Clive Cook was formerly Field Director for World Horizons in Niger, West Africa, where he and his wife Alice were missionaries for twelve years. Clive and World Vision hosted The Elijah Challenge in Niger in November 2002 for an historic Campaign. He later trained and ministered with The Elijah Challenge on a mission trip to Indonesia.November 2003
I just got back from a visit to India. Here's a short report of what
happened.
Arriving at Chennai, I was met at the airport and taken to a village some 4 hours journey away. I was asked to speak at a meeting that same day. Some 200 people had gathered to fast and pray so I took the opportunity to teach on healing. The first day about 35 people were healed, mostly of neck and back problems. One lady testified that she was healed of a neck pain she'd had for 30 years.
The day after I was able to continue teaching and a lot more people were healed in the meeting, some of eye problems, and some of hearing problems. A lady deaf in one ear received her hearing in that ear. Another partially deaf lady had full hearing restored to her. There were many other testimonies that I simply couldn't write down. All the healing was done through the believers and I told them many times to minister healing to their unsaved neighbors and friends and so win them for the Lord.
I visited Pastor Paulose and family in Rameswaram. Word seemed to have reached them about the Seminar and I have been invited to teach it at the Bible and missionary training school they run there. Since evangelism is a regular part of the curriculum I will insist that directly after the teaching, they go out to the villages and heal the sick and preach the Gospel. Paulose has given me an open door to go to his churches (150 of them) when I like and do the Healing Seminar. I am hoping that I can arrange some small "healing festivals" to which we can invite the lost, to accompany these meetings. The laws in Tamil Nadu prevent a more open approach by foreigners.
Next, I went to participate in some meetings in north Tamil Nadu state. In fact I went to receive at the meetings and was asked to preach twice. I didn't feel it was right in the context to speak on healing but was able to minister to people personally after meetings. One evening I was approached by several ladies, some of whom wanted me to pray a prayer of blessing for them. One lady said she had pain in her back. I ministered and she was healed. Many others approached and I had to ask a sister to help. I asked the sister to lay hands on the sick stomachs and then placed my hand on hers. Several were healed. Then I told her to do it on her own and use her authority. The first person she ministered to was healed and after that another 4-5 others as I watched. The impartation was quick and powerful.
Others came with demon problems. Some were delivered but those with more serious problems were not. This is an area I would like to grow in more. One pastor at these meetings who had come from Sri Lanka has invited me to do the Seminar in his church in Colombo, the capital of the country. This should happen in February next year. Incidentally, the pastor had a back problem. I was shy of ministering to him but one day he was really suffering and I felt obliged to minister. The Lord gave me a supernatural faith for it and he was completely healed. This confirmed for me that the open door in Sri Lanka was from the Lord.
I was really on my own on this mission trip, but the Lord was specially graceful towards me and a lot happened. Doors seem to be opening and I am hoping that soon the opportunities for crusades will present themselves. It was a thrilling time and I am looking forward to the trip to Colombo next year.
June 2004I got back from a visit to India just a week or so ago. It was a very different kind of visit to what I am used to and the Lord used it to tell me to widen my ministry. I'm encouraged. I spoke in some meetings. The Lord graciously healed people each time. At one smallish meeting where I preached the Gospel 12 people were healed as I took authority over sickness and did mass healing. Later in another meeting at 6 am (yes in the morning,) I shared a simple gospel message to a crowd of 900, many of whom were not believers and the Lord again healed 80 people instantly as I did mass healing. Due to the circumstances I couldn't use the believers nor give an altar call but I did talk about making Jesus Lord of our lives. The Lord was very gracious and it was a surprise to see so many healed. To him be all the glory.
Be encouraged, Brother William. The Lord is using me and the ministry is growing and developing. What you planted in my life is bearing fruit and the Lord is bringing glory to himself through it. My heart is for the poor and downtrodden and I believe that many will be saved, encouraged and empowered in the future.
South India, November 2005
Three nights of village evangelistic meetingsDrunken men attempt to disrupt open air evangelistic meeting at Village X
The crowd for the first evening was initially 120 people. There were drunken men in the crowd trying to start trouble, shouting and hurling abuse at others including me. I had to ignore them and just keep on preaching!
Felt a great freedom as I spoke my message. The atmosphere was intimidating. There seemed to be little response from the crowd and attention was being taken by the fighting and shouting. I preached on all the same, trusting that somehow the message would touch those assembled. As I finished speaking, I knew something had to happen for there to be a breakthrough, so I trusted God and asked the people to lay their hands on any sick part of their body. Then I asked God to heal. A few minutes later, eight or so people put their hands up to say God had touched them with His healing power.
Only three dared to come forward to tell what God had done for them. One lady testified that she had come to the meeting with head, chest and neck pain, from which she had been completely healed as I ministered healing in the name of Jesus. Another lady had come suffering arm and shoulder problems. She lifted her arm high to show that God had indeed healed her. The crowd suddenly applauded, taking me by surprise!
The disruptive people had drifted away by that time. Clearly people were too fearful of the others present to come forward for an altar call, so I asked Pastor M to lead the people in the prayer of salvation to accept Christ. Many responded, repeating the prayer out loud and I believe a good number truly accepted Christ that night for the first time in their lives.
Three Hindu firemen watching the meeting later reported that they had also been healed of various ailments. Praise God!
We held two other evangelistic meetings in other villages. At each the Lord graciously extended his hand and healed to confirm the message.
August 2006
Update from Clive"...I am still taking trips and preaching the Gospel and I reckon that near to a thousand people have received healings in my meetings as I've taught and preached the Gospel over the last three years. Maybe a couple of hundred people have come to Christ too. It's a small start but I know that bigger things are ahead."
