Bakht Singh Funeral - Part 2

He began his Christian work at Bombay by distributing Christian literature and sharing his testimony to the people on the roadside from dawn to midnight. Sometimes a biscuit and a cup of tea was his breakfast, lunch and dinner. The street was his home and the lamppost was his light.

It was there the Lord was becoming more real and dear to him. In the year 1938, Sanyasi Ponnama, a famous composer of many devotional songs and poems, invited Baksh Singh to Madras for special meetings. He shook Madras city with the powerful word of God and thousands flocked to hear him.

Many seriously ill were healed. He stressed the importance of possessing a personal Bible. Every meeting, all present were to display their Bible by raising them above their heads and to feel ashamed if they had not brought one.

People in thousands started to buy Bibles. The Bible Society were not able to supply the demand. In 1940, Baksh Singh stayed for one year with Lady Ogle, a prominent citizen of her time.

Standing are the first co-workers of Baksh Singh. On July 12, 1941, Jehovah Shamma, House of Worship at Madras, started with certain Biblical principles after months of prayer by the believers. A handful of young men offered themselves for full-time service to the Lord and His people trusting Him for all their material needs.

On April 17, 1943, Baksh Singh solemnized the wedding of Brother Moses, a composer and singer of many devotional songs, with Sister Lily at Jehovah Shamma, Madras. Standing left on the picture are Brother Flack, Brother Durai Raj and extreme left Brother William. On August 31, 1950, Baksh Singh came to Secunderabad and conducted special meetings for 25 days from 1st to 25th September 1950 at Baptist Church, Secunderabad.

People came in hundreds to hear the man of God from Punjab. Baksh Singh also ministered to lepers and poor people at Boiguda, Secunderabad, with Brother Basavaya. In October 1950, Baksh Singh rented a place at Golconda Crossroads and constructed a church in Hyderabad called Aleem, where believers gather for Sunday worship service and other meetings.

In the year 1954, 6 acres of land was donated to Baksh Singh by Brother Apaji, where the present Hebron was built. Hebron was dedicated on 24th September 1959. Since then, the believers are gathering at Hebron.

At the dedication of Hebron Church, Baksh Singh quoted saying, every pillar you see here is soaked with prayer. At Hebron Church, you will not find ornamental cross, stained glass windows or furniture and pews made of teak. Instead, the church is one large hall carpeted with straw mats in which men and women sit in separate rows.

No one is allowed inside the church with footwear. The church walls and the hall are surrounded with verses from the Bible. The Lord's table is kept in the center of the assembled church to show that all are equal and all are one in Christ.

Sunday worship service starts at 10.30 in the morning with praise and worship and exhortation. After the worship service, the believers go out for street preaching and the whole church is invited to have fellowship meal. The believers participate in cooking, cleaning and serving besides taking part in religious activities.

The believers gather for church prayer on Wednesdays and Bible study on Thursdays, fasting and praying on Saturdays, separate youth meetings for young boys and girls on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Apart from cottage meetings, the believers visit hospital, prison, slums and home for the aged. Those who are born again are to testify in the waters of baptism before the church and the elders of the church pray by laying their hands on their head.

Tithing is taught, but no appeal is made for money or subscription. Only on Sundays the believers have the privilege of giving the offering. A large number of children attend Sunday school and