What Does Faithful Service Look Like—Practically?

January 10, 2019 By KP Yohannan

As followers of Christ, you and I are called to be servants—of God and of mankind. And when we think about the fact that it was not a man but it was the Living God who called us into His service and who has made us responsible over His work, we realize what a privilege it is that we have been given. More than that, we realize the magnitude of the responsibility. This ought to make us the most faithful and committed people in the world.

How can we not wake up early, focused and intent on serving, when we are in the service of the Lord Himself? Especially when what we do impacts the lives of people who are in great need?

Yet it is so easy to not even think about these things and to live our lives just like everyone else.

How Should We Live?

Maybe it would be good to ask ourselves: How do we go about the ministry opportunities the Lord has given us? Do we arrive late, or cut corners, or treat the work with less seriousness than we would treat other work?

I cannot emphasize enough the seriousness of integrity in our work and the way we conduct things when no one is watching or questioning us. God sees when we remain faithful in these things, and it pleases Him.

I am not saying you should start working every day at five in the morning and not stop until ten at night. The issue is that your life itself is an offering given continually to the Lord, as He demands it. Serving God is not employment. It is not an eight-to-five job. It is a privilege.

Therefore, “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve” (Colossians 3:23–24).

The Faithfulness of David

Why did God choose David to be the king of Israel? One reason is that when nobody was watching him—not his father, not his mother, not his brothers—he was faithful with his work.

When he was out there in the wilderness watching over his father’s sheep and a wild animal approached, he did not say, “What can I do? I’m just a small boy and my stronger brothers aren’t here to rescue the sheep. I’ll just climb a tree and watch, even if the animal destroys part of the flock.” No, David went after the wild animals, killed them and saved his father’s sheep.

He was faithful with his task. Even though there was no one looking over his shoulder to see what he did every minute of the day, he understood the importance of walking in integrity before His Lord.

We must live with the same understanding and let it direct the way we spend our day and do our work.

My brothers and sisters, we are not our own:

We have been bought with a price.
We have been called to be the servants of God.

Honor God in Daily Decisions

Today, choose to be a faithful steward of your time and work. Make the most of each day and the opportunities God has given to you.

Dr. KP Yohannan, founder and director of Gospel for Asia, has written more than 200 books, including Revolution in World Missions, an international bestseller with more than 4 million copies in print. He and his wife, Gisela, have two grown children, Daniel and Sarah, who both serve the Lord with their families.

Gospel for Asia has been serving the “least of these” in Asia since its beginning in 1979, often in places where no one else is serving. GFA supports national workers who are serving as the hands and feet of Christ by ministering to people’s needs so they can understand the love of God for them for the first time. GFA is engaged in dozens of projects, such as caring for poor children, slum dwellers and widows and orphans; providing clean water by funding wells; supporting medical missions; and meeting the needs of those in leprosy colonies. Through GFA’s Bridge of Hope Program, tens of thousands of children are being rescued from the generational curses of poverty and hopelessness.

Read more posts on Patheos by Dr. KP Yohannan Metropolitan, or on his blog at kpyohannan.org.

Read Dr. KP Yohannan Metropolitan’s post, Obedience Is Not Legalism.

Empowerment Happens Through Giving Faith and Potential to People

November 14, 2018 By KP Yohannan

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We have seen time and time again in Scripture that our ministry is built upon relationships. However, sometimes an organization’s culture can develop controlling rules and regulations that can hinder an individual’s freedom to serve and grow.

So, what do we do when our relationship-oriented ministry has become more focused on what each person can do rather than on everyone serving together?

Empowerment Happens Through Giving Faith and Potential to People - KP Yohannan - Gospel for Asia — GFA-sponsored national workers pray for each other, serve each other, and encourage each other.

We must come to the place at which we let go of our controls and give freedom to one another.

Empowerment happens when we can say to a brother or sister, “By the grace of God, I just want to trust you. Do the best you can—dream the best you can—and let us continue moving forward.”

Empowerment happens when we give freedom to faith and potential in our dealings with people. Those who are in a position of responsibility over others should be discipling at least one person to take their place (2 Timothy 2:2).

One of the greatest blessings God raises up within an organization is the leadership. The responsibility for a ministry rests not upon one man, but upon a group of leaders.

“Empowerment happens when we give freedom to faith and potential in our dealings with people.”

I am committed to the leaders in our organization, so much so that if their consensus is different than my own plan, I am willing to change. I have no desire to have my own way in anything.

No matter how the size of an organization increases, it is important to continue to maintain unique love, fellowship and excitement about what the organization does.

