INDIA JOURNAL AND BLOGS
2012
Rev. Dr. Jerry Schmoyer
© 2009
PRAYER REQUESTS NOV 17, 2011
Thanks so much for your prayers for the light to push back the darkness. Last week one of the pastors we support and who has been part of our work there for several years was holding a meeting in another village where they were trying to start a new church. At the end a woman started screaming and acting out, clearly a demonic manifestation. This pastor prayed for and rebuked the demons in Jesus’ name. She was freed and delivered and greatly praised God because of it. This event greatly impacted others who were there and word of it spread. New people came to know the Lord as a result. They want to start a church in that village and are building a shelter of palm leaves so they can meet Sundays and during the week. Great things happen when we ask God to send the light to drive back the darkness. Please keep praying for this to continue!
NEW WEB SITE
In order to keep up with the need we have redone our web site and moved it to a new server. If you have been receiving my blogs automatically you will have to sign up again for the list didn’t transfer. Go to http://www.mainstreetbaptist.org/ and click on Subscribe to Email on the right. Or you can send a reply email to me now and I will sign you up. Sorry for the inconvenience!
We are also working on a separate web site just for the India ministry with a large portion devoted to making free training materials available on line for pastors and others in India. This can be a great way to impact many lives for a long time to come! Pray we can get it going smoothly and God will bless it and use it. I will tell give you that address next time if we can complete it soon.
BOOKS
Pray God uses the books that have been distributed and the ones that will be given out soon. Pray they would be protected, that those who have them would be motivated to read them and pass them on, that they would understand and use what they read, and that God would use these to spread light wherever the books are taken.
Spiritual Warfare Handbook 5,500 distributed in 2011
6,000 more being printed for distribution in 2012
What God Expects of Pastors 6,000 already printed for distribution in 2012
PASTORS WE SUPPORT
Most of the rural pastors in India live on a little over a dollar a day. We contribute $25 a month to these men to enable them to support their families and still have time for ministry. Pray for them by name, asking God to bless and use them, their families and their church to push back the darkness. Pray for protection, courage, wisdom and victory over the darkness in their areas of ministry.
Pastor Sudhakar oversees 2 churches among idol-worshipping tribal people and faces much opposition
Pastor Ch.Yohan oversees 3 small tribal churches, needs a bicycle to get around
Pastor Barnabas Kodur starts and over sees a dozen churches. I lived in his home for a week, gifted in spiritual warfare, one of the finest Christian men I have ever met
Pastor David Kumar pastors 2 churches of mostly new believers
Pastor Yesuratnam is starting new churches and baptizing new believers
Pastor David works among his tribal people needs a church building. He asks for prayer so he and his wife will have children.
BLOG & PRAYER REQUESTS Nov 6, 2011
PUSHING BACK THE DARKNESS
The following is a summary of this past Sunday’s sermon, encouraging everyone to pray daily for the light to push back the darkness in India. Following it are some suggestions to help you pray for the people of India. You can listen to the sermon on our web site: http://www.mainstreetbaptist.org/ Thanks so much for praying!!
India is a nation in darkness. This is seen by blindness, sickness, pain, suffering, great oppression of women and children and early death for many. Spiritually it is dark as well. Hinduism, Islam, Animism, and Sikhism – all bring more darkness to the people there. Satan and his forces are strongly entrenched and have been fighting to keep the darkness in place. But the light is gradually growing. Christianity is the fastest growing religion in India. Still for every Christian (by any definition of the word) there are 6 Muslims and 40 Hindus.
The spread of Christianity is bringing more and stronger opposition by people as well as spiritual forces. Laws against ‘conversion’ are being written and persecution is growing. Social and physical oppression is strong. Many suffer beatings, torture and even death because of their faith in Jesus. This continual oppression can be discouraging to the pastors and Christians in India.
Despite these difficulties the light is slowly but steadily gaining ground. This is important, not only for those living in India, but for the rest of the world as well. As the USA loses power and influence on the world scene, India and China are gaining. One of them will be the next world power, and China seems doomed because of its Communist restrictions and extreme persecution of the church. India is poised to become the largest and greatest country in the world. As such it’s even more important it become a Christian nation.
