Volume 50 of God's Heartbeat on Praying for the Nations

God's Heartbeat Volume 49 on Leading Missions Work in Times of Terrorism

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Operation Zacheus...

We invite you to join us for mid-year retreat, prayer walk, and interaction with our other cousins in a country that is exclusively dominated - 99% by upper week. You will be amazed how much hospitable they are, and your love for them will grow stronger and then, the Great Commission, Jesus way. Interested? Inbox us for details including the subsidized cost. Please, don't share. You can also send SMS to +372-5315-0412 or +1-860-3101-760. Take for this particular trip will be from Nigeria.

He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him, and his enemies shall lick the dust. The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him(Psalm 72: 8-11).

Another Woman of Like Passion: The Untold Stories of Elsie Devandree By Baiyewu Mary, Assistant Editor

History is full of God using ordinary people to do extraordinary work for God. Some of such persons included men like William Carey, an ordinary cobbler who became the father of modern missions. Gladys Aylward who was rejected by mission agencies as who was rejected by her mission agency as unfit for pioneer missionary but ended up as the greatest trailblazer China ever had. Oswald J. Smith was so sick that he could not survive the mission field. He returned to Canada to pioneer The Peoples Church. The church has no equal today regarding missionaries sent and supported by any contemporary church. God is still at work using mere men to do the impossible. Modern mission history cannot be completed without the mention of a great heroine, Elsie Devandree. In this edition, our Assistant Editor, Baiyewu Mary brought to light the unpublished story of this selfless widow who has been committed to dispelling darkness from the dark nations of the world. Her missionary journey will inspire anyone on the path of daring the devil to enthrone the Lordship of Jesus where He was not known.  

Elsie Devandree, popularly known as Mama Elsie Govender was married for 13 years and has been a widow for 23 years. She is blessed with three daughters and sons-in-law, five granddaughters and one grandson. Elsie is an Indian, born and raised in South Africa. Before her conversion to Christianity thirty years ago, Elsie was a Hindu. She had a beautiful childhood with two younger brothers who are both married. Her mother passed on five years after she lost her husband, but the father is still alive.

For over a decade now, Elsie, a woman with an intense passion for unreached people in rural areas has served on a short-term basis with Grace Foundation Inland Missions by donating one month each year to the service of God’s kingdom in different jungles across Nigeria. She also served as a  guest speaker at several international mission’s events like African Missions Summit and Missions Fests and had labored in no fewer than 22 nations including Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Pakistan, India, etc.

The secret of her successful missionary service over the years was networking with credible mission and church organizations. In South Africa, she does not compromise the membership of Peniel Missions International where she has drawn a lot of inspiration from her spiritual father, Pastor John Ramasamy. At the same time, she had maintained a steady network relationship with a Canadian group, Missions Exposures and Training(MET) from where she graduated in the year 2004. Elsie has a personal relationship with Gerald and Patricia Golbeck who were leaders of MET when she was a student. They contributed immensely to mentoring her to become what she is today. Her ministry with MET as one of the organization’s Directors has served to open the door to several nations of the world. Elsie recalls how her study at MET paved the way for her to speak at one of the women’s conference in Zambia on “Women in Missions at Grassroots Level.” That open door has led to several other open doors.  One of such open doors was the opportunity to lead prayer groups, teach on deliverance issues and present papers at the Mission Fest across Africa continent. She received three sets and sometimes more each year to Durban to expose them to the various religious centers in the city like Hindu and Islamic Propagation Centre. She also presents the students to several Christian organizations serving in the area to get familiar with their unique ministries during which they can develop friendship and partnership relationship.

In Zambia and surrounding South African countries, she is serving with WOTA under the leadership of  Barry and Fredah Illunga since 1995 where she takes care of the poor and needy Angolan refugees. Elsie also works with few other local churches because my involvement in the local church because my participation in the local church was mobilization and encouraging members to serve with me outside the local church in the community and abroad. Ten years before attending MET, Elsie was already actively involved in international mission. She started missions seven years before that ten years locally using her home as a mission’s base, bringing the sick, the needy, the oppressed, the rejected just to share the love of God and to have a practical ministry with them.

Speaking on how missions affected her marriage, Elsie explains that she has been widowed for 23 years and has been into missions all through those years internationally. Prior to that was seven years of local missions when her husband was alive. Her ministry at that level was hospitality. Her husband was very supportive with that and helped her in bringing the sick and the needy just to be loved and cared for.

