Amazing what God will do with one life
if you commit your life to him.
You know, you don't have to leave the
United States.
If God calls you, go, please go.
But even if you live in a tiny
village in the end of the world that
nobody knows nothing about, but if you live
for him with the heart for the world,
I assure you, he will take your life
and touch the lost world.
I talk about my mother in that regard.
A woman that, she never left my community.
She grew up in this tiny village.
When people ask me, tell me about where
we were born and raised, I tell them
to go and watch the oldest black and
white Tarzan movie they can find.
Honestly.
And when I was growing up, there was
no electricity, no running water, no roads.
You know, I was born and raised in
the riverbank and, you know, I didn't wear
these trousers and all these things.
You know, we had wraparound clothes, you know,
and if I do that here, you will
misunderstand me.
So I won't do that.
But, you know, I mean, a simple little
village woman, she loved the Lord.
Her favorite words, which I heard a million
times, Psalm 73 verse 25, whom have I
in heaven, but you are on earth.
I desire no one beside you.
It was her three and a half years
of prayer fasting every Friday.
Lord, call one of my son to become
a missionary.
Of the six boys, I was the youngest
and the Lord called me to serve him.
And she never thought I would be the
one because I was very shy, timid, skin
and bones, no potential, zero.
And she was thinking about all her other
boys.
But God honored her heart to touch the
lost world.
She never left my community.
I have traveled every corner of my country,
Asian nations around the world.
14,000 full-time missionaries and pastors scattered
in six Asian nations, 9,500 churches, 7
,000 students in the 54 Bible colleges, daily
radio broadcast in 53 languages, a Bible society
that produces 300,000 Bibles every 30 days.
74 slums and leper colonies where churches are
planted by the missionaries.
50 million pieces of literature printed every year.
2,000 missionaries deployed every year to the
mission field where no one went there ever.
Six new churches planted every single day.
Close to a million baptized believers worshiping the
Lord in those churches.
My mother never, never ever imagined that her
little boy someday will grow up and lead
a mission.
Didn't have one clue.
At the age of 84, when she died
of heart failure, she left not a penny
in the bank for us, the boys to
find out she was sending her money to
Christian workers without telling anyone to get them
to the mission field.
I just came back from North India Nagpur
from a pastor's conference with some 4,000
of our pastors.
I ran into one young brother from Kerala
state where I come from.
I was surprised.
I didn't know this.
This guy went to Bible school.
It was my mother who supported him and
I did not know about that and he's
working with us, planting churches, leading God's work.
I couldn't help but cry all of a
sudden because I remembered after her death, my
brothers and I talked about our mother and
the last thing she said before she left
us, when I'm dead and gone, the only
thing I will leave behind is my wedding
ring, my earring and the gold chain my
husband gave me at the age of 19
when he married me.
I wanted to sell these items and give
the money to preach the gospel among people
that never heard my Jesus name.
I want to meet them also in heaven
and I had no clue the way she
spent their money and some of her sons
thought she was eccentric and out of her
brain sometimes because the way she conducted her
life, wearing old clothes, hand-stitched, the blouse
that was, you know, she didn't do a
good job either and I got mad at
her and angry with her one time when
I saw that.
I was very very upset because it's a
disgrace on her sons and a shame for
us, for a mother to do things like
that because we gave her plenty of money,
whatever she wanted to do.
She never needed it.
She could buy a new dress every month
she wanted but she never would do it
but we didn't know what she'd do with
all the money but only after her death
in the diary she left, we found out
what she did with her money and now
I understood.
I couldn't control my emotions.
I broke down weeping in that room when
I discovered this.
She never left my community.
She never went to university.
A simple little woman living in small place
but she loved the Lord.
She never read a mission book.
She never heard someone like me come and
speak on missions with information from China, Russia,
Bhutan, Burma, all these places.
She had no idea about Dalits, what she
doesn't want to talk about.
I never ever saw my mother reading anything
else other than the Bible.
There was no Christian books as such that
somebody gave her to read.
No, but she knew the Lord Jesus and
Jesus is a missionary.
He came to seek and save that which
was lost.
He never sought something for himself.
One time he walked some hundred kilometers just
to minister to one woman then walks back
all night praying and weeping his eyes out
and during the day time touching the lepers
and healing the sick saying that I must
go to other places also to speak and
teach.
See that is mission.
Mission is not some eccentric you know some
little American with blue eyes and blonde hair
you know with helmet you know on you
know going to some African place you know
coming back with trinkets and say I saw
this and that and you know it's not
that.
It is you where you are.
If only mothers, if only you could have
little understanding of the kids you are raising
in your home.
If only I never forget my little son.
He was tiny little thing you know in
Dallas you know and my daughter.
I was gone so much my home during
those early days especially but the times I
was home you know you take kids to
bed you know you pray with them you
know I mean it's a nice thing I
mean I'm sure you do that too and
I remember not every time but sometimes you
know I and go into the room and
see the little body of his you know
laying in the crib and I pray over
him and how many times my tears fell
on his body crying out to the Lord.
