Hebron Silver Jubilee - Part 3 — Bakht Singh

Thanksgiving for God's Faithfulness and Grace

The message delivered by the Lord's Servant, Brother Baksh Singh, during the Ebru and Silver Jubilee thanksgiving meetings held from 12th November 1975 to 14th November 1975. The message translated into Telugu language by the Lord's Servant, Brother K .N .Augustine, and in Hindi language by the Lord's Servant, Brother Champak Lal Bhatta of Bombay.

Loving Heavenly Father, God of Grace, Mercy and Peace, Our Faithful and Wonder-Working God,.

Father of all Mercies,.

The Giver of all Good Gifts, The Covenant-Keeping God,.

The Prayer of Sri God,.

The Wonder-Working God, God of Glory, In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Our Highly Regarded Saviour, With hearts full of worship and praise come at Thy Feet. We thank Thee for Thy Abundant Grace and Thy Unchanging Love, which we have experienced in abundance in the past forty-five years.

And magnify Thee for our oneness and union with the Lord Jesus Christ in the depth, barrier and lexion which has enabled us to take our share in life fully. And magnify Thee for all the savours we have enjoyed in all the past years in serving Thee and obeying Thee and taking Thy Word from place to place.

Now we testify together, Thou has done all things well. Thou has exceeded all our expectations and our thinking. We magnify Thee for every promise fulfilled and every token of love received in these days.

We adore Thee for the work of grace, salvation, divineness, revelation, thought of Thee in many hearts, mind, life, to Thy borderless devotional imitation. And magnify Thee for leading us, Mother Marty in loving super hands as we go out together for gospel campaigns in many parts of the country.

And we adore Thee for bringing us together under the heads of Thee, dear Son, in a number of places to worship Thee in spirit and truth. We magnify Thee, dear Father, for all we have taken in this year in our ministry and service.

So falling upon our feet, we worship Thee. We want to re-educate ourselves in life service and we found faithfulness to the heavenly vision. We thank Thee for guiding us to have this series of Jubilee gatherings for Thanksgiving before we begin the Holy Convocation on Saturday the 15th.

We make our time fully flexible. We charge on these two gatherings. And pour upon us with a prayer and worship and praise. Now all of us from all over the country will carry on and get their portion too.

We thank all of our servants who are here at this time with their families, will carry on and get their portion. Lord, I name Thee holy and magnify Thee in our ministry. And by Your Word, we are free to worship.

May we manifest glimpses of the glory and greatness of Your Savior. And by granting of Thee high purpose in my church, so for my glory, so the ages of my church. So we humble ourselves, bring ourselves in the presence of the Lord.

By faith, we burn up our darkness. We humbly pray, Lord, we fill the whole place with Thyself, Thy glory in Thy presence. And take us through triumphantly. We pray in the name of the Lord, Your Savior.

Psalm 92 and the Call to Thanksgiving

Together, Psalm 92. 92nd Psalm. Will you praise God for enabling us to have these three days gathering for Thanksgiving? Because the Lord has been good to us in the past 25 years. Because the Lord has been good to us in the past 25 years.

Because the Lord has been good to us in the past 25 years. It was in September 1950, we were first led to come to the city. It was in September 1950, we were first led to come to the city. At that time, we had no thought of staying here for more than a few days.

The Lord's own faithfulness led us on all the past years. The Lord's own faithfulness led us on all the past years. We have been led to have this period of three days for Thanksgiving. For all His goodness which we have tasted and the poverty we have experienced in abundance.

For all His goodness which we have tasted and the poverty we have experienced in abundance. After a short message, we will be having a time of worship and praise. After a short message, we will be having a time of worship and praise.

Again tomorrow morning, we gather here at 10 o 'clock. After a few testimonies, again we have a worship and praise. Again tomorrow morning, we gather here at 10 o 'clock. After a few testimonies, again we have a worship and praise.

