From K.P. Yohanna, founder and president of Gospel For Asia
“Born into affluence, freedom and divine blessings, Americans should be the most thankful people on earth. But along with the privilege comes a responsibility. The Christian must ask not only why, but also what he should do with these unearned favors.
Throughout Scripture, we see only one correct response to abundance: sharing.
God gives some people more than they need so that they can be channels of blessings to others. God desires equity between His people on a worldwide basis. That is why the early Church had no poverty.
The apostle Paul wrote to the rich Corinthians in Corinth, “For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened: But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality.” (2 Corinthians 8:13-14)
The Bible advocates and demands that we show love for the needy brethrens. Right now, because of historical and economic factors that none of us can control, the needy brethren are in Asia. The wealthy brethren are in the United States, Canada and a few other nations. The conclusion is obvious: These affluent believers must share with the poorer churches.
1 John 2:14, 17-18; James 2:14:17
Is mission an option –especially for superwealthy countries like America? The biblical answer is clear. Every Christian in America has some minimal responsibilities to get involved in helping the poor brethren in the Church in other countries.
God had not given this superabundance of blessings to American and Canadian Christians so we can sit back and enjoy the luxuries of this society –or even in spiritual terms, so we can gorge ourselves on books, teaching cassettes and deeper-life conferences. He has left us on this earth to be stewards of these spiritual and material blessings, learning how to share with others and administer our wealth to accomplish the purposes of God.”
Gospel For Asia is an evangelical Christian organization that seeks to help the Native Christians in countries like India, China, Pakistan, basically, all around Asia and Africa, who raise up to become missionaries to their own people. Unfortunately these Native Missionaries are not as privileged as we are in terms of money and most of them don’t have the means to provide for gospel tracts, Bibles or different things they need to go to unreached villages and proclaim the Gospel to bigger crowds. More personally, these missionaries and their families often lack food and clothing first of all because they don’t have much and secondly because they use whatever means they have to further Christ’s Kingdom, not to ease their situation.
People here in North America have heard about Jesus, can easily find an evangelical church close to their home and can find much on the internet, radio, music and sometimes, TV about Jesus. The resources are great and we should seek to further the cause of Christ here at home. But let us not forget about the people living in areas like India where they have never heard the name Jesus, where Christianity, if existent, is rejected and people can’t hear about Christ unless Christians go to them. These Christians are Native Missionaries. And I truly believe that we are called to help them in whatever way we can (And help any other organization that seeks to bring Jesus where His name is unknown yet).
I set up this Bank for Native Missionaries in the beginning of the year 2006. The readers of my blog, Higher Obedience, are challenged to give to this bank in order to help our brothers and sisters who are in need.
Often we aren’t ready to give “decent” amounts of money by ourselves, so I thought that all who would like to give a buck or tow, would be free to send it to me so I can put all that money together. At the end of each month, I send the money to Gospel For Asia along with my personal monthly support to a Native Missionary, asking them to use it where it is most needed or e.g. New Testaments, depending how much we are giving.
Here’s a list of things that can be provided:
1 bible: 3.60$
1 set of 8 New Testaments: 5$
1 Bicycle: 130$
1 Bullhorn: 135$
1 Pack of 250 gospel tracks: 1.50$
1 Kerosene lantern: 29$
1 Winter clothing packet: 45$
1 tambourine: 6$
1 drum: 27$
15 min. radio program: 53$
1 hour of programming: 210$
1 church building: 13200$
1 kit of LCD projector: 1800$
1 well: 1200$
1 generator: 2100$
1 motor bike: 1200$
1 van 13200$
1 equipped van: 18600$
(www.gfa.org/tools)
We might not have much money to send Gospel For Asia, but I am convinced that God is pleased by His children who seek to help His saints in need, even just with a little.
If you want to make a donation to Gospel For Asia directly, send your money at:
In Canada, Gospel For Asia, 245 King Street E, Stoney Creek, On, L8G 1L9
In the US: Gospel For Asia, 1800 Golden Trail Court, Carrollton, TX, 75010
May Jesus lead you into His will and show you how you should be helping our needy brothers and sisters who suffer for Christ’s sake. May we be found good stewards of the blessings given us.
Feel free to email me gabeleroux@yahoo.ca or leave a comment here.