We should continue to develop a culture within our organizations in which individuals have the freedom to do their best and grow personally, without compulsion, restrictions, rules or regulations; but with the perspective of submission and reasonable structure. Let us keep the freedom the Lord has given us and never lose the original vision He has set before us.

There is a balance that is absolutely important when it comes to freedom. Consider this example:

A bird has two wings and can only fly straight if both wings are healthy, functioning normally and operating simultaneously.

Likewise, as people grow together in any ministry, there are two “wings” that must function simultaneously. One is the whole concept of continually renewing and maintaining freedom and freshness, both individually and as a ministry. The other “wing” is the framework of accountability and submission to leadership.

Both are absolutely vital if we are to continue moving forward, and both must function if we are to be equipped to do the work the Lord has given us. It is within this context of freedom and accountability that trust and empowerment work best.

Maintain Balance

Evaluate whether your interactions with others are balanced with both freedom and submission and pray to the Lord for any needed help.

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Read about the good that a word of encouragement and empowerment can do.

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Where Do We Get the Faith to Move Mountains?

August 22, 2018 By KP Yohannan

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By studying the Word of God, our minds are renewed and our faith is built, for “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17, KJV). For us to accomplish the work of God, we must have faith, for without faith it is impossible to please God.

We are called to a great task, far beyond what mere man could ever hope to accomplish in and of himself—the task of proclaiming the Good News of salvation for sinners. It is only through faith that sinners are saved.
It is only through faith that the sick are healed and demons are cast out.
Impossible things are accomplished only through faith.

Where Do We Get the Faith to Move Mountains - KP Yohannan - Gospel for Asia — A group of women gather to study the Bible and stand together in prayer for their church and surrounding community.

And faith only comes by the Word of God!

Hebrews 11 talks about those who through faith conquered obstacles and served God in their generation.

Where do we get this faith to move mountains and drive out the hosts of demons and hell and see people given real hope? Again, only from the Word of God! We must be people who live in and by the Word of God so that we may have the faith to see the Lord accomplish all His plans for our lives and ministry.

When we dwell in the Word of God, not only does our faith grow stronger, but we walk in its authority and power. As Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 1:5, “Our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction.” No Christian worker can be effective without authority and power, and no one can have authority and power apart from God’s Word.

We must keep the Word before us day and night, meditating on it, living it and never letting it depart from our sight. Like a sponge, may we be saturated, filled and then overflowing with the Word of God, being the kind of worker of whom God approves.

Know the Word. Live the Word.

Today, spend 1-2 hours meditating on the Word of God and allow the Holy Spirit to produce fruit in your life.

Dr. KP Yohannan, founder and director of the nonprofit organization Gospel for Asia, has written more than 200 books, including Revolution in World Missions, an international bestseller with more than 4 million copies in print. He and his wife, Gisela, have two grown children, Daniel and Sarah, who both serve the Lord with their families.

Gospel for Asia is a nonprofit organization serving the “least of these” in Asia since its beginning in 1979, often in places where no one else is serving. Gospel for Asia supports national workers who are serving as the hands and feet of Christ by ministering to people’s needs so they can understand the love of God for them for the first time. Gospel for Asia is engaged in dozens of projects, such as caring for poor children, slum dwellers and widows and orphans; providing clean water by funding wells; supporting medical missions; and meeting the needs of those in leprosy colonies. Through Gospel for Asia’s Bridge of Hope Program, tens of thousands of children are being rescued from the generational curses of poverty and hopelessness.

Click here, to read more articles on Patheos by Dr. KP Yohannan Metropolitan.

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Is there a way you’re currently serving the Lord? Consider getting more involved with Gospel for Asia, or even joining staff at one of our administrative offices.

Faith: Seeing Beyond the Visible to Look at Things That Are Invisible

July 31, 2018 By KP Yohannan

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Dr. KP Yohannan, Metropolitan – Discussing how to live by faith and see the visible and invisible

In 2 Corinthians 4:17–18 Paul says, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

The momentary and light afflictions that Paul spoke of weren’t easy, little problems. No! What he called “momentary and light” were big things—being shipwrecked, beaten, stoned and whipped! He was cold, imprisoned and hungry (see 2 Corinthians 11). Yet he called these afflictions “light” and “but for a moment.” Paul could say this because compared to the eternal weight of glory, they were just that—pale in comparison to what they were producing in him. Paul knew that the hardships were working in him something good and of great weight that would last forever.

