Not-My-Will Evangelism

"For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me"
(John 6:38).

I can definitely tell you that staying in '0-star' hotels in India is against my will. Enduring the scary traffic, the jet-lag, the dirt, the bugs and the pollution is against my will. But God has said, 'if you are willing to deny your will, then I will show you greater fruitfulness.' Often I have not been 'willing' to do what God asks. But often God asks what is opposite of my will.

A good friend of mine has a great church and is a great leader. He also 'serves' on the board of several smaller ministries. I commented to him how God is giving him such favor across denominational lines. I did not forget his reply- "God told me if I was 'willing to be hidden' in service, then He would use me openly."

We all tend to determine 'God's will' based upon our temperament. Our personal bias often excludes us from even considering anything outside of our comfort zone or personal giftings.

So it is with sharing our faith.We say, "I don't have the 'gift of evangelism." We often don't 'feel led' because our personal will won't let us. Being Christ's witness today will require me to deny myself today, and lay down my rights.

When I decide to be His witness, I will walk down new roads, meet 'strange' people that are different than me, and will often 'feel' uneasy as I speak in faith. But this is the faith-adventure we have all been called to live! God leads us; then He takes us on a scary-exciting journey of learning to depend on His voice, and not our own strengths!

So today I have a challenge for you. Will you pray that God will lead you to share His love with a soul He loves today? Your will is the fulcrum of the decision process. Even Jesus 'emptied Himself' of His own rights to do His own will, and cried, 'not my will, but thine be done.'

Intentional for souls,
Tom Elie Evangelist/President
Oasis World Ministries
www.oasisworldministries.org

P.S. Join the "Harvest Club" by supporting Oasis World Ministries for $29/month. more...

P.S.S. Would you like to learn how to develop your One Minute Witness and practice it in a fun and impacting way? Then learn more about Gas Buy-Down: America's Best Faith-Sharing Tool.

I Dare You!

"...the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a holiday. Then many of the people of the land became Jews, because fear of the Jews fell upon them" (Esther 8:17).

I am told that if you witness your loved one trapped in a car accident, your adrenaline takes over. You become a momentary 'Superman'. You are able to exercise much more strength than usual, and can often 'rescue' them with your new strength and resolve. Suddenly, you're the hero.

Well, you know the story of Esther. She 'dared' to approach the king without being invited because her people, the Jews, were scheduled to be slaughtered. She received favor, the king allowed the Jews to defend themselves, and so the Jewish people became feared. She became the heroine.

But here's what's almost hidden in this story. When God's people were allowed to defend themselves, suddenly many non-Jews decided they also wanted to become Jews. They knew the Jews would win the battle, and they wanted to be on the winning side. This was one of the great 'evangelism moments' in history... all because one woman 'dared' to take a stand!

When we are filled with the Holy Spirit's compassion for lost people around us, we get a new boldness. Suddenly everything looks different.

• The office water-cooler becomes like the Samaratan well where Jesus shared his faith.
• Our neighbors become a Zaccheus when we say, 'let's have dinner together'.
• Our relatives become targets of our prayer and fasting, like Esther. The depressing TV news propels us to really become 'salt and light' for Christ.
• We take the Gospel out of the church and into the marketplace, where people really live.

Our continual shyness takes a backseat to aggressive compassion. We calculate the risk, and then 'dare to make a difference'. We come out of our safety zone, and decide to risk it all.

Our continual shyness takes a backseat to aggressive compassion. We calculate the risk, and then 'dare to make a difference'. We come out of our safety zone, and decide to risk it all.

And when we do, all heaven breaks loose. God begins to respond to our desperate love by bringing 'much fruit' into our lives. Their destiny is changed forever. We become one of God's mighty warriors.

Don't think you can't. Many people will find Christ when you 'dare to care'!

Intentional for souls,
Tom Elie
Evangelist/President
www.oasisworldministries.org

P.S. Join the "Harvest Club" by supporting Oasis World Ministries for $29/month. more...

P.S.S. Learn more about Gas Buy-Down: America's Best Faith-Sharing Tool.

