Go Beyond | Kolkata

Today our team carried on more of the same activities described yesterday. Each segment was so very anointed of God in that it pointed right back at Himself in such a creative subtle way.

We chose early on to adopt a color of the day that represented the Godly characteristic that we’d talk about each day. We purchased t shirts for everyone at the workshop to coordinate with the color of the day. I have to say that when we planned it I didn’t quite realize how powerful this was going to be. Monday was red and stood for REDEEMED which used Rahab, the prostitute, as an example of God redeeming our lives for good when we place ourselves in His hands. Tuesday was pink and stood for HUMILITY. The example story was the woman who washed Jesus’ feet with the tears.

Tuesday as we had our worship time together with the ladies Bobby and Rachael led us in the song Break Every Chain. There’s a line that says “there’s an army rising up…to break every chain…” There we sat. A big, girl packed, pink army….but I have to say that the supernatural power of Christ working though this “womanly” army is going to rival any dark army that the enemy would put in their path.

These beautiful woman come to work each day in lightness and learn useable skills. They learn about about living a life of freedom and victory but they go home to darkness…most of them have husbands who are regularly drunk and mistreat them and many still have family in the brothels. They long for full freedom in their families’ lives.

One of the excercises in songwriting today asked them the questions, “what is the one thing you’d want the world to know about Jesus- or Yesu (pronounced Yeshu) and what is the one thing you want the world to know about you.” The answers were far and wide but each group was asked to give a group answer. In general the answers were that In Jesus they found a love they had never experienced and had to learn to accept the love shown by the ministry here. They have found freedom and joy. They want the world to know that Yesu has the power to change and that before Yesu they felt darkness in their soul but today they have peace and light. They want to destroy the darkness that is in Kalighat and bring the peace and freedom that they have experienced.

Our ministry partner here shared that she believes that revival will come to Kalighat and then whole city but it won’t be through giant services or foreigners doing big evangelistic events. It will be through the evident freedom and bold declarations made by these supernaturally powerful women…one home at a time.

Kalighat is a red light area that seats a giant temple to the goddes Kali….Ghat means area in Bengali. This area that they live is literally “Kali’s place.” As our partners minister and work here they have adopted the name for this area as Yesughat….Jesus’s area. They pray and worship and lift high His name….they don’t march around and bind the enemy up or try to do battle with him. She (our ministry partner) says “that is God’s job….ours is to lift His name and everyone will be drawn to him.” This army’s weapons are the Word of God and the Sword of the Spirit, meaning they are filled with His Spirit and testify to the truth of God’s Word.

We will take this little army, at the end of our time together, into the middle of this area claimed for goddess of death and they will “sing their song, dance their dance and tell their tale” to those that will listen and to those who are on the outside listening in. In boldness the ladies will tell the followers of this dark deathly goddess that there is such power and such liberating freedom in just one Name. This Name that is above every name. The name of Yesu. Jesus. That in His name the chains of addiction and slavery and abuse can be obliterated. If you don’t believe them…just ask them. They are convinced and are living testimonies to this and there is not one thing that can be done or said to dispute it. Just as the image of Kali shows a deathly looking woman holding up a severed head in one hand and a knife in the other to show what she is representative of these women are what God holds up to show what He is about…He holds them up as trophies of WINS in the column of the one and only true God. He holds the women up and says look at their lives…they are showing you My peace, they are showing you my freedom and my love. Come to me and I will give you the same rest.

We ended our day singing together. “There is power in the Name of Jesus. There is power in the name of Jesus. There is power in the nae of Jesus to break every chain, break every chain, break every chain.”

To the One and Only God Who has the power and authority above every addiction, darkness, evil, or any spirit, to HIM be the glory.