There is a paradox, too, in what Paul is saying. How can we look at things that we don’t see? In 2 Corinthians 4:18 he writes, “[We look at] the things which are not seen.” How does that work? It’s like a man who is blind saying that he is “going to see a movie.” How can you see things that you don’t have the natural ability to see?

We find the answer in the example of Moses, for this is exactly what he did and what kept him trusting. “By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:27, NIV, emphasis added). It’s that gaze—that looking to Christ—which gives us the grace to persevere in our journey to live by faith.

Faith: Seeing Beyond the Visible to Look at Things That Are Invisible - KP Yohannan - Gospel for Asia — Dr. KP Yohannan on a recent visit to the slums in Asia.

When I am faced with problems, disappointments, lack of resources or sickness, if I fix my eyes on the things that are visible, then all those difficulties discourage me and I get weighed down by the impossibilities. But when I turn my eyes to the invisible, fixing them on God, all those difficulties become instruments He uses to help me live by faith. By faith, those afflictions are used to change me on the inside so that I reflect His glory. These pains and hardships will lead to the benefits and rewards that He promised, if I would only trust Him in the situations of life. But if I do not keep my eyes focused beyond the problems, beyond the struggles and beyond the here and now and on God, then those promises will not come about, simply because I am not putting my faith to work.

I remember back to when I was 16 years old . . . . It was there that I first began to understand that every disagreement, every problem, every tension, every irritation happens in our lives because God has orchestrated it. He has designed it. God put us in that situation or with that person so that we would be changed into His image. You may say, “I don’t want this kind of problem.” But He has designed it just for you, to be an instrument to make you like Him.

The team I was on during this time consisted of eight or nine people, all from different parts of India. We all had different ways of doing things, and it was very difficult for us to get along. It was so bad that some days we couldn’t even be involved in ministry because of the disagreements we had with one another. But one day, as we were all fighting and arguing, our leader explained to the team the lessons found in the life of Jacob and his experience with his uncle, Laban.

Jacob was a smart, shrewd, very cunning individual, his name originally meaning “deceiver.” Jacob tricked his father out of his own brother’s birthright and blessing. After doing this, he ran away from his father’s house to stay with his uncle, Laban. I’m sure Jacob thought that he had made a clean getaway, safely hiding out with his uncle. But you know what happened? For the 20 years Jacob lived with Laban, he got the same medicine of deceit and trickery that he dished out to his father and brother. God put Jacob with someone just like himself to create a broken and contrite heart in him. God wanted repentance and humility to replace the scheming and greed. And God used that difficult individual, Laban, to change Jacob’s heart so he would become the man God wanted.

We need to recognize the purposes of God in placing difficult individuals or situations in our lives. We must see that it is through these adverse circumstances, like lack of food or funding, that we are able to experience the miracles of God. We have to see beyond the visible and look at the things that are invisible. This is what it means to live by faith. See your life through the eyes of faith and let God use the difficult things for your eternal betterment, for your blessing and for His glory. This is what He has promised, and this is what He will do.

Read the whole booklet.

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Do You Have Enough Faith to Let God Do it His Way?

July 26, 2018 By KP Yohannan

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Abraham didn’t walk by faith to obtain the promised son until it became clear that walking by sight with his own plans guiding him just wouldn’t accomplish the purposes of God.

God had promised Abraham and Sarah a son, and they had waited a long time for the fulfillment of that promise. As time went by, it seemed nothing was ever going to happen, and both of them grew impatient.

This inspired Sarah to think of a plan: Abraham could lay with Hagar the maidservant and receive the promised son that way. In Genesis 16:2 we read that Abraham “heeded the voice of Sarai,” listening to the voice of his wife rather than the voice of God. He lay with Hagar and, sure enough, she bore the son Ishmael. But this was a plan of the flesh to bring about the plan of God—and that will never work.

Later on, in Genesis 17:18–19, it says, “And Abraham said to God, ‘Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!’ Then God said: ‘No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him.’ ”

God basically said to Abraham, “Yes, you got yourself a son, but no, I cannot bless a product of the flesh. Live by faith and let Me do it My way.”

Until Abraham didn’t know how to get a child, he didn’t need faith. He walked by sight first, obtaining Ishmael, but he was not the son God had promised. Only when it was completely impossible—when both he and Sarah were too old and when their schemes to get a child their own way had failed—did Abraham have the faith to let God do it His way.

Do you have enough faith to let God do it His way?

Most examples of the futility of walking by sight aren’t so clear as this one. You can make your life look spiritual by obeying the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount. You can walk by sight and it can look okay, even good.

