A CAUSE TO FIGHT FOR - The Jesus Army

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unleashing a wave of violence against Christians
living in the state.
Since then, over 50,000 Christians have
been displaced, more than 4,000 homes destroyed
and about 120 Christians murdered.
Over 300 villages and at least 600 churches
were destroyed.
Colney has himself been beaten and
imprisoned. “Currently, 350 families in our
church have lost all their belongings, houses,
land and properties just because they are
Christians,” he says. “I myself have been jailed
on two separate occasions, faced stoning and
even been dragged along like a dead dog in
the street.”
But he single-mindedly carries on.
“I want to see India saved,” he says, simply.
“Five hundred thousand villages in India have
never heard the gospel. I want nothing for
myself, just the extension of God’s kingdom.”
It was for this reason that he left his home
in 1983. A missionary from Assam had told the
youth meeting of places where new believers
did not have anyone even to teach them one
song. Colney could not sleep, and eventually
he prayed to God: “I don’t have money
to offer you, I don’t have talents, I don’t have
gift for ministry. All I have is this frail body
and weak person. But if You want to use me,
I’ll go anywhere if You are with me.” So some
months later he left, with just five rupees and
two robes.
In 1989 he was given an old UK Christian
Handbook. Out of thousands of entries, one
hit his eye: the Jesus Army. But he did not
make contact until years later.
Jesus Army is also the name given to Restoration
Ministry’s outreach in Mizoram. Sixteen
young people work day and night among
the drug addicts, HIV patients, the homeless
and street girls.
This movement sprung out of a powerful
experience of the Holy Spirit in 1995 which
changed Colney’s view of God forever: “I began
to have a big God whereas I used to have
a small God. I discovered that He is the God
of the whole earth, the never-despising God,
the all-loving God – even drug addicts and
drunkards are welcomed in Him. And the God
Helping each other out of love,
no racial and colour distinction,
no high and low position...
who gave me such a great vision has, I believe,
also ordained Multiply.
“To me, Multiply is the role model in this
sinful, self-centred world. Helping each other
out of love, no racial and colour distinction,
no high and low position, are its most attractive
features.”
Colney is not one ever to be satisfied by
theory. “Christianity depends not on religion
but on the life of Jesus,” he says. “Just knowing
is not enough, I have to see.”
What he has seen here in Jesus Army UK is
beyond his expectations: “I have learnt many
things. We have been given 22 bigha* on the
outskirts of Aizawi. I want to have handicraft
training for healed addicts there. I need to
know how to start, so your businesses were a
great inspiration.”
Multiply revolves around relationships, and
Colney has appreciated the love and understanding
he has found here: “In Multiply,
ministers from different countries share
brotherhood and vision. God has given me
good friends now.
“When I suffered persecution, I used to be
in great thirst for my spiritual brothers. But
now, I am happy to know that other Multiply
members are praying for me. My thirst is
quenched.”
JL
*Bigha is a local unit of land area; one bigha equals approximately 0.25 hectares.
Clockwise from top left: Colney with other Multiply leaders; Genesis children’s home; victims of HIV & drugs
addiction working at the cane workshop in Aizawl often found healing; water baptism; prostitutes restored.
DON’T MISS OUT!
MULTIPLY
INTERNATIONAL
LEADERS
CONFERENCE
A rainbow movement making change!
TWO-WEEK CONFERENCE:
Wed 26 May - Wed 9 June 2010
MAIN CONFERENCE DAY:
Saturday 5 June 2010
Northampton Jesus Centre
Northampton, UK, NN1 4AE
INFO: www.multiply.org.uk/milc
Email: info@multiply.org.uk
24 Jesus Life
www.multiply.org.uk
www.jesus.org.uk