From Rogue To Revivalist - A Pastor's Journey
Before he accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior, Pastor Kul Bal (full name Kuldip Singh Bal) had accomplished feats of physical and mental discipline involving other religions especially in Hinduism, Sikhism and various marshal arts. Kul Bal was quite content with mediocre religion and did not want to rock the boat of life with any serious issue.
Kul Bal was drinking all the time and had a bad temper which he lost frequently. He would be moody for days, and Elaine, his wife would suffer the blunt of his sharp tongue inspired by a selfish and egoistic mindset. But despite all this, 'Elaine stuck by me and we loved each other,’ said Malaysia-born Kul Bal, who was the senior pastor of Heidelberg International Ministry Centre (HIM Centre) in Melbourne, Australia where he lives.
Speaking to AGAPE in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia recently about his long journey from Rogue to Revivalist, Kul Bal said he met his wife while studying engineering at a university in Scotland.
‘Elaine studied different religions and earned a Master of Arts in Religious Studies, but strangely, we never discussed the meaning of life,’ said Kul Bal who was a Sikh.
During a visit to Kul Bal's parents house in Malaysia in 1986, something evil and oppressing pressed down on Elaine’s chest as she slept. She could not move or scream for help, even though Kul Bal was just beside her.
Suddenly, she remembered the Lord’s Prayer which was taught to her as a child, and immediately she repeated it in her head because no sound could escape her mouth. The pressure lifted and she could breathe once again.
Elaine pursued Christianity after this experience, but Kul Bal was not convinced that this path was for him but he secretly admired his wife as he saw changes in her through this newfound faith in the Person called JESUS CHRIST.
When he returned to his job as an instrument technician on an oil rig in the North Sea, Scotland, he told Elaine she could pursue Christianity as long as she did not force him into it. Rules were simple – no preaching to Kul Bal and no church visits.
‘Three months after my wife received Christ. I was walking on this long metal platform from one rig to another. Underneath me was the sea. Nothing had happened that day to make me think of God, except that I was always aware of an emptiness, despite all the parties and drinking with my colleagues.
‘As I walked on the platform that day, the name “JESUS” popped into my head, as though someone had held up a placard with that name. I stopped in my tracks, puzzled,and so I challenged this JESUS to prove Himself to me if He is the Only way to GOD.
‘My entire life, I had never entered a church or been exposed to Christianity. Even after my wife accepted Christ, I forbade her from sharing her religious beliefs with me, so it was unusual for this name to pop into my head.
‘Out of the emptiness of my soul I challenged: ‘Jesus, if you are real, prove that you are the only way.’ I didn’t even know there is a Bible verse that says, ‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life’.’
Elaine was six months pregnant when this incident happened, and three months later, she delivered twins.
Kul Bal was asleep at home after celebrating the twins’ when he received an emergency call from the hospital. His twins had developed complications. Natalie lived only 12 hours, and Rachel, 36 hours.
‘I cried out to God to save Rachel after Natalie died.'
Both Elaine and I sensed there were heavenly witnesses in the room, it was a strange sensation to feel in the midst of so much heartache.
‘I even saw the difference in the way Rachel breathed her last. She was in complete peace, and I realized what my wife’s prayers meant. However, I was too bitter with God to let Him into my life just then.
‘Jesus could easily have saved my twins, but He chose not to, and I hated Him for that. The five days after the cremation of my twins sped by with me being mostly in a drunken stupor when not visiting Elaine in hospital.
‘I remember waking up the sixth day and feeling no pain or turmoil, just a cold emptiness,’ said Kul Bal.
By this rime, Kul Bal was no longer working on the oil rig but was a mature student at the university, studying to be an engineer.
Several months after his twins died, Kul Bal's lecturer – a wonderful man by the name of David Gordon, began speaking to him about JESUS and this time Kul Bal was hanging onto every word.
‘In the past I only pretended to be interested to get into his good books. Being the sly fox that I was, I even lent him Elaine’s christian books, recommending them as though I had already read them. But he was not ignorant of my notorious behaviour. As a mature student, the younger boys depended on me to organize drinking parties, and trips to some undesired places.'
‘However, this time when I listened to my lecturer, his words penetrated my heart. I accepted Jesus and felt waves of energy wash over me, and I actually abstained from drinking the whole weekend, which was a miracle.
‘But when classes resumed the following week, my friends badgered me to do something exciting and I was afraid they would be disappointed with this ‘boring Christian’, so I went back to being a the leader of the pack – a foolish rogue.’
