney Opera House. Our host is Pastor Ray Kaunang and the Filadelfia Community Church, the thriving Indonesian congregation he and his wife Debbie planted 13 years ago by faith.
Pastor Ray has contacts among Indonesian servants of God throughout the world, and has expressed a willingness to help open doors for us in the future to train many missionaries and village pastors in Indonesia. The Basic Training is especially designed for the kind of challenges that these servants of God will face in their ministries. One miracle can help to bring an entire village to Jesus Christ.
Here in Sydney there are thousands of Indonesians for whom Christ died. Our job will be to train Indonesian disciples how to heal the sick and cast out demons effectively as a demonstration that Christ can save them from their sins and give them eternal life. Since the Training will be in the Indonesian language, Lucille and I will take turns teaching the Sessions. Tonight (Friday) we will begin the Basic Training.
Please pray that the Lord will again grant us his wisdom and grace to train His disciples effectively this weekend. May He enable us to follow the example of Jesus who taught his disciples to heal the sick and cast out demons as He sent them out to preach the gospel. May the teaching be confirmed by many miraculous healings during the demonstrations at the end of the Sessions.
May the event this weekend open the door for us to train many Indonesian missionaries and village pastors in the future.
Here is the schedule for the Basic Training along with address and contact information for the Church if needed:
Friday, September 11 from 7 to 10 pm Saturday, September 12 from 10 am to 5 pm
Note: For those of you in the USA, Sydney time is 15 hours ahead of Houston time.
Filadelfia Community Church Alamat: Avillion Hotel 389 Pitt St, Sydney 2000 Gembala sidang/ Ketua Pdt. Ray Kaunang Alamat korespondensi Filadelfia Centre Suite 447, level 4, 311Castlereagh St, Sydney 2000 Phone 02 9212 3826, 0410 651 129 Fax 02 9212 3940 E-mail address: gbifiladelfia@bigpond.com.au

Thank you for praying for us, dear brethren.
Sincerely in Christ,
William
www.TheElijahChallenge.org