Easter's Commission

“The same day (of the resurrection) at evening.... Jesus came and stood in the midst of them and said, “Peace be with you! ... As the Father has sent Me, I also send you” (John 20:19-21).

Their world was falling apart. It was not supposed to end this way! The disciples were gathered on Passover Sunday fearing for their future. Their Messiah was dead.

But suddenly, everything changed.

Late that evening, Jesus walked into their lives again... and what they saw with their own eyes would turn the world upside down! He is alive. Now they knew... Jesus is the one, true God.

At that moment, Jesus ordained and appointed them as His apostles right there. Apostles were ‘sent ones’, and Jesus sent them to be His voice and His hands to a troubled world.

Because they went, you and I have hope today.

Even ‘doubting Thomas’ went. History tells us that Thomas was the first to bring Christianity to India. He died as a martyr when native tribes speared him, because he denounced their worship of the sun god. In fact, 11 of the 12 ‘sent apostles’ were martyrs for the faith they would not renounce.

We are all ‘sent’. And everyone who is sent has to ‘die’ to their fears, inhibitions and lack of confidence. Aren’t you glad a ‘sent-one’ introduced you to Jesus? What would your life be like today without an Easter resurrection in your heart?

So the love of Christ compels us. We must go, for we are clearly sent. And when we go, we will find the greatest joy that will surpass even life itself. Jesus said, “He who loses his life will find it” (Luke 17:33). When we go, He goes with us!

Make this Easter weekend a new beginning. Invite someone who needs hope to attend Easter service with you. Reach out with kindness to someone who is hurting. Tell people what Easter is really about. You are sent... and Jesus will go with you. He is risen indeed, and we are sent!

Happy Easter!

Intentional for souls,
Tom Elie
Evangelist/President
Oasis World Ministries
www.oasisworldministries.org

Over 20,760 decisions for Christ made in three weeks!

Thank you for storming heaven for souls through your prayers!

We're back from another amazing trip to India. The Oasis team led four 5-day Gospel & Healing Festivals, three Ignite the Fire Seminars, and dedicated eleven wells and seven churches. In all, over 20,760 people made decisions to follow Jesus as their Lord and Savior as a result of this three week trip! Our soul count is now 629,321 on our way to reach 1,000,000 decisions by the end of 2010.

The Pastor's Seminars were well attended. The Oasis team handed out Bible commentaries to pastors in their native tongue of Telugu. Among the grateful recipients is Pastor Ramish Babu who said, "I have waited a whole year for this New Testament commentary. Thank you very much!"

One of the churches was built in the village of Sevamandir, population of 5,000, and it is the first Christian worship center ever built.

Nine years ago, God called the pastor to Sevamandir and now leads a church of 40 believers. About 100 people attended the church dedication. The pastor said that he began praying for a church building about a year ago. They had been meeting in a shed or at nearby homes. In January, they heard about Oasis World Ministries and applied for a church building. They are thrilled with the church!

I spent the last couple days of this trip with the Oasis National Evangelists. It was a great time of encouragement and equipping. We've added several new faces to the team for a total of 19. As part of their training, I taught them the "One-Minute Witness" tool. Then each evangelist left the building to share their one-minute story.

Exuberent, all of the evangelists returned with great joy, including K. Elisha who realized, "To think I've wasted all these years not sharing my faith." Now he's set on reaching 5,000 decisions for Christ over the next year.

Each National Evangelist will hold three-day mini-festivals in remote villages of India. Regional pastors will follow up with those who have made decisions to follow Christ and mentor them in the faith. More photos and stories...

Intentional for souls,

Tom Elie

Evangelist/President

Oasis World Ministries

P.S. If your church is interested in learning more about a fun and easy way to share your faith story in 60-seconds, click Gas Buy-Down.

Oasis Prayer and Praise Update

We just finished a glorious week of meetings in Suryapet, Andhra Pradesh, India.

The festival grounds were packed with thousands of people from rural unreached villages. The people traveled in by dozens of tractor trailers. By God's grace, we will have seen around 9,600 people come to Christ through our ministry efforts in the last two weeks.