Laboring for 23 years internationally as a widow was no doubt very challenging. Her words: “I trained my kids to travel with me. My eldest daughter was 12 years old, the second was eight, and the last born was six-and-half when they joined me in 1995 on the first mission trip to Zambia and continued to do so until they completed Grade 12.  That eased the challenge as for the family since I had three daughters and they were with me. Sometimes, when I left them behind under the care of my dad, my brothers and close family members in the church who took care of their needs. I’m grateful to God for the grace with which he sustained me. God made provisions for that because when we trust Him, we will not sink, God will continue to uplift us”.

Elsie has taken the gospel to at least 22 countries and all the provinces in South Africa. Pakistan was particularly very interesting. She recalls “We were a team of five that were to go, but God knows best, the other four were denied the visa, but my visa was granted. I applied knowing that Pakistan was a closed Islamic country and I would not be allowed in as a missionary. I went in as a tourist, I used the skill development on a sewing project, to reach out to the people of Pakistani in sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Pakistani believers are thirsty for the gospel. They were oppressed and persecuted. The bombing was going on during my visit to Pakistan. The nation and the people were ready for harvest. They were very attentive to the gospel, but as usual, there were some who were resistant to the gospel, but the Lord was in control”.

Elsie added: “I had to be very careful that the word “missionary” did not slip out of my mouth which is sometimes so tempting to say. My host will always tell me to be quiet and not mention that I’m a missionary. We had to take some precautions for the sake of the gospel. The interesting part of it is that in Pakistan, women are not highly acknowledged because of the Islamic culture, but I was well received because I believe it was an appointed time by God Almighty. As I went through the sewing project, I did not only minister to women; I ministered to men, boys, and girls. I identified with their culture in dressing and eating. As a result, it was easy for me to present the gospel of Jesus Christ via friendship evangelism. Well of course in most places, we had home churches, but we also went to some public places, but it was under heavy security where we had gunmen back and front for protection.”

Sharing on her most difficult experiences in missions, Elsie recount loneliness, loss of loved ones, cultural differences, feelings of helplessness when one see so many needs but unable to do anything. Inadequate financial resources, lack of prayer support, singleness as a threat to insecure women and lack of understanding or desire by the churches for souls. Others are unhygienic drinking water, sleeping outside and being exposed to mosquitoes, cobras, scorpions, insect bites.

On the most exciting times she had in missions, Elsie stressed that seeing many embracing Jesus as Lord and deliverance for those who could not help themselves and those bounded by tradition being set free.  When I look at the hunger for God and the converts trained to become disciples that are fulfilling the great commission by reaching out to others.

Elsie, praying and distributing wrappers to the widows 

Speaking on her missions to Northern Nigeria and Niger Delta at the peak of abductions of foreigners consecutively for ten years at a time that Boko Haram was bombing the nation, Elsie noted that she took risks as her response to the call which includes dying to self. She added: “I surrendered myself to the altar as a sacrifice offering before God making my life dead before Christ. So when I go into dangerous places like Nigeria or any other place I have no fear for my life because I no longer own it. Jesus owns it. He takes better care of it. I will only die when God’s plan is fulfilled and then settled. No one, not even Boko Haram can take my life because I already laid it down. If any man tries to save his own life for his own sake will lose it, but if a man loses his life for the sake of Christ shall find it. So I’m ready to lose it and to find it for Jesus”.

Elsie is known for always giving out gifts when she visits the mission fields. She derived particular joy in giving instead of expecting people to give to her. According to her, she lived entirely by faith and depended on God for my provisions. According to her, when people see the fruit of her labor and see the work of God, they start to give her financial support as God leads them. “For me, sharing the love of God means demonstrating Christ’s love in practical ways. I have ministered to the poorest countries, and it’s hard to tell people God loves them when they are starving. I take the excellent opportunity of feeding the poor, working with the oppressed, setting the captives free and loving them through my giving.  I love hospitality and cooking. There were times I would just cook up meals for functions, and I don’t charge them, but there would give me honorariums which I, in turn, use in meeting the needs of the poor and the needy.  I just love giving because Jesus gave His life and He is a perfect example and inspiration for me. It is more blessed to give than to receive.