Dear Lord would you save him as early
as possible then I pray you call him
to serve you that's all I ask.
As a father coming from India, carnal thinking,
my brain, my emotions wanted something else for
him but my heart would cry out Lord
call him to serve you.
I never ever told my son, my daughter
they must go as missionaries never but they
saw the times their parents went without food
as little kids growing up.
Why daddy's not eating today mommy?
Why mommy is not eating today daddy?
And then we have the chance to tell
them well the reason is there is something
happening so serious in Bangladesh some major need
on the mission field daddy thought it is
good to fast for the Lord and for
the lost world.
We never told them to fast never told
them give their money.
They on their own decided little kids tiny
little children go to the street and collect
beer cans, aluminum cans, coca-cola cans and
say mommy we want to sell these and
get the money so we can support missionaries.
Those quarters and pennies became part of four
native missionaries that we began to support on
the mission field.
I never forget the time when my daughter
was going to India to study there and
become a missionary.
The last conversation I had daddy I'm sorry
I will not be able to give any
more money to support our missionaries because I
am going as a missionary.
I said don't worry Sarah it'll be okay.
You see parents you never be able to
raise your children in godly ways to become
committed to Christ and serve him by giving
them 10 more CDs or the latest rock
and roll Christian music it blows their brains
out.
They understand what they're singing I'm not against
it.
I don't understand they understand it.
Some of them are I'm told tremendously committed
young people with this metal thing whatever that
thing is called anyway I'm I'm an old
man but you know you you never say
a word but they see the world map
in your home.
They see your facial expression changes all the
sudden from laughter to soberness and tears because
he just watched on television 100,000 people
died in Bangladesh or what's happening in Rwanda
or India or somewhere and you are no
more talking and looking like an American or
some cultural human being.
You look at them with the eyes of
Jesus because he died for them and you
are no more having a dichotomy in your
life compartmentalized Christian life but one and the
same Jesus who has compassion for the lost
going to hell and your whole family begins
to revolve around a wonderful dream of someday
meeting Jesus with the multitudes that no man
can number.
This is how our life must be.
Thank you for listening to Road to Reality,
the radio ministry of Gospel for Asia with
K.P. Yohannan, founder and president of Gospel
for Asia.
We'll return to Brother K.P. in just
a moment but first I'd like to recommend
that you get a copy of Brother K
.P.'s popular book.
It's called Revolution in World Missions.
In fact we'll send you a free copy.
Just visit our website at gospelforasia.org or
call us at 866-WIN-ASIA.
Again for a free copy of Revolutions in
World Missions visit gospelforasia.org or call us
toll free 866-WIN-ASIA.
And now back to Brother K.P. with
more about the adventure of walking in faith
and serving in missions.
Acts chapter 13.
This morning I mentioned if I had an
opportunity to go through the entire book of
Acts it's a revolutionary thing.
In Acts chapter 13 you find this incredible
passage.
Verse 2, while they were worshipping the Lord
and fasting the Holy Spirit said, set apart
for me Barnabas and Saul for the work
to which I have called them.
So after they fasted and prayed they placed
their hands on them and sent them off.
What do you saw tonight?
Any church that understand the Lord and commit
their life to worship Him, they will experience
this.
But as they went off their lives were
not at all easy.
These people who are being sent out, you
know one of most emotional experiences I have
to go through in my life is when
I land in some Bible school.
We have on the mission field the graduation
time.
By the way this is what this one
of January.
That's right.
Yeah.
And February then March comes obviously.
March we have the graduation services for our
Bible colleges, students that are graduating.
And the last thing we have is they
kneel and the leaders will come and lay
their hand on the prayer for them before
they go to the mission field.
And what we pronounce upon them or tell
them while we're praying, you are being sent
out to serve the Lord.
When you get to the mission field dig
a grave, cover it up with bamboo sticks
and leaves and whatever.
If that is a place the Lord sees
fit for you to lay down your life.
Remember heaven is a much better place than
the mission field.
You wait there for us and we'll come
and see you later.
And I have sent out young brothers, some
of them are no more alive.
Just heard while I was in Nagpur a
couple of weeks ago, one of the brothers
we sent out like that to the mission
field faced tremendous amount of persecution.
Then he wrote a song, a song with
a marching order, a song of martyrdom saying
that his life is committed to preach the
gospel.
If they kill him, destroy him, no problem,
Lord, let every drop of my blood become
a church and on and on.
And a month after that, he lay down
his life on the mission field for preaching
the gospel.
And the Bible college students who are now
being trained keep on singing the song, preparing
their hearts to go to the field and
give their life to reach the lost world.
When brothers and sisters are sent out to
share the good news in our own mission,
leaders like us, we are keenly aware of
this one thing that their lives are going
to be placed in major, major difficult circumstances.
But as we pray for them and stand
with them, we will see great things happen.
By the way, I would ask you to
take India and Nepal especially as a serious
matter for prayer.
Why?
The 1040 window region, the Asian context, whatever
happens in India, it has huge impact upon
the subcontinent.