K.P. again:
“Millions of poor, uneducated fisher-folk live along the thousands of islands and endless miles of coastal backwaters in Asia. Their homes usually are small huts made of leaves, and their lifestyles are simple –hard work and little pleasure. These fishermen and their families are some of the most unreached people in the world. But God called Paulose and his family to take the Gospel to the unreached fishing villages of Tamil Nadu on the east coast of India.
I remember visiting Paulose’s family. One of the first things he discovered when he began visiting the villages was that the literacy rate was so low he could not use tracts or printed materials effectively. He decided to use slides, but had no projector or money to purchase one. So he made repeated trips to a hospital where he sold his blodd until he had the money he needed.
It was exciting to see the crowds his slide projector attracted. As soon as he began to put up the white sheet that served as a screen, thousands of adults and children gathered along the beach. Mrs. Paulose sang Gospel songs over a loudspeaker powered by a car battery, and their five-year-old son quoted the Bible verses to passersby.
When the sun had set, Brother Paulose began his slide presentation. For several hours, thousands sat in the sand, listening to the Gospel message while the sea murmured in the background. When we finally packed to leave, I had to walk carefully to avoid stepping on the hundreds of children sleeping on the sand.
But the tragedy behind all this was the secret starvation Paulose and his family faced. Once I heard his long-suffering wife comforting the children and urging then to drink water from a baby bottle in order to hold off pangs of hunger. There was not enough money in the house for milk. Ashamed to let the non-Christian neighbors know he was without food, Paulose kept the windows and the doors in his one-room rented house closed so they could no hear the cries of his four hungry children.
On another occasion, one of his malnourished children fell asleep in school because he was so weak from hunger. “I am ashamed to tell the teacher or our neighbors”, he told me. “Only God, our children, and my wife and I know the real story. We have no complaints or even unhappiness. We’re joyfully and totally content in our service of the Lord. It is a privilege to be counted worthy to suffer for His sake….”
Even when the teacher punished his children for lack of attention in class, Paulose would not tell his secret suffering and bring shame on the name of Christ. Fortunately, in this case, we were able to send immediate support to him, thanks to the help of generous American Christians. But for too many others, the story does not end as happily.
Is it God’s fault that men like Brother Paulose are going hungry? I do not think so. God has provided more than enough money to meet Paulose’s needs and all the needs of the Two-Thirds World. The needed money is in the highly developed nations of the West. North American Christians alone, without much sacrifice, can meet all the needs of the churches in the Two-Thirds World.”
Throughout Scripture, we see only one correct response to abundance: sharing.
God gives some people more than they need so that they can be channels of blessings to others. God desires equity between His people on a worldwide basis. That is why the early Church had no poverty.
The apostle Paul wrote to the rich Corinthians in Corinth, “For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened: But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality.” (2 Corinthians 8:13-14)
The Bible advocates and demands that we show love for the needy brethrens. Right now, because of historical and economic factors that none of us can control, the needy brethren are in Asia. The wealthy brethren are in the United States, Canada and a few other nations. The conclusion is obvious: These affluent believers must share with the poorer churches.
1 John 2:14, 17-18; James 2:14:17
Is mission an option –especially for superwealthy countries like America? The biblical answer is clear. Every Christian in America has some minimal responsibilities to get involved in helping the poor brethren in the Church in other countries.
God had not given this superabundance of blessings to American and Canadian Christians so we can sit back and enjoy the luxuries of this society –or even in spiritual terms, so we can gorge ourselves on books, teaching cassettes and deeper-life conferences. He has left us on this earth to be stewards of these spiritual and material blessings, learning how to share with others and administer our wealth to accomplish the purposes of God.”
Gospel For Asia is an evangelical Christian organization that seeks to help the Native Christians in countries like India, China, Pakistan, basically, all around Asia and Africa, who raise up to become missionaries to their own people. Unfortunately these Native Missionaries are not as privileged as we are in terms of money and most of them don’t have the means to provide for gospel tracts, Bibles or different things they need to go to unreached villages and proclaim the Gospel to bigger crowds. More personally, these missionaries and their families often lack food and clothing first of all because they don’t have much and secondly because they use whatever means they have to further Christ’s Kingdom, not to ease their situation.
People here in North America have heard about Jesus, can easily find an evangelical church close to their home and can find much on the internet, radio, music and sometimes, TV about Jesus. The resources are great and we should seek to further the cause of Christ here at home. But let us not forget about the people living in areas like India where they have never heard the name Jesus, where Christianity, if existent, is rejected and people can’t hear about Christ unless Christians go to them. These Christians are Native Missionaries. And I truly believe that we are called to help them in whatever way we can (And help any other organization that seeks to bring Jesus where His name is unknown yet).