As Elsie serves God, she continues to experience God undertake for her. She testified of how God healed and sustained her. “According to medical reports I have Osteoporosis Arthritis brittle bones, and I need to undergo two knee replacements, but for the last eight years, I’ve been up and about doing the Father’s work, not by my power and might. I desire to love God and love others- seeking the best of others patiently, sacrificially and unconditionally. There was a time in Benue when we were lying outside, and a cobra was coming so close. A team member saw it and killed it and burnt it in the fire. There was an outreach where we killed 15 scorpions. We have escaped armed robbery and communal clashes narrowly a few times. God has delivered my team an I narrowly from bomb explosion both in Pakistan and Nigeria several times”.

Breakfast on the mission field

Her counsel to missionaries: "lean on God alone. I am a living example of God's faithfulness. I am not employed. I do not have a salary, but I am still able to fulfill the great commission, to take the gospel to the nations. Secondly, in one year, I flew to seven different nations, and I’m able to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and do practical works like community upliftments using the resources I have been blessed with to bless others with some projects in some countries. Let us continue in well doing and be mindful that Jesus shall host a feast in heaven consisting of guests from the West, East, North, and South.  Probably, it is for the completion or fulfillment of the great commission of the children of Abraham by faith. I also admonish them with the words of Christ in Matthew18 verses 19and 20. “So wherever you go, make disciples of all nations: baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to do everything I have commanded you, and remember that I am always with you until the end of time.”

The Church is Bigger than You Think - A New Look at Morrocco

The meeting takes place on a public site. "It is said that there are 150,000 Christians, but we say that we could reach a million. There is no a place in the country where there is not at least one Christian; in some cases, there are several in the same family but they do not know about each other. The day that the laws change and religious freedom is a reality, everyone will come to the light and we will realize that we are many”, says Mustafa, a Christian leader from the south of Morocco (last name omitted to protect his family).
See more: http://evangelicalfocus.com/world/2370/Morocco_No_more_hiding_for_Christians_interview

TIME FACTOR IN THE HARVEST BUSINESS - By John Abafi

Humanity heading for eternity every second

We are told in 2 Samuel 20:1-10 of Sheba’s revolt against David. He (Sheba) led a rebellion shortly after Absalom staged an unsuccessful coup d’état against David. Amasa who became the new captain of the host of Israel was given three days to mobilize the men of war in Israel and to go after Sheba the son of Bichri, but Amasa tarried beyond the three days given, and Joab rose up to salvage the situation but not without Amasa paying for his delay.

Time is key and crucial in any human endeavour. Success in life and ministry is anchored on time management. Poor management of time is the reason why most people failed in the assignment of life. Even in ministry, Jesus was very conscious of time when he told his disciples that He must go about His father’s business while it is day in John 9:4.

How to Enhance Good Management of Time in Ministry

The harvest can only be a correct harvest if they are gathered in real time. To manage our time in such a way that the harvest will not waste, we will need to be focused, organized, principled and set a time for every task. In John 13:27, Jesus instructed Judas to do that which he wanted to do quickly. It is easy to recover many things but time is unrecoverable. Once lost, it's forever lost. No amount of prayer and fasting can stop time from passing. It is either it is utilised or wasted.

Considering the limitation of time and the volume of the unfinished task, the church cannot afford to be slow anymore. As the day passes by, so the coming of the Lord draws closer. We cannot afford to go at the pace at which we are moving and expect a tremendous result. The time they say waits for no man. Even the devil and his agent are much aware of the fact that time is running out as documented in Revelation 12:12.

Many of the persons we are supposed to reach in different jungles of the world are dying by the day. As long as we fail to reach them before their death, they are deprived of the opportunity of deciding whether to accept or reject the gospel. We cannot go to hell to get them any more neither can we bring them back to the world to be given that opportunity any more. Also, if we do not take the opportunity of being alive to maximize our opportunities of reaching men and women with the gospel, we cannot do missionary work in heaven when we die. There are no unreached people in heaven.

Also, as time moves on, we grow older. Apparently, what we can do for the Lord while we are young an energetic, we may not be able to do it when we become old. With age also comes different weakening sickness. We need to wait until we are no longer useful to ourselves before we begin to talk about missions. The preacher in Ecclesiastes stresses so much on this. There is time for everything under the sun(Ecclesiastes 3:1-8). Can I add to it to this is the time for harvest!