India is a nation in darkness, but light breaks darkness. A little light can remove an unlimited amount of darkness, but no amount of darkness can remove the smallest light. Light consumes darkness but darkness can’t consume light. They both can’t exist in the same place (Genesis 1:2-4) so darkness must flee when light enters. In fact, the darker the darkness the more positive impact light has.
Jesus came into a dark world, bringing light for everyone (John 8:12). His “light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:15). “Overcome” is a compound Greek word, katalambano, meaning to hold something down. It is used of a demon taking possession of a person (Mark 9:18) and a thief capturing and robbing a person (I Thessalonians 5:4). This verse assures us that darkness cannot and never will be able to defeat light! Light is stronger than and superior to darkness.
Darkness speaks of sin, deception, bondage and death but light brings salvation, truth, freedom and life. Darkness deals with fear, defeat, discouragement and hopelessness but light brings faith, victory, joy and hope. It is God’s desire for all to live in light (Isaiah 42:16).
Yes, India is a nation in darkness, but God has given us weapons to help the light spread to the over one billion people who live there. He gives us His truth and promises in His Word (John 1:5). He promises His power, His Spirit and His angels to fight the darkness (Romans 1:16). He wants us to pray for the light to drive back the darkness in India.
Before the Allied forces landed on Normandy Beach in France on D-Day, June 6, 1944, they battered the shore with heavy artillery so the advancing soldiers would have an easier time moving ahead and claiming the land. Hugh guns on the ships pounded the enemy strongholds mercilessly up to the moment of attack. Without this softening of opposition the foot soldiers wouldn’t have been able to advance. God’s foot soldiers in India, the pastors and other Christians, need our long-distance prayers to continually pound the strongholds of darkness that oppose them. Without us providing this assistance they won’t be able to advance against the strongly entrenched darkness. With it the ultimate victory of the light over the darkness is assured.
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you”. (Matthew 7:7) “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know”. (Jeremiah 33:3) “You will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will hear you”. (Jeremiah 29:l2) “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of him”. (John 5:14:15) These promises certainly assure us that prayer makes a difference. Satan knows that as well – why do you think he makes it so hard for us to find time and keep focused when praying?
Gunners preparing the way for the D-Day invasion were alerted to targets from airplanes above and infiltrators on land who sent back requests. God above, Who sees and knows all, will lead you as to how to pray. If you would like requests from fellow believers living there who have infiltrated the darkness let me know and I’ll send you a weekly email with specific requests.
One more thing, you should know that our brothers and sisters in India pray for us faithfully and specifically. They know you are part of our ministry to help train and support them so they pray for each of us. We provide resources they need: training conferences, special meetings and printed literature to help them in their daily battles. Out of appreciation they do a lot of praying for us. Wednesday is their usually day of fasting and gathering at the church to spend hours in prayer. Daily they pray in their homes, usually by a husband and wife starting the day standing together (in respect to God) and praying for quite a while. Group and individual times of prayer are a daily occurrence. They may not have anywhere near the financial and material resources we have, but they have definitely discovered how to tap into the greatest resource of all, one we often neglect – God’s power through prayer. As they pray for us, let’s join in and pray for them every day. Pray for the light to push back the darkness.
INDIA PRAYER REQUESTS
Pray for God’s Spirit (light) to push back the darkness in the hearts and lives of the people in darkness.
Pray for God’s angels (light) push back the powers of darkness (demons), and break the plans and work of Satan.
Pray for God’s people (light) to have courage and wisdom to bring the light to those in darkness.
Pray for us to be able to help the pastors and Christian in India to spread the light.
-plans Pastor Moses is making for church, pastors, pastor-leaders and marriage conferences
-for each person who will be attending
-for travel, housing and details of the time in India
-for protection from the darkness: difficulties, opposition, illness, discouragement, etc.
-for the books to be used by God’s Spirit to bring insight and victory to many people
-for plans and preparations I am making for the trip
-for financial provision to meet the expenses of the trip
October 4, 2011
Dear Friends,
My second book for Christians in India, “What God Expects of Pastors,” has been translated and printed. A picture of it is attached. The first book, “Spiritual Warfare,” is now in its second printing. Both books are very well received with many good comments coming in about how God is using them to help the Christians there. Thanks so much for your faithful giving and praying which has made them possible. The translation of the Spiritual Warfare Handbook into Urdo for use in northern India continues.