With deliberate willpower, people can rightly obey the laws and modify their behavior.

This was the case with the story in Luke 18 of the rich young ruler who obeyed the Ten Commandments. He was the model individual, but just because he was perfect in obedience doesn’t mean he lived by faith. The Bible says, “Whatever is not from faith is sin” (Romans 14:23). “Sin” is walking your own road, regardless of whether the road you choose looks good or bad to the rest of society.

Even today, a lot of Christian work is done by sight. There are Christian people who think they know how to carry out God’s work. They think they know how to grow fruitful ministries or attract the youth. But the truth is that if what you are doing is not done by faith, God will not bless it. God is deeply concerned that we do His work, His way, by faith. It is simply how things function in the kingdom of God.

Trusting to God to Accomplish His Will in His Way

Sometimes walking by faith seems passive and slow in coming to pass. Look at David’s life. In the book of 1 Samuel, we can see how David endured much, yet he never resorted to fighting to make sure the crown God promised him would be his. He had faith that God would fulfill the promises He had made.

David started out as a mere child taking care of his father’s sheep. On the day the prophet Samuel came to anoint the new king, chosen from David’s family, his own father didn’t even regard young David as one to be considered. It wasn’t until Samuel had passed over all the older sons that David’s name was even mentioned. Then, when David was finally acknowledged and Samuel poured the oil on David’s head, anointing him as the chosen king, what did David do? Go and demand the crown and begin reigning? Not at all! He went right back to his simple sheep-herding.

It was only later, when David brought food to his brothers who were fighting the Philistines, that God showed His favor upon him, giving David the victory to defeat Goliath. When King Saul found out about this, he didn’t step down right then and say, “Alright David, now you are the king.” No. David’s journey of obtaining the promise from God was, from then on, filled with dodging spears, running for his life and living in caves in the wilderness, hungry and destitute. Even David’s wife gave up on him, and several times his band of followers threatened to leave. Once he even had to pretend to be a madman just to escape his adversaries.

Finally, after many years, David had the upper hand. King Saul, unattended and alone, came into the cave where David was hiding. This was David’s opportunity to kill the king who had so earnestly sought his life, or at least to capture him! All those years of running could finally come to an end. Saul’s life was in David’s hand and at his mercy.

But God did not want David to act on the opportunity this way. The temptation to walk by sight must have been so great. Yet trusting in God and not choosing his own ways, David allowed Saul to escape so that God could fulfill the promise of making him king in His own way and in His own timing. David let God do it His way.

Even after this incident, Saul didn’t change. He was soon after David once more. This time God caused a deep sleep to come upon Saul’s army, making it possible for David and his men to walk right up and take the spear from near the sleeping king’s head. The men with David urged him to kill Saul. One said (paraphrase), “God has delivered Saul into your hands. What are you waiting for? Weren’t you praying that God would fulfill His promise that He made to you? And here he is, just one jab with the spear and you can kill him!”

To strike Saul at this point would not have required scheming or conniving on David’s part at all. There would have been no manipulation or tricks. But still David would not do it. He would not do it because he believed God and His way of bringing things about. This journey of trusting God was not a one- or two-year struggle. It went on for many years. But David continued to live by faith, not by sight, choosing God’s way above his own.

Now take that into your world. Take David’s example of living by faith and apply it to your situation. I am saying this to you so that you will continue to lay aside your cleverness, abilities and intelligence.

We must choose to walk by faith, trusting God to fulfill His promise in His way and timing.

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Have the Kind of Faith that Defeats Huge Giants with Simple Stones

July 20, 2018 By KP Yohannan

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Discussing Faith.

God’s very nature and character is faithfulness and goodness. He is always constant and true. So is His Word. Neither He nor His Word will ever change. “For I am the LORD, I do not change” (Malachi 3:6).

And God watches over His Word to make sure it comes to pass. Isaiah 55:10–11 says, “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”

Because of this truth, we can confidently believe God, knowing that He does not change, that He is full of goodness and that what He said in His Word will happen!

True Faith

Faith is not denying what is happening in your life or what you are experiencing. It is not pretending that you do not see the dangers or the problems before you. Caleb and Joshua saw the strength of those who inhabited the Promised Land. They did not deny that the cities were fortified or that the giants were real. Faith is not denying that you are sick when you are horribly ill. It is not denying that your finances have run short when you are out of funds. Rather, faith is seeing all the problems before you with your earthly eyes, yet not using those eyes to see the solution.