Psalm 92, verse 1. It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord and sing praises on Thy name, O Most High. It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord and sing praises on Thy name, O Most High. To show forth Thy loving kindness in the morning and Thy faithfulness every night.

Verse 3. Punishment of ten things, from the salty, from the hot, to the solemn sound. Punishment of ten things, from the salty, from the hot, to the solemn sound. For Thou, Lord, hast made me glad to Thy work, I triumph in the works of Thy hand.

For Thou, Lord, hast made me glad to Thy work, I triumph in the works of Thy hand. Verse 5. O Lord, how great is Thy works, and Thy thoughts are very deep. The more we thank the Lord for His goodness and faithfulness, His mighty power, the more we receive His grace.

The more we thank the Lord for His goodness and faithfulness, His mighty power, the more we receive His grace. So we can say in verse 4, O Lord, Thou, Lord, hast made me glad to Thy work, I will triumph in the works of Thy hand.

Verse 5. O Lord, how great are Thy works, and Thy thoughts are very deep. Verse 5. O Lord, how great are Thy works, and Thy thoughts are very deep. Verse 5. Experience God's grace in abundance and fullness.

That is why we feel so constrained to request you all to help us to pray to our Lord as is worthy of the praise. That is why we feel so constrained to request you all to help us to pray to our Lord as is worthy of the praise.

That is why we feel so constrained to request you all to help us to pray to our Lord as is worthy of the praise. How Lord will lead us in the beginning over here. It was in the year 1941, Lord first led us to Ayodhya Ministry in Madras city.

It was in the year 1941, Lord first led us to Ayodhya Ministry in Madras city. Now before that we have been having quite large gospel campaigns and gospel raids in many parts of India. Now before that we have been having quite large gospel campaigns and gospel raids in many parts of India.

From the year 1936 to the year 1941. And we saw Lord working mightily in many parts of India through this campaign. And we saw Lord working mightily in many parts of India through this campaign. But we did not see the spiritual growth that we have seen through God's word.

Quite a good number were born again so beautifully were backsliding. Quite a good number were born again so beautifully were backsliding. And that gave us a burden of prayer. And we went on stretching God's word upon our knees.

Building the Church According to God's Purpose

We began to see a strong foundation to foundation. We began to see a strong foundation to foundation. And that is why among many names given to God's people in the Bible, And that is why among many names given to God's people in the Bible, One name is God's building, or God's house, or God's habitation.

One name is God's building, or God's house, or God's habitation. And God building on human plan, God building on God's plan, only then we can see God working fully and deeply in the field. Without burden, without burden, God led us in the month of June 1941, Madras City.

And we began to receive in a small house. With determination to be in the abode of God as it is. And went on praying, Lord, without fear, to build Indian church and national church. We are one by church.

So for your glory and the men of wisdom. And that requires perseverance and faith. And we knew beforehand, we have to face and use your opposition and persecution not to obey fully what God says. But with great joy in our hearts, we began to face the opposition.

Rather than feeling downcast, discouraged, we felt privileged to go through the persecution. And we knew also what God is going to do in us, not only for one particular plan, but for whole country and the country too.

With that faith, we went on studying the word of God and having regular all-man prayer. And we began to see how God has very high purpose for this church, as we see in the Ephesians. He is not after multitude or a crowd.

He wants a living church which He can show forth His glory and fullness and power and love. God's fullness is in the church. God's habitation is in the church. God manifolds with them to be revealed to the power of His prosperity in heavenly places through His church.

And God is tender now with height and depth, length and breadth. Your knowledge is only to His church. And God's glory is also to His church. Not the building, but the living church. The word church is never used in Bible for a building.

Then we began to see in the Bible, people don't grow spiritually by themselves. And that's why God gave fivefold gifts of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers for the work of the ministry.

They cannot be produced by human activity. They are raised up and prepared by the deeper working of the Holy Spirit among God's people. But for that we have to go through again all kind of persecution.