Perhaps the most touching testimony was that of an 11-year-old girl who came to our stage with her grandmother. She had been completely deaf for four years, but now her ears have been opened by Jesus!

Also while in Hyderabad, we ministered at a church where 300 people were expected, but 1,100 people showed up! It was like walking into the fruits of our faith as we entered the church. The atmosphere was electric with worship and expectancy.

Among the healings was that of a blind woman. She had been hit in the eye with a stick when she was a child and was blind ever since. While attending the festival, God healed her eye, and she can see! God has been so very good to us.

We are now beginning our final week of festival meetings. I will be leading a festival in Shathinager and my friend, Pastor George Bunnell, from Maple Grove, Minnesota will be leading a festival in Pamulapadu.

Thank you for your prayers! They have made a huge difference... please keep storming heaven for souls!

Intentional for souls,

Tom Elie
Evangelist/President
Oasis World Ministries

Never tire of seeing miracles

Bucchi Reddy Palem, Andhra Pradesh was the location of our first week in India. We held a five-day gospel & healing festival and a three-day pastor's school.

At the festival, we experienced several miracles. During one of the sermons, I talked about the father's son who was continually thrown into the fire by a demon (Mark 9). At that moment, a demon-possessed lady, who was sitting in the crowd, interrupted the story. Then God took over and showed me what to do!

I said, "Demon, be quiet in Jesus' name." Then I invited the woman forward to the altar so that we could pray for her. Before I finished the sermon, she calmly walked back to her seat, completely set free!

Another miracle was that of a paralyzed 15-year-old girl who lifted her arm over her head for the very first time in her life! And another miracle was that of 12-year-old girl who had been born deaf. Her father wept when God restored her hearing! By God's grace, around 3,600 people will have come to know Jesus Christ during this first week!

God is giving us great favor. During the pastor's school the regional pastors were so grateful for the teaching and encouragement. While we were there, the Oasis team did village evangelism. We were told by the local people that we were the first white people to have ever presented the Gospel of Jesus Christ at their village.

Tomorrow we leave for our next festival and pastor's school. Please continue to stand in prayer; it means so much to India!

Intentional for souls,

Tom Elie
Evangelist/President
Oasis World Ministries
oasisworldministries.org

The Tyranny of the Urgent

"And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; but He said to them, 'I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also because for this purpose I have been sent'" (Luke 4:42-43).

Ministers know what I mean when I say, 'we know pressure'.

Pressure to please people. Pressure to have the church service shorter, and longer, and sing this music and teach that topic. Pressure to be funny, to be serious, to be 'deep' (whatever that is) and to be relevant. Pressure to reach the neighborhood, yet maintain everyone's needs within. Pressure to pay off the building and simultaneously add an addition. Pressure to live within budgets and do more with less. The list goes on and on. If we're not careful, we'll try to make everyone happy instead of simply hearing from God.

Jesus was pressured too.

The crowds were growing, people were getting healed, and His fame was spreading. Who wouldn't want His problem? The people pressured Jesus to stay with them for extended meetings. But Jesus was adamant. His success was not measured in numbers or dollars or healings. His success simply came from 'OBEYING GOD'. This was the yardstick by which He measured everything.

Jesus was not distracted from His purpose... "to seek and save the lost". So He moved on to other towns where they had not heard of His salvation. He left the "reached" to find the "unreached".

What's pressuring you? What's keeping you from being His ambassador to the lost? Our supreme task is to reach the unreached. Our life's purpose is only complete when we obey God.

The crowd will keep us busy inside the church until we retire, and we'll still be frazzled and unfulfilled. But when we obey God and take His love 'outside' the church, our fire will burn brighter, the sky will be bluer, and the grass will be greener.

'Obeying God' is the best 'pressure-relief' valve ever!

Intentional for souls,
Tom Elie
Evangelist/President
www.oasisworldministries.org

P.S. The Oasis Team will be in India February 11-March 1. Please keep us in your prayers. We will conduct four "Gospel & Healing" Festivals, three "Ignite the Fire" Training Seminars; dedicate seven churches and 17 fresh-water wells that were recently completed. During the final few days, I will be meeting with our National Evangelists for training and encouragement.