Time wastage and loss of opportunities

Like Asama, many children of God are already ‘’lying in the pool of their own blood’’ as a result of time mismanagement. The body of Christ has lost and is still losing open several doors to reach nations and peoples group as a result of procrastination. The Nigeria church, for example, uses to have free access to countries like Mauritania because of the West African community status. The church never took advantage of this opportunity until Mauritania pulled out of ECOWAS. It is now very difficult to access that country because of the restriction in the visa. It is very unfortunate that many other places that were open and receptive to the Gospel a few years ago are no more accessible today.

Sadly, souls are perishing because of the sluggishness of the church to respond quickly. Jesus says, Don't say there are four more months. It is not the time to procrastinate. We have many nations that are still open and may not be forever open. Can we repent and wake to the obedience of the Great Commission? It should be now or NEVER! The tragedy of not meeting up with time is the fact that loses are always colossal. A young man was instructed by God to tell his neighbour about Jesus; he kept postponing it, until one day the neighbour slept and did not wake up. In a bid to make it up, he offered to preach during the wake keep, but not for the dead anymore, he lost that opportunity and gone forever.

Conclusion

It is important to be sensitive to time; else the evil day will catch up with us. At a time when David ought to go to war, he stayed at home and the aftermath was disastrous. Time is not just business; time is life and ministry. Good time management in ministry will always result in a great harvest. Procrastination is dangerous, and to avoid this, you must set goals and priority which must be meticulously followed up. We must rescue sinners from eternal destruction, and that must be done within a specified time allotted by God to us as individuals and as the body of Christ.

GIVING PRIORITY TO THE HARVEST - By Olivia Nwania

One of the worst things that could ever happen to a farmer is to miss the harvest. So much sweat, toiling, pains, and work go into even getting to the point where you can see the harvest. Same with souls. The price Jesus paid on the cross of Calvary to bring humanity to the point of either yielding to His offer of salvation or ignoring it is beyond imagination. Just like the farmer cannot afford to miss the harvest when it's harvest time, the church must not take the harvest lightly.

The investment that heaven has made is a  very big one. To sacrifice one's only son is not fun. God did that by releasing Jesus to part with him for over 30 years. He left heaven to an earth full of darkness. He was conceived by a woman, born in a manger and a poor carpenter served as his foster father. He bore the pain of hunger, betrayal, molestation and death. He simply commissioned the church to tidy up the harvest.

During His sojourn on earth, Jesus Christ taught us that there is a harvest to be gathered (Matthew 9:36-38). He uses the word ‘harvest’ three times in two verses and stresses the needs for laborers.  He is ever committed to working through people. There are souls to reach, and they will come to Jesus if somebody plows the soil, plant the seed of the gospel and bring in the harvest. God will give the increase, but somebody has to plant and water it effectively.

The Scribes and Pharisees completely missed the harvest. They were very religious, but their religion did nothing to cause them to care for the needy souls. They were self-absorbed and missed the harvest. They could have been mightily used by Christ to reach people, but rather they impeded the work of Christ. They were consumed with their positions, traditions and preferences.

This can happen to any Christian or Church today. We can become so self-absorbed and inwardly focused that we become like the farmer who completely misses the harvest because he is so busy in his house. He gets so distracted in the house; he misses the harvest out in the fields. This should serve as a motivation for us.

Most often, we attend to many things that have no bearing on the salvation of men. Sometimes, the things we preoccupy ourselves with are religious stuff but self-entertaining rather than kingdom-advancing.  We must have a mission mindset like Christ.  These questions will help us realign our priorities: When is the last time you spoke to someone about Christ? When is the last time you pray for the salvation of any soul? Are you busy scanning for faults in people's life like the scribes instead of attending to their souls' need?

Jesus demonstrated the need for the church to give urgent attention to the souls of men when He met Zacchaeus sitting on the Sycamore tree. He suspended His schedule and followed him to his house. He gave Him full attention until he got saved. There are many individuals and nations that are desperate to encounter Jesus today. Would you allow divine interruption based on your passion for souls to attend to them?

Sadly, churches have become exclusive social clubs, and they don’t welcome in the sick nor care to take the gospel to the world anymore. The church is not designed to service just herself, but to meet the need of the dying world.