Prominent Indian pastor Abhishek Masih of Agape Global Ministries who is currently living in Brisbane, has told how a pair of angels saved his life and the lives of his wife, son and mother, 10 years ago,
They were in their car when they were suddenly surrounded by an angry mob of armed Hindu extremists.
Pastor Masih recounted the terrifying incident to Vision Radio:
“We went into the state of Madhya Pradesh and me and my wife and my son and my mum were encircled by 80 people.”
“I THOUGHT THIS IS THE LAST TIME I’LL SEE MY FAMILY”
“They came with swords and knives and I thought this is my last time that I am going to be seeing my family.”
“I looked to my son who was very small at that time, looked to my wife and I thought Now we are gone.”
“I was thinking in my mind to come out of my car and give myself up to them, so that they can take my life.”
“In that moment, Hosanna my wife, and my son and my mum can escape into the wilderness or into the jungle.”
PASTOR’S WIFE IS FILLED WITH THE POWER OF GOD
“But as I was thinking this, all of a sudden my wife, she was filled with the power of God.”
“I never knew that she can preach and she came out of the car and she started declaring boldly with great faith.”
“She said: Jesus loves you and Jesus cares for you.”
“I was able to see all of sudden their hands were frozen and they were not able to move.”
TWO POLICE ANGELS CAME FROM NOWHERE TO HELP
“Two policemen came and they pushed the crowd and they pushed the people and they said: Go! Go!”
“We all were in the car and I pressed the accelerator and we went.”
“We contacted our pastor and asked him where those police officers were from.”
“We were told that in a 25 kilometre radius, there is no police station: We have never seen them.”
“I truly believe they were two angels that God sent in human form for us to be delivered.”
“Otherwise I would have been dead.”
MOB ATTACKS ON CHRISTIANS ARE NO LONGER RARE IN INDIA
Pastor Masih says such incidents are no longer rare in India where Hindu mobs regularly attack believers.”
“One thing that I saw as I grew up in India, is that Hinduism is a religion that loves, you know. They are not hard.”
“We have friends that have stood with us. We have politicians that have backed us. We have people who love the religion, who have stood with Christianity.”
“But there is a group that has been very violent and has come against the Church and many are killed.”
“IN THE LAST 12 YEARS, IT’S BEEN LIKE SLAUGHTERING”
“Churches are being burned, people are being brutally assaulted.”
“When I started my ministry, I was 17. Now I’m 42.”
“When I went as a young man, preaching in India, I saw persecution, but not that brutal.
“But in the last 12 years, it’s been like slaughtering.”
PASTOR RECALLS THE MURDER OF AUSTRALIAN MISSIONARY GRAHAM STAINES
Pastor Masih recalled that even before then, in 1999, Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two boys aged 10 and 6, died when Hindu extremists set their vehicle on fire.
He has witnessed the legacy of Graham Staines’ in the state of Odisha, formerly Orissa.
“He’s a great man of God. I have personally visited his mission centres.”
“I have seen what wonderful work he and his family has accomplished.”
“And still that work goes on. The mission stations are still working.”
“THIS MAY BE THE LAST TIME I’M GOING PREACH”
“There was a big silence in that period [after the murders]. People were frightened. The whole state was in the grip of fear.”
Pastor Masih went to preach to 300 people at the town where the murders took place.
“As I went to the pulpit, the pastor who organised the meeting said that Those people who have killed Graham Stains are in this meeting.”
As a young man of 21, I had a big fear in my heart that this may be the last time that I’m going to preach.”
SALVATION FOR SOME OF GRAHAM STAINES’ KILLERS
“It was my longest sermon at the time.”
“I preached and preached and I thought I don’t want to end this meeting – because I knew after the meeting, there will be a big persecution.”
“Straight after that event, the presence of God came, the precious Holy Spirit visited the tent, and all the people gave their life to Lord Jesus Christ.”
“Those who were involved [in the killing] also went for baptism and they came into our Bible school and they got trained and then they went back to the same place where Graham Staines’ family was working.”
“MISSIONARY’S HORRIFIC DEATH WAS A TURNING POINT INTO A MOVE OF GOD”
“Now they have pioneered big churches and that is a great revival, so visiting that place and seeing what the man of God has done is incredible.”
“His death was a turning point into a move of God in that nation.”
“Orissa and the rest of the states which are surrounding it, they were all poor, they were all rejected.”
“A LOT OF GREAT THINGS HAVE HAPPENED SINCE GRAHAM STAINES WENT TO HEAVEN”
“But after this event the Gospel has increased through their lives and many more have paid the price.”
“Today we see there is so much of blessing in Orissa and Jharkhand and different states where the prosperity has increased and the numbers of believers have gone into millions.”
“There are some massive crusades which we have seen, maybe close to half a million people have attended.”
“So a lot of great things have happened after the death of this great missionary”
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