Amazingly, this is the exact message I received in a letter from my cousin:

-- Ernie P.
"If we are out of our minds, it is for Christ" -- II Cor 5:13

Why Revival Tarries
h2. John Dayalan Edward

When I was in Russia we got an opportunity to minister to a community of Chinese students. The only obstacle was many of them spoke only Chinese and hadn’t yet learned the Russian language. After much difficulty we found a translator who spoke Chinese, Russian and English. At the day of the meeting they turned out in large numbers (in Russia a hundred Chinese students is like a couple of thousands here). The minister that I had invited talked about how Christ is a God who blesses people and how he will help them in their studies and future if they come to Him with no mention of Christ’s redemption. For many of the Chinese it was the first time they heard about Christ. In the end when an alter call was given five responded.

However I was so depressed that we hadn’t preached salvation through the cross. Many-left feeling that their Chinese gods were more capable of helping them in their future, and for the five who came to the front Jesus was a genie that will fulfill their desires. In the next few years I watched how the five who had turned to Christ left Him because their expectations weren’t met. One of them was actually presented with a choice between Christ and her family. She choose her family, as she never knew the depths of the Love of Christ for her on the cross.

In an entirely different setting in India, in a gospel crusade, a minister (from India) was preaching to a few thousands on Christ’s healing power. He talked on how if people will respond to Christ He will heal them. Many responded and were healed. Everybody was glad that many gave their life to Christ. Yet something inside me couldn’t agree with what was going on.

Immediately I had a vision of Jesus sitting on His throne highly displeased but yet ordering His angels to bring forth healing. I then realized that there was no mention of the cross of Christ or His sufferings on the cross. People had just come to the front because they wanted healing and blessing. It was another occasion for the masses to try out a new god in addition to the millions they already had. Out of all the people who responded I could easily say (as our church had organized the meetings) that none were committed to even coming to church. A sad but yet true statistic.

In America the gospel is preached in a similar fashion but focused more on prosperity and wealth. As a matter of fact America is mainly responsible for the incomplete gospel preached in other nations, as its influence is worldwide. If we are to see God’s Glory revealed in this nation, firstly we must start from setting right the very basics and that is understanding what the Gospel of Christ is? If we can see the perversion, accept it and respond to truth then truly we will be headed in the right direction....

Andrew

That is a great video. It cuts to the chase on what has gone wrong
with the way we view God. He is not a heavenly ATM machine or a
smiling old man who winks at our sins. If we do not preach the
whole message of the Gospel then we don't preach the Gospel at all.
It stands as a whole.

I can speak from experience regards knowing that God is enough.
In 1983 Cathy and I had a wonderful little girl named Alicia.
She was our treasure and our joy. We did not know that within
22 months we would be viewing a tiny little casket at a cemetary
surrounded by our family. You see Alicia drown in our pool.
Cathy thought I was watching her and I thought she was watching
her. She slipped through the cracks and before we could locate
her she was gone.

By the grace of God we never blamed each other or blamed God.
It tore our hearts out and we grieved for a long time. But God
was faithful and even in that loss we found hope and peace.
We went to a support group and found many grieving parents of
suicide and SIDS deaths. God gave us strength that we were
ministering to these people.

So that said, Gog gave us two great sons latter. I know without
a single doubt that God is enough. He kept Cathy and I together
when 80 % of marriages where this happens end in divorce. So
I know first hand that He is enough.

No King but King Jesus
Randy Petersen

Randy, thanks for being so open and sharing that story. That is such a beautiful example of how God can be glorified in suffering. I'm blown away by the fact that you and Cathy were able to lean on the Lord and get through that tough time. What an awesome testimony.
He gives and takes away - blessed be His name.