Pastor Moses is traveling and making arrangements for our meetings in January. He is making deposits for the necessary meeting spaces, transportation, meals and other needs of the pastors. $9,500 is still needed for this. In addition $1000 for the orphans for the coming year is soon due. I don’t yet know what the Urdo translation and printing will cost.
Please pray for the continued plans Pastor Moses and I are making for our India work. Pray God would provide financially for this ministry. Pray, too, God would provide for a building to be built on the land given to Pastor Moses’s church in Hyderabad. It will be a great improvement to our ministry there and will make training the pastors much easier, more efficient and less expensive.
Pastor Moses and others there have asked if we can help by providing used but usable laptops, digital cameras or video cameras. If you have one you are not using please let me know.
Remember you can now contribute by PayPal on our church web site: http://www.mainstreetbaptist.org/
Thanks and God bless.
Jerry
Sept 15, 2011
Dear friends,
I have lots of good news to share! 6,000 copies of my new book, What God Expects of Pastors, is now being printed. 5,000 copies of my Spiritual Warfare Handbook will be printed next. There are many, many requests for them and I continually get very positive feedback about how the believers in India are greatly helped in this way. Thanks so much for your sacrificial, faithful and prayerful giving – it wouldn’t be possible without you!
Pastor Moses is making arrangements for the pastors’ conferences, marriage conferences, and conference to train leading pastors. He anticipates we’ll need another $10,000 for all the costs of our trip January 10-31. While that sounds like a lot of money, hundreds of pastors will be trained in a way that they can continue to train others. The cost of supporting a missionary is $60,000 a year, so spending one sixth of that into training those who already are part of the culture is a great investment. Also, what they are taught continues to multiply as they teach other pastors and as the books are disturbed.
Land has been donated to Pastor Moses’ church to use for a greatly needed church and training center building as well as a ministry for orphans, widows and others. It would be the center of our ministry there but a building needs to be built. That will cost about $25,000 for a church, training center, orphanage and home for widows but in India that is a large amount and far, far beyond what they have. Thank God for the gift of this land and ask that He would provide the needed funds to move ahead in this special way. The land really is a great answer to prayer!
Please pass these prayer and financial needs to others who may be interested. We have placed a PayPal buttonon the church web site http://www.mainstreetbaptist.org/ so it is easier to make donations. Thanks so very much for your prayers and support!
God bless and thanks for everything!
Jerry
PS If you have a digital camera you no longer use they can be put to good use in India. Let me know. Thanks! Jerry
Dear Friends,
This has been a summer of milestones for me. In June I turned 65. In July we completed our 27th, and final, year of home schooling. In August we celebrated our 30th anniversary of being at Main Street Baptist Church in Doylestown. Retirement is not on the near horizon – Mark and Grace are starting at Philadelphia Biblical University this fall. While some of my involvements are declining, like home schooling, others, like India, continue to grow. Hardly a day goes by I’m not involved in some way with the India ministry. Many good things are happening. We are supporting 6 pastoral families monthly. Our orphans continue to do very well. The oldest girl married a young pastor this past spring. My second book, What God Expects of Pastors, has been translated and printed. The first book about spiritual warfare needs to be reprinted for the 5,500 copies printed last year are all in use. I have gotten many, many very positive responses about that book and how helpful it has been for many people.
I will be in India in January 10-31, 2012 – just a little over 4 months away. I am currently preparing the messages and lessons for that trip. In addition to speaking in churches and to various groups I will again do pastor’s conferences. I will add leadership conferences as well where I’ll train key pastors to be able to pass on the information I teach to local pastors in their areas. I’ll also have some marriage conferences – something very new and different for me in a culture that practices arranged marriages. When I’m able to get to it, I’d like to develop free on line study programs for pastors who know English and have computer access. This would not be available to most of the pastors I train face to face, but a growing number would benefit. It could reach a whole new segment of city pastors, though. It’s definitely the direction in which India is moving.