It requires strong faith. Without faith we went on praying and laboring. I began to see, unless we are completely in the control of Lord Jesus of Heaven, we will not know His purpose. And that time we had many invitations from many places to go there and conduct revival of gospel campaign.

Again we see in God's word, by the multitude God wants us to obey Him and follow His leading. And that's how after much prayer, many days of prayer, 14 days of prayer, God can show us His plan which He had for our weekly ministry and also future ministry.

And God showed us, now He wants us to be ready, take His message to all parts of India and many parts of the world. So we decided, we are not going to be governed by our own wisdom in the least method.

We have no ambition to have many branches here and there. Lord, we only want to obey Thee. You can take us anywhere, anytime and one way we will go. Lord, we want to be sure this is Thy time and Your plan.

And that's how Lord has given us entrance for the world in all the places in India and other countries. We have no preference for any city, any part of the country, small one or large one. Generally, sometimes we are tempted to be governed by a distance or a population or people's limitation.

God's Leading to Hyderabad

Now we pray God, where He has put a seal on Labour's footstool all the past years as we have gone out here and there. In the very same way, Lord led us also in Hyderabad city. Not with any human wisdom but only God's plan.

In the year 1948, one morning two sisters came to see me at Jawaharsham of Madras. One was in tears. She was from Hyderabad. She brought her husband who was very ill for treatment to Hyderabad city. And doctors could not diagnose the disease.

So she came with a request to ask her to go there and to pray for him in hospital. So we went there just for a few minutes, had a word of prayer and came back. Just one very short message. Lord heard the prayer and healed the person.

And the whole family came for worship meeting on the following Sunday at Jawaharsham. From that time onward they began to write to us many times, when will you come to our city of Hyderabad. Now till that time we had no burden to pray for even this area.

We only wanted to be sure of Lord's time, Lord's plan and Lord's purpose. Even though we came very near the city in 1949, Lord would not give us permission. Only in 1950, in a very clear way, Lord gave instruction, now my time has come for you people to go to Hyderabad city.

Now even though we had at that time not only few, but many invitations from different parts of Andhra Pradesh and also North India. So after much prayer and waiting for the Lord to show God's plan, we agreed to come here in September 1950.

And first time we had our meeting for about three weeks in Sikandarabad, Muttram's compound. And we found in very first meeting, now this is not an ordinary time for the city. It so happened, it began to rain very heavily in our very first meeting we had in Sikandarabad.

And the building was not very big enough to accommodate all the people. So many people had to stand outside the building with umbrellas the whole time of the meeting. And that gave us some idea, what kind of hunger was now created by the Holy Spirit in all the hungry people.

And at the same time we had to face unusual opposition as well. We were invited at that time by some of the leading members of the Baptist congregation. On the very same compound there was a guest house which was available for those who will pay rent and stay there.

And even people with wrong teachings and wrong doctrines were given rent by those people. But the American missionary got very angry with us and refused to give any permission. We don't know why he got so angry.

We were about 20 in the party at that time. We had no place to stay also. One believer in Lalaguda railway quarters, he offered us one room to stay there. So we had to rush in the place and turn by turn.

Because all could not sleep at the same time. They would stay turn by turn. That was a very happy time. We praise God for the privilege we have to bear all these things. The response was so great in every meeting.

People kept on coming in larger numbers in every meeting. Many evenings they had to stand in the rain outside. And Lord led us also to preach about Baptism straight away. And that also stirred up much opposition right at the time we began to preach about it.

You find again, even though people may talk about any of the wrong teachings, not at all trouble. But only when we talk about the scriptural teachings for baptism and worshipping of bread, we are stirred up to give opposition.

That is how the enemy hinders people from getting a sheer God's fullness. For the more these people oppose the truth, the more people came for baptism. And we found how, every Sunday, about 45 or 50 were coming forward.

Even though we have only come here for a few days, we found so many people longing to be taught fully in God's purpose. We felt clearly we should make a power provision for their teaching and growth. That is why we have felt that to rent a house in Oxford Street, Karnataka.