However, Kul Bal said the difference this time was that he would feel guilty and dirty after every drinking session. Often he would walk the two and a hlaf miles home, just so he could cry out to God, argue, reason, repent and then get angry again in a turmoil of emotions like an exploding volcano.
‘Fifteen months later, I was with my wife as she was about to deliver our baby. This time she was admitted to the hospital, in the wee hours of Saturday where only a junior doctor and a midwife were present. My wife was screaming and in great pain as they did not perform an epidural - the relieve pain killer that would ease the child bearing procedure.
‘I held on to her hand as I prayed. Suddenly, I saw the baby come out and she had the umbilical cord wrapped tightly round her neck. Her face was turning blue.
‘The midwife hit the alarm button and suddenly there were a commotion of movements. My wife continued to scream, and in the midst of all that chaos, all I could think off were the twins who had passed away over 18 months ago.
I broke into a cold sweat and cried out, “ JESUS , PLEASE SAVE THIS BABY.”
‘The next instant I saw Jesus standing ten feet away from me, and His arms were around two little girls on either side of Him. They were standing beside him, the sizes of ten year old girls and each was smiling. The sight was as clear as day . . . as if I were looking at people standing in the room with me. I saw with my eyes, not in my mind.
‘I don’t know how, but I recognized Jesus and knew the girls were my twins. I suppose it was the same as when Peter , James and John knew that the man with Jesus during his transfigurations were Moses and Elijah.
‘Then Jesus spoke to me. He said: ‘Peace be with you. I am in control of your life.
I’ve always been in control of your life and always will be.”
Next moment, all was well, the baby was delivered – Praise the Lord.
’ He did save my baby that day and today that baby is an 18 years old wonderful girl.
'I have two beautiful and wonderful girls, Aisha and Stephanie ( three since we must include Elaine, my wife or else . . . . ' Kul Bal said cheekily.
‘When Stephanie was born on May 13, 1989, Jesus showed me that my twin were also safe with Him. And that day, I realised within me that if I did not straighten out my life, I would never see my twins again.
‘However, barely 12 hours later, Kul Bal said he was in a pub, drinking as usual. The Bible says that every heart is wicked and we want heaven without the commitment and sacrifice of a blameless life.
‘But God knew what I was up to and He told me in no uncertain terms that I was expected to be a Christian in my heart and not in name only’.
That transformation came soon after. Elaine was still in the hospital with Stephanie when Kul Bal attended a march for JESUS on Pentecostal Day. After the rally and a sermon, the preacher called on those who wanted to rededicate their lives to go forward.
Kul Bal felt a gentle force push him to the front, as if he was being carried by a wave. As he went forward, he began to weep. ‘And when the preacher asked “what can I do for you?”, immediately he said he had been cheating on Christ for 15 months and that he wanted to give Him his life.
He took me behind his trailer and began to pray for me. That is when the love of JESUS CHRIST filled my heart to such an extent that I began hugging everyone as I made my way back to where I had been standing.’ Kul Bal has never returned to his old ways since that fateful day.
Today, Pastor Kul Bal and Elaine continue to experience many miracles in their lives, Pastor Kul loves Jesus with all his Heart and wants toserve Him the best possible way.
A year ago, Pastor Kul Bal gave the Church back to his superiors to follow the call of God to go to all nations of the world. Pastor Kul Bal has a consuming passion to bring revival to all nations.
A revivalist rather than an evangelist, Pastor Kul Bal’s calling is to awaken and bring about a fresh anointing to churches and nations .He has been graced with a powerful healing anointing and continues to receive fresh revelations from the LORD JESUS CHRIST.
FIRE AND REIGN MINISTRIES runs a small Bible College in India and has opened an orphanage in the state of Tamil Nadu, India.
IF YOU DECIDE TO INVITE PASTOR KUL, HOLD ON TO YOUR BELLIES AS YOU WILL LAUGH AT THIS HUMOUROUS YET HUMBLE MAN OF GOD WHO HAS A POWERFUL MANDATE TO HEALING & MIRACLES AND TO RELEASE THE FIRES OF REVIVAL. YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT – AMEN.
If you want to contact Pastor Kul Bal, please email;
kul@fireandreign.org.au
kul@fireandreignministries.org
hcc@alphalink.com.au
For more information on Pastor Kul Bal, please check out Fire and Reign Ministries
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