8 May 2015

A PERSONAL TESTIMONY

By John Ollis

I primarily use my blog to share teaching, and things that the Lord has laid on my heart, plus there has been numerous health updates during my 2 year battle with the staph. Infection in my knee. It is so good to say I am infection free, but sadly there is still difficulty walking, I have arranged to see my surgeon on my return from S.E. Asia and hopefully he can deal with the problem. But that is not what I want to communicate about today.
On this day 50 years ago at Richmond Temple in Melbourne Australia with the late Pastor C.L. Greenwood officiating Margaret said “I do” and made me the happiest man in the world.
What an exciting journey it has been, both in life and ministry. We could never have  visualised  Pastoring 5 churches in the first 22 years, then 19 years of Bible College ministry, including living  and serving in Singapore, then another 7 years of itinerating throughout South East Asia. Plus two sons married to two godly ladies, and 5 grandchildren all loving and serving the Lord.
I counted up recently and I have had the privilege of ministering in 25 nations. It all began way back in 1974 (over 40 years ago!!!) when we were pastoring in Sydney and I went and checked out what was happening in the churches in New Zealand.
I am reminded that the Lord helped us to build a multicultural church way back in the 1970’s and even developing a Fijian congregation in the same building. The Lord start to give me a burden for the nations which has continued to grow over the years. One highlight I want to mention is when I went to Northern Thailand to conduct a Pastor’s seminar in 1988, and was taken for a drive, and looked across the Mekong River and looked into Myanmar, and began to weep in intercession for that nation, when I got home and continued to pray for that nation, I also receive a heavy prayer burden for the 3 Indo China nations of Laos, Cambodia & Vietnam which resulted in around 40 trips to those nations including Myanmar.
Indonesia has been the nation heaviest on my heart for about 12+ years, and we are so glad we return there next week to continue to minister God’s Word.  You may have read recently, that Indonesia may cease to be the largest Muslim nation in the world, if the current conversion rate continues. Praise God for that. You may have also read that China will soon have the largest Christian population in the world including USA. I know you have read some of this before, but my heart is overflowing with thankfulness for all the Lord has done in us and through us, during these past 50 years, and still we are believing for more.
I just want to share one verse with you in conclusion King David’s testimony (and ours is) Psalm 37:25-26 I have been young and now I am old: Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his seed begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lends; and his descendants are blessed.
THANK YOU JESUS FOR A GOD BLESSED LIFE.