In the month of October, 1950, we had planned to have regular Bible study every morning and every evening in that building. And quite a good number began to come for the morning Bible study and evening Bible study regularly from many parliaments in both cities.

The Gospel Campaign at Fateh-e-Maidan

In a meeting also, there was one Roman Catholic, a military officer. One day he came to me and said to me, Will you come with me? I want you to show something of the city. So he brought his car with him and took me to see that Fateh-e-Maidan pavilion.

In those early days, that building was only meant for the Nizam to receive salutes from the military and other people. At that time, there was no other building in that place, only a pavilion for the salute from the Nizam.

Now with the police action, that building compound was brought under the military control. So he said to me, How do you like this building? He said, It is a very nice big hall. It is very beautifully planned.

I said, It is a very nice building. He said, How would you like to have this building for your gospel campaign? I said, How can we have something over here? We never dreamed of it. It is only meant for men like Nizam, not for us people.

He said, You leave it to me. I said, Ok, you try. The next day he came to me with an order from the commanding officer. He said, You are permitted to hold your gospel campaign in this pavilion for as long as you like.

Use everything freely, furniture and carpet, everything freely. That was the first God's proven. We had to engage the double-decker buses from both sides, coming and going. Again we began to see what a hunger.

God's word was being found. One of these people who came to see, long distances, they fought in the meeting every evening. And many modestly testified baptism is part of persecution from the pastors and their nation.

So many came forward every Sunday, asking for baptism, some were even Hindus too. So that time the Arya Samajis thought, we are forcibly baptizing some people. So they got together in a very big party, just to cause some disturbance.

We announced now, those of you who want to know about baptism, you can gather the time in the pavilion. So they also thought, we can go and say, we also want baptism. So they also thought, we can go and say, we also want baptism.

So they also thought, we can go and say, we also want baptism. So many people came in that group. So we had to question them one by one. When were you born again? What happened? What change took place?

How can you prove it? When they heard these questions, one by one they disappeared. They knew that here we are, only those who are born again. And that's when the Lord began to work mightily, all the pressures.

Providing Teaching and Ministry for the Villages

We only wanted His plan. And after a few days another man came to me and said to me, Brother, why don't you make some provision for the village people, they also want to have this teaching and ministry.

Brother, why don't you make some provision for the village people, they also want to have this teaching and ministry. I said, now our place in Oxford street is not big enough for any more people. I said, now our place in Oxford street is not big enough for any more people.

It is only meant for a few hundred people. It is only meant for a few hundred people. How can we accommodate other people's villages? How can we accommodate other people's villages? He said, come along, I'll show you a place.

So he brought the car and brought it to the alien building. The old alien building. The old alien building. It was lying there vacant at that time. In those days there was a big stadium for tennis nearby.

In those days there was a big stadium for tennis nearby. Now you have this telephone exchange building. Now you have this telephone exchange building. Before there was a stadium for tennis. And the building was intended for the big players who used to come to play matches and have stadiums everywhere.

It was a very nice garden and big compound. The whole area was about three acres. So I went right to the whole building. I said, this is a good building, but far too big for us. It was far, far too big.

Anyway, we went on the terrace of the top. And knelt down to pray. Not on the top of the building. Now, Lord, what is your plan? The brother says, make some provision for the village folks. But this building is far too big.

More than thirty or forty people were there. Very big garden. And we began to pray. Lord said clearly, take it, it is for the whole of India. It is not only meant for Hyderabad city or Secunderabad. I am giving you for the whole of India.

The rent was one rupee five hundred a month. And right next day, the Lord provided advance money to be given them for two months. And right next day, the Lord provided advance money to be given them for two months.

And that's why in the month of December, we shifted from Oxford Street to the Elam building next door. Even then, we had no desire to stay too long. We thought, we stay here for a month or so, and have some Bible studying, then go to another place.