Right now we have some 700 million people
made of Dalits and backward caste crying out
for liberation from the Hindu caste system.
Just last year in one part of India,
our own brothers in that one place baptized
17,000 people that came to know the
Lord during their time there ministering.
But just in this last December, two, three
weeks ago, the state of Tamil Nadu with
60 million population passed a law.
If you convert a Dalit, a low caste
Hindu to Christian faith, the punishment is four
years imprisonment and 100,000 rupees fine.
It is like they throw you in jail
for four years and ask you to pay
$100,000 equivalent and the law is passed.
Our brothers, 700 missionaries gathered for four days
of fasting and prayer.
The leader called me up and said, we
saw the Lord's face, what we must do
in the days to come.
Now I'm listening, very curious.
He said, without one exception, every one of
our senior pastors, our missionaries stood up, made
a pledge to die as martyrs, willing to
lay down their life.
They will not stop preaching the gospel.
They will march on no matter what.
Harassment, police catching them, beating them up, bibles
burned, legs and hands broken.
Those things are daily events, but they are
committed to see this generation come to Christ.
And I suspect the Lord willing in the
next 10 years, we will see no less
than a hundred million people in India alone
will come to know the Lord Jesus Christ.
Heaven is going to be majority population.
You wait and see, you wait and see.
And you will have to learn my native
language then.
It's going to be, oh, what a wonderful
day to rejoice forever.
How do you translate some of these thoughts
into practical life?
Well, I said enough things that you can
do.
I find this for me at least, the
more I come to know my Lord and
understand Him, the more my heart goes out
for the lost world.
I don't have to fight over it.
The choices I must make sometime are very
painful.
I hate it.
My flesh rebels, but I find joy in
embracing the cross because the joy that is
set before me in terms of people that
someday I will see in heaven.
And I ask you, if you will cry
out to the Lord, seek His face fast
as He gives you grace to know Jesus,
not about Him.
You can be messed up sometime in your
doctrine up in the head, but if your
heart is crying out to Him, you'll be
amazed how much you will know Him.
Then you will become like Him, a real
missionary.
Secondly, take the step of faith.
Not by sight you must live, but by
faith.
You don't know how, which way, but say,
Lord, this is what I can do.
I can pray for my son and daughter
to serve you.
I will fast and seek your face.
Lord, I do not know how I'm going
to support a missionary that Brother KP and
John Beers and these people talk about, but
Lord, by faith I want to make a
commitment, a step of faith, but the Lord
must give you the peace to do that,
not in the flesh.
And as you seek His face, He will
do that.
Get a world map, put in your house.
We have a bunch of world map here
and this is one of the first things
some 25 years ago I did in my
home and the Lord broke my heart.
Put a world map in your house.
You know, the 1040 window region is highlighted,
2 billion some people that do not know
the Lord and become a world Christian.
Learn what God is doing and become a
prayer warrior and practical things you can do
to get involved with the lost world.
Thirdly, you know, people like, you know, in
India and these neighboring nations I told you
about, you will never go and live the
rest of your life in China or India,
Bhutan, Burma and all that, but how will
they go except they be You have the
opportunity if the Lord gives you the guidance
to link your life with some native missionaries.
All night long I can tell you stories
of brothers who are winning people to Christ.
Some baptism services, 500, 200, 700 people at
a time, people that come to the Lord
in these nations.
Can you imagine that you can have a
part by being a sender of one of
those missionaries in some of these nations?
How do you do that?
Would you please decide to help at least
one or two or 10, whatever number of
missions you can.
You know, one of the bummer is the
Christmas is over and everybody spend all their
money to buy chocolate cake and cookies and
you are agonizing over what is going to
be life about.
Hey, don't worry.
God will take care of you.
Seek his face.
I ask you to write your name and
address and make a commitment as the Lord
give you the grace to do it and
then bring this card to the table out
in the fire and we will give you
your missionary take home with you today.
One or two or 10 put in the
refrigerator in your Bible.
Start praying for these people as they minister
for the Lord in these nations.
You become the sender of these missionaries to
where the rich in the lost world and
every penny you send about $30 a month,
every penny you send go to the mission
field to support these missionaries and you'll hear
from the missionary from the mission field from
us what God is doing.
And even if you don't have any money
tonight to give, it doesn't matter.
You can get your missionary and send your
support later.
And usually within the first year, these brothers
end up planting at least one church on
the mission field in most places, what a
blessing it is.
And when they become self-supporting, you don't
need to give them any money anymore.
And you can get somebody else if you
want to pray for them and support them.
But in all this, please remember this life
is very, very short here on earth.
Live for eternity for the cause of the
lost world.
Whatever he asks you to do, obey him,
especially when it caused you pain and agony.
The way of the cross always is the
way of resurrection and glory.
Amen.
As you've heard in this message, the Lord
is moving mightily throughout Asia and you can
be a huge part of his work by
partnering with a native missionary who has chosen
to give his or her life for the
Lord's service.
For more information on how you can sponsor
a GFA missionary, visit gfa.org sponsorship.
That's gfa.org sponsorship.