Pastor Moses has been traveling regularly and setting up places for us to minister. It is time to start making reservations and final plans for what we will be doing there, and that means money will need to be sent to cover expenses. We are still supporting 6 pastors and 5 orphans. The new books are longer than estimated so they will cost more than expected, and printing more of the spiritual warfare handbook will cost as well. Inflation has been high in India the last 18 months as the global economic crisis affects them as well. I know it is hard on many in the USA also.. However anything the Lord would put on your heart to help train these pastors in India would be greatly appreciated. It will be tax deductible. You can make the check out to Main Street Baptist Church and mail it to Jerry Schmoyer, 252 W. State St., Doylestown, PA 18901.
Please pray for the pastors in India, for Pastor Moses as he works with them, for me as I prepare lessons and do what i can from here, for the trip in January and for the necessary finances to be provided. A good friend is traveling with me and will help in many ways. I am very grateful for his willingness to come with me. Among other things, he will record the various conferences and messages so we can make them available to those not able to attend the conferences. Please pray for Jim as well.
Thanks so much for your faithfulness and support.
May God bless you and continue to use you for His glory!
Jerry
PS If any of you are interested in information about our annual Marriage Retreat March 2-4 in Lancaster, PA ($225 cost per couple) please let me know and I’ll gladly send it to you.
May 31, 2011
Hello!
Things are going very well with the India ministry. The book for pastors, “What God Expects of Pastors,” is almost translated and will be printed during June. All expenses for that have been paid.
We need more copies of the “Spiritual Warfare Handbook” since the 5,000 Telugu and 500 English copies printed last year are now all in use. Most of that cost has been paid but we still need $2000 for the rest.
The orphans we support are growing and doing very well. The oldest girl is done with school and will soon marry a young pastor. She no longer needs support. The boy with AIDS is doing OK in his special school with the drugs they give him. That is an ongoing need. Next month I need to send $900 for the expenses of the 4 children we still support.
I will be going to India January 11-31. In addition to pastors conferences I will be adding leadership conferences to equip leaders in various areas to teach the pastors there themselves. This will help to multiply the work quite a bit. I also have been asked to lead some marriage conferences, quite a challenge in a country where virtually all of the Christians have had arranged marriages.
A friend is traveling with me and will help with many things. His church is paying for his air fare and other expenses). I am very glad for his help and companionship! Hopefully in future years more will be able to come alone to see the work, and perhaps even some other pastors will come to help minister as I do.
There are 6 people who are giving $25 a month to help support a pastor and his family. Thanks so very much!!! Let me know if God puts it on your heart to make this commitment.
Please pray for God’s guidance as plans are made and tickets purchased for the next trip. Pray for God to guide the translation and printing of pastors’ book and the distribution of both books. Pray God would use them for His glory. Also pray for the needed funds for my air fare, the printing of the books and the orphans. My only resource is the prayers and gifts of God’s people, thank you SO VERY MUCH for your support, prayers and gifts!
God bless!
Jerry
May 4, 2011
Dear friends,
I have several things I’d really like you to pray about concerning the ministry in India.
Pray for the translator as he works on the new book for pastors.
Pray for funds to cover the translating and printing costs – printing should be done by the end of June.
Pray for wisdom and guidance as I start making plans for my next trip there in January, 2012. Pray
God would lead in all the details. Pray God would provide those who are to travel with me. Pray for the plans a friend is making to come along with the.
Pray for funds to print and distribute more Spiritual Warfare Handbooks.
And I must correct my correction from last newsletter. The marriage retreat is March 2-4, 2012.
Thanks so very much!!!
Jerry
April 27, 2011
Dear Friends,
The book What God Expects of Pastors has been written and is in the process of being translated. That should be finished by next month this time. The translator has asked for us to pray for him to be able to translate it as God leads. Some of the money has been contributed and sent but more is needed to get copies made. We need more copies of the Spiritual Warfare Handbook as well and also money to pay for them. It has been translated into a northern India language and books will soon be printed there as well.
These books only cost about $1 each but thousands are needed since the demand for them is so great. I have received many, many very positive comments about their use and how God is using them in India so please pray that continues and pray the money would be provided so these new ones can be printed. If God leads you to contribute to this we would be very grateful.
