“On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.” (Acts 14:27)
My time in Los Angeles over the past weekend can be summed up in one word: extraordinary! The purpose of my trip was to accompany our dear brother Raja Rajan, who was flying in from Bangalore, India, to be restored. Although Raja had already repented, which means he had been restored in his relationship with God, he had not yet been formally restored to the church family. Therefore, we felt it was necessary for him to fly to Los Angeles so we could, much like Barnabas brought Paul before the Apostles to vouch for his repentance (Acts 9:26-27), vouch for Raja’s biblical restoration before the Restored Church Worldwide family.
Since we had our Company of Prophets (COPS) session on Saturday morning, I could not fly out of Toronto until Saturday afternoon. As a result, I did not arrive in Los Angeles until around 9:30 p.m. After checking into my hotel, I quickly rested and prepared to preach the following morning—though not before stopping at In-N-Out for a famous double-double burger and fries! The weather in Los Angeles was surprisingly chilly and rainy, far from the refuge I had hoped for from the cold winter in Toronto. Nevertheless, I was grateful to worship with the now 900-plus disciples of the LA Church.
On Sunday morning, I woke up especially early, partly due to the three-hour time difference between Toronto and Los Angeles. Thanks to Jason Dimitry, who arranged for someone else to preach to the Kingdom Kids teachers before service, I had a couple of extra hours to spend with God. After a “crankin’” quiet time (which was actually “quiet” for a change), I headed to the Hilton Universal City, located at Universal Studios, where we will host the 2025 ROC (“Revolution On Campus”) Conference from August 7-10.
The warm fellowship and enthusiastic singing at the start of the service were refreshing! After a short time, Jason Dimitry, Kip McKean, and I brought Raja on stage for his restoration. Jason introduced Raja, and Kip shared a brief history of Raja and his wife Deborah’s work in India, where they grew the number of disciples from just two in 2008 to over 400 in four different churches by 2022. After Kip’s sharing, I shared Acts 3:19 and spoke about how refreshing Raja has been to me, and how his radical repentance will undoubtedly refresh many others. I also read a message from his wife, who could not be there due to visa issues. Then it was Raja’s turn to share.
Raja spoke humbly and vulnerably about his sin and how he thought he had lost God forever. He also shared how God’s grace reached him through a heart attack at just the right moment, preventing him from falling even deeper into sin. He closed his powerful testimony by quoting his prayer to God after his fall, when he was seeking to rise again: “God, I don’t want to just be a normal disciple. I don’t want to waste oxygen on earth. Either take me now, or use me to do something great for you!” Naturally, the over 1,000 people in attendance rose to their feet, singing the kingdom classic “We Love You With The Love Of The Lord” to welcome Raja back into the family. It was deeply moving.
After inspiring Communion and Contribution messages, and a brief fellowship break, I had the privilege of preaching to the LA Church. I shared a version of the lesson I had preached earlier that week at our Men’s Midweek Service, on the crossing of the Red Sea. My points were: 1) What Road Are You Taking? 2) Why Are You Crying Out? and 3) What Do You Want to Sea (S-E-A instead of S-E-E)? The audience was very gracious, and they seemed pretty inspired. Praise God!
At the end of the service, we witnessed 17 baptisms! With 10 baptisms throughout the week, and 77 in March, the LA Church closed the week with 24 baptisms, and ended March with a new record—104 baptisms! Amazing! After the service, Raja and I attended a COPS (LA) session along with Preachers Academy. It was a lot of fun watching some of the young leaders preach, especially since the theme of the day was humour! They did a phenomenal job! It’s always incredible to see young leaders zealous to preach and grow in their preaching ability.
I ended the day with a Chipotle dinner with Raja, as it is one of his favourite places! We had a great conversation, rehashing the past while also discussing the future of India. As God would have it, the Toronto Church will now oversee India. So it’s exciting to dream and scheme about how we can reach the 1.46 billion (yes, “billion”) lost souls in the most populous country in the world! Let’s be praying for India, and especially for Bangalore, where the Rajans live.
Monday was a much lighter day for me. I took the opportunity to rest and spend time with God. I also drove over two hours to Palm Springs to visit my dear friends, Brandon and Rachelle Rasha. The Rashas used to be part of the San Diego Church when Kelly and I led from 2011 to 2015. They were our right-hand couple, and we developed a close, David-Jonathan-like relationship with them. They have since faced very challenging times, as they have been forced to foster five children along with their own two. Since there is no church in Palm Springs and their foster children must stay there for various reasons, the Rashas want to be part of our movement but are struggling to figure out how. After our meeting, it was heavy on my heart that we need to plant RCW churches in every city around the world as quickly as possible!
My time in Los Angeles ended on Tuesday, where I was able to attend the LA Staff Meeting. Jason delivered an incredible sermon on the “Ministry of Divine Energy” (you can watch it here: https://youtu.be/H8iCdCy_Q0A?si=fwgG57TCySDUhDyU). He spoke about how our work, labour, and endurance should be prompted by faith, hope, and love. I found it especially timely, since March has truly been a month of intense labour for the Lord. Yet when we work for God and with God, He gives us a divine energy that sustains us (Colossians 1:29)!
After the staff meeting, I joined the LA Region Leaders and Super Region Leaders for a discipling time, then met with Raja one last time before heading back to my hotel to pack and catch my flight home to Toronto. While I left Los Angeles physically tired, I was spiritually inspired! It was an incredible trip!
Of course, I would be remiss not to mention that while I was in Los Angeles, the Toronto Church also had a record-breaking Sunday! With three baptisms, we closed March with 16 baptisms and two powerful restorations—our most fruitful month ever! It’s safe to say that God is moving all over the world. I’m so proud of the Toronto Church! I’m so grateful for the LA Church! And I’m honestly so fired up to be a part of a global movement that is bent on doing whatever possible to save as many as possible! To God be all the glory!
Evan Bartholomew