I set up this Bank for Native Missionaries in the beginning of the year 2006. The readers of my blog, Higher Obedience, are challenged to give to this bank in order to help our brothers and sisters who are in need.
Often we aren’t ready to give “decent” amounts of money by ourselves, so I thought that all who would like to give a buck or tow, would be free to send it to me so I can put all that money together. At the end of each month, I send the money to Gospel For Asia along with my personal monthly support to a Native Missionary, asking them to use it where it is most needed or e.g. New Testaments, depending how much we are giving.
Here’s a list of things that can be provided:
1 bible: 3.60$
1 set of 8 New Testaments: 5$
1 Bicycle: 130$
1 Bullhorn: 135$
1 Pack of 250 gospel tracks: 1.50$
1 Kerosene lantern: 29$
1 Winter clothing packet: 45$
1 tambourine: 6$
1 drum: 27$
15 min. radio program: 53$
1 hour of programming: 210$
1 church building: 13200$
1 kit of LCD projector: 1800$
1 well: 1200$
1 generator: 2100$
1 motor bike: 1200$
1 van 13200$
1 equipped van: 18600$
(www.gfa.org/tools)
We might not have much money to send Gospel For Asia, but I am convinced that God is pleased by His children who seek to help His saints in need, even just with a little.
If you want to make a donation to Gospel For Asia directly, send your money at:
In Canada, Gospel For Asia, 245 King Street E, Stoney Creek, On, L8G 1L9
In the US: Gospel For Asia, 1800 Golden Trail Court, Carrollton, TX, 75010
May Jesus lead you into His will and show you how you should be helping our needy brothers and sisters who suffer for Christ’s sake. May we be found good stewards of the blessings given us.
Feel free to email me gabeleroux@yahoo.ca or leave a comment here.
K.P. again:
“Millions of poor, uneducated fisher-folk live along the thousands of islands and endless miles of coastal backwaters in Asia. Their homes usually are small huts made of leaves, and their lifestyles are simple –hard work and little pleasure. These fishermen and their families are some of the most unreached people in the world. But God called Paulose and his family to take the Gospel to the unreached fishing villages of Tamil Nadu on the east coast of India.
I remember visiting Paulose’s family. One of the first things he discovered when he began visiting the villages was that the literacy rate was so low he could not use tracts or printed materials effectively. He decided to use slides, but had no projector or money to purchase one. So he made repeated trips to a hospital where he sold his blodd until he had the money he needed.
It was exciting to see the crowds his slide projector attracted. As soon as he began to put up the white sheet that served as a screen, thousands of adults and children gathered along the beach. Mrs. Paulose sang Gospel songs over a loudspeaker powered by a car battery, and their five-year-old son quoted the Bible verses to passersby.
When the sun had set, Brother Paulose began his slide presentation. For several hours, thousands sat in the sand, listening to the Gospel message while the sea murmured in the background. When we finally packed to leave, I had to walk carefully to avoid stepping on the hundreds of children sleeping on the sand.
But the tragedy behind all this was the secret starvation Paulose and his family faced. Once I heard his long-suffering wife comforting the children and urging then to drink water from a baby bottle in order to hold off pangs of hunger. There was not enough money in the house for milk. Ashamed to let the non-Christian neighbors know he was without food, Paulose kept the windows and the doors in his one-room rented house closed so they could no hear the cries of his four hungry children.
On another occasion, one of his malnourished children fell asleep in school because he was so weak from hunger. “I am ashamed to tell the teacher or our neighbors”, he told me. “Only God, our children, and my wife and I know the real story. We have no complaints or even unhappiness. We’re joyfully and totally content in our service of the Lord. It is a privilege to be counted worthy to suffer for His sake….”
Even when the teacher punished his children for lack of attention in class, Paulose would not tell his secret suffering and bring shame on the name of Christ. Fortunately, in this case, we were able to send immediate support to him, thanks to the help of generous American Christians. But for too many others, the story does not end as happily.
Is it God’s fault that men like Brother Paulose are going hungry? I do not think so. God has provided more than enough money to meet Paulose’s needs and all the needs of the Two-Thirds World. The needed money is in the highly developed nations of the West. North American Christians alone, without much sacrifice, can meet all the needs of the churches in the Two-Thirds World.”
posted by Gabrielle at 9:17 PM
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