Below are two emails I received last week about those who have been using the Spiritual Warfare Handbook.
Dear Pastor Jerry, Greetings. I hope you are doing well and your ministry, yesterday I went to the translator ,who has translated the Spiritual Warfare book. He testified that the book was very much in demand from pastors who want to read it and greatly appreciated by those who have read it. He says that it was a great blessing to his personal life. Previously he used have a fear in his heart and even he could not be able to drive his car. After he translated and read the book and prayed for the courage ,he started driving the car and doing the ministry more. The fear has gone and he is doing very well. He says, Thank you very much for a great book you have written, and which is a blessing to thousands of people. Again he says, the second book also is very good for the pastors. He is translating it ,so needs prayer for the wisdom to do very well. We will be praying for you and of your ministry. With Blessings PKMoses in India
Dear Pastor Jerry, During water festival from April 12-16, I spent with Orphanages teaching on spiritual warfare. They are 31 orphanages, most of them had problems with demonic and generational sin that opens door for demons. I used your spiritual handbook for text, and discovered that they really need release from demonic influences. Many of them have been delivered and have hope. They know their destiny but they dare not believe it will come true. This time by the word of God I encouraged them to be what the Lord wants them to be even though they don’t have physical parents. Some of them testimony with tear. All their fear has been gone. Praise the Lord. Thanks for your wonderful handbooks, I intend to use it as text book in my Bible School this year. God bless you. Blessings Lawrence (din lal, Myanmar)
Other needs include money for the orphan children we sponsor and $25 a month to needy and qualified pastors’ families. If God leads you to contribute to any of these needs checks can be made out to “Main Street Baptist Church” and mailed to my home address: Jerry Schmoyer, 252 W State St, Doylestown, PA 18901. You will receive a tax deductible receipt at the end of 2011. Thanks!
Our new grand-daughter was born April 15. She is perfectly healthy and everything went very well. Thanks so much for your prayers and for God answering them! There were 2 times during the pregnancy when major health concerns arose but God took care of her and here she is!
One more thing. I gave the wrong dates for our marriage retreat. It is March 2-4, 2010. Sorry about that!
Thanks and God bless!
Jerry
Dear Friends,
I want to give you a quick update on what’s been happing with the India ministry. I have completed the first 3 chapters of the 9-chapter book What God Expects of Pastors and sent them to India to be translated. I have also been able to send $6000 towards the translating and printing costs. Pray for wisdom as I work on the remaining 6 chapters and for finances to finish the project. Another $2000 to $3000 is needed to print 5,000 copies of this book. In addition we need a second printing of the Spiritual Warfare Handbook, 5,000 copies for $5,000. I receive reports almost daily about how God has been using them to help the pastors and churches there. Several ministries in other parts of India have asked for them so they can translate and use them in their ministries as well. They will do the work and bear the cost of that. Pray God would continue to use this book as well.
There is no new word about the young man who was kidnapped. His family continues to faithfully serve and witness for the Lord. Pray for them.
We have begun our pastor’s support program for Indian pastors. $25 a month will sponsor a pastor. That provides one third of their monthly income and is a tremendous help to them. Let me know if interested and I’ll send you more details.
I have been blogging about my experiences in India concerning spiritual warfare and why God allows us to go through very difficult times sometimes (“Thoughts While Journeying through the Outskirts of Hell”). Recent blogs include a message I used at each pastors conference about how to know if you are growing spiritually and a series explaining the differences in world view in Arab and Asian countries compared to us. You can find them on the church web site http://www.mainstreetbaptist.org/blog/ or email me and I’ll send them to you.
My new grand-daughter should be born soon. Mother and baby have made it through this difficult time. Pray that if it is God’s will the baby will be healthy when born.
If anyone is interested, our next church marriage retreat will be May 2-4, 2012, at a wonderful resort in Lancaster, PA. Cost is $225 per couple. We have a great time of fellowship, learning and fun. If you want more information let me know.
Thank you so very much for your faithful prayers and support. None of this would be possible without your prayers and financial gifts. Thanks so very, very much! If there is anything I can pray about for you or do to help you please let me know!
Jerry