We thought, we stay here for a month or so, and have some Bible studying, then go to another place. In the building here in Hebron now, Appaji was living at that time. At that time, Appaji was living in this Hebron compound.

And I didn't even know that Appaji was living here. When we came to see the next building, it never lies just one year. So before we shifted this building over here, and we were still staying in Oxford Street, Appaji had to go to Secunderabad town for some purpose.

Appaji had to go to Secunderabad town for some purpose. And he was standing at the bus stand to catch his bus to go to Secunderabad. Then he found some sister with Bible in her hand. Then he found some sister with Bible in her hand.

They were from Ramnagar. And they were going to Oxford Street for the Bible study meeting. So they got down at Secunderabad station. Got down at another bus stand. Then Appaji followed them. Then Appaji followed them.

Then Appaji followed them. And for many, many years, he never got any meeting. And for many, many years, he never got any meeting. And when we shifted to Elim compound, And when we shifted to Elim compound, he asked to came over one day.

And he inquired from us, how long are we going to stay over here? And I don't know. And I don't know. We only came for a few days. And he saw that we have no furniture in our building. And he saw that we have no furniture in our building.

We only had a few mats that we had. We only had a few mats that we had. So he said, I have got some tables and chairs lying there unused. So he said, I have got some tables and chairs lying there unused.

So he said, I have got some tables and chairs lying there unused. Next morning he was baptized. And that's how we have seen Lord moving us, Now we have step by step, day by day. Now we have step by step, day by day.

The Acquisition and Development of Hebron

So after two years, So after two years, In 1952, In 1952, The Lord is speaking to me to give you this compound for God's service. He was living over here. He was living over here. So I told him, We are not interested in the building.

We only came for a short time. We go away anytime. So please give it to somebody else. He tried for two years to sell the building and couldn't sell it. He tried for two years to sell the building and couldn't sell it.

After two years, After two years, Lord spoke to us clearly. Lord spoke to us clearly. Now I want the building for my use taken. He had never wanted to be involved in any property. He had never wanted to be involved in any property.

And that's how we have been here. And that's how we have been here. And we shifted here in 1959. About 16 years ago. About 16 years ago. Lord has been very gracious, very faithful, And very merciful all these past 25 years.

And he went on bringing people to us all over the country. We had our first holy convocation over here, We had our first holy convocation over here, In the year 1950. In the year 1950. Again, Lord kept on opening doors to us, Many parts of Andhra and other countries.

He has done great things. He has done great things. He has opened doors all over the country,. He has opened doors all over the country, Many parts of the world. He has opened doors all over the country, Many parts of the world.

With all our limitations, unworthiness, and failure, He has been gracious and faithful. And we want to serve him, And we want to serve him, With great devotion. And you find, only after much prayer, We are able to build this Pandala body here, And every part of it.

We have knelt down on our knees, In every part of the compound, For days together, to find God's plan, For days together, to find God's plan, For every part of it. At God's command, At God's command, We left Elim and came over here.

At God's command, At God's command, We began the building of the Pandala, We began the building of the Pandala, And he gave us his plan, For all the buildings we see here and there. And he gave us his plan, For all the buildings we see here and there.

And he went on supplying every need, And he went on supplying every need, As time came. Rasa, flowers, and prayers. He kept his word, And you demonstrate to almost every part of India,. And you demonstrate to almost every part of India, Many parts of the world.

Closing Thanksgiving and Worship

Many parts of the world. And we want your help and your cooperation,. And we want your help and your cooperation, To praise God for his faithfulness, Which he has proven all the years. Which he has proven all the years.

He led us faithfully, And he kept his word to the end, And he kept his word to the end, Every word. So we adore him for his faithfulness. And without saying anything more, We want to this evening, We want to this evening, Spend some time in thanksgiving.

Spend some time in thanksgiving. We'll be having some more time tomorrow and Friday also. Now we go to worship. Now we go to worship.