God is greater than every difficult situation we face. Faith sees God for who He is, for His ability and for His promises, and believes on Him in the midst of all the difficulties known. By faith we are able to look beyond the problems and solutions of man to see Him who is invisible and can do the impossible!

Do It God’s Way

From the world’s perspective, faith often looks foolish and illogical. But faith trusts God to do what He has promised, no matter how foolish the steps He asks us to take may seem. There is nothing of man’s way in faith. Faith led David to face a giant with a simple slingshot and five stones (see 1 Samuel 17). Faith led Joshua to command a makeshift army to walk around a walled city, blowing trumpets and shouting for their victory (see Joshua 6).

Please put yourself in these men’s place for a moment and realize how humbling or frightening these things must have been. But remember, no matter how foolish or ridiculous Joshua and the children of Israel looked while walking around the city of Jericho for seven days, it was by their faith that the walls did come down! In the end, faith always wins out!

In 2 Kings 5 the story is told of Naaman the leper who was sent to Elisha the prophet to be healed of his leprosy. When he arrived at the prophet’s door, Naaman was told, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean” (v. 10).

But Naaman didn’t like that solution. The Jordan River was just some distant, muddy water to him. In verses 11–12 we are told that “Naaman became furious, and went away and said, ‘Indeed, I said to myself, “He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.” Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?’ So he turned and went away in a rage.”

The ways of God seemed foolish to Naaman—so much so that he stormed away from the prophet’s home, still a leper. Naaman responded with human logic. He thought he knew the best way for his healing to happen, and when he heard something as foolish as dipping in some distant river, he wouldn’t accept it. Just when he was about to return home, his servants met him saying, “ ‘If the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, “Wash, and be clean”?’ So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean” (2 Kings 5:13–14).

When we do it God’s way, believing Him above the ways of man and our own reasoning, we will see the power of God at work and will receive the promises of God. Remember that “God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise” (1 Corinthians 1:27).

It Is Simple

Jesus says, “Unless you become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3). Little children believe with reckless abandon. If a father tells his son to jump from a burning, two-story building, the son will jump. He will not stand there and think about physics and gravity and calculate if his father is strong enough to catch him. He doesn’t reason with logic and think, “I might hurt myself. Maybe I should look for another way down.” No. He simply jumps in faith. Someone he trusts said to do it, so the son jumps and is saved. We need to be like this—trusting God so completely, so confidently. We must learn to lean on His understanding rather than our own (see Proverbs 3).

A complex, reasoned faith doesn’t cure leprosy, kill giants or cause walls to crumble. A complex faith only imprisons us in a maze of theological wonderland. I am not saying to run out and do things that don’t make sense. I am not saying to think of some ridiculous thing you want and believe for it. Some extreme groups preach this false kind of faith. They say just pray it and claim it and God will send an angel to bring the Rolls Royce or whatever elaborate thing you may want. That is feeding the desires of the flesh in the name of faith. You can’t use faith to get what you want for yourself. Faith only brings to you what God wants for you.

Have faith in God—the kind of faith that David had, the faith that defeats huge giants with simple stones. Let God do what He has promised to do. Listen to what He says in His Word and follow it. Even if you can’t understand it fully, do it. Don’t be like Naaman and let your reasoning postpone the promises of God at work in your life. Believe Him and step out in faith. Faith throws itself onto God and holds Him to His character and His Word. Faith never fails because God never fails.

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Gospel for Asia: 39 Years of Walking by Faith

July 3, 2018 By KP Yohannan

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I want to ask you a question: What is “normal”? Where do you and I get our view of what it means to be normal?

And do our normal, day-to-day lives incorporate not just natural, human realities, but also the supernatural realities that Scripture talks about?

Throughout the course of the journey the Lord has led us on, as a ministry—Gospel for Asia is 39 years old today—the Lord has continually called us to live by faith, which is a supernatural reality.

I remember one time in the early days, we had a time-sensitive mailing all ready to go out, but we had no money to buy stamps! I called a special prayer meeting, and we met that night in the living room of our home, and we prayed until I felt a peace from the Lord that our prayers would be answered. That night one of our donors called to give a $5,000 gift.

And there was another time when I had to borrow an old pickup truck to drive 6 hours to the airport through a snow storm, with no heater. I had to stop every mile to scrape the ice off the windshield. I could just see the headlines, “Preacher Freezes to Death in Winter Storm.” I cried out to God, and I kid you not, the snowstorm continued to rage outside, but the ice started melting from the windshield, and warmth filled the cabin of that truck the entire way to the airport.

I could tell you story after story of how throughout these many years of serving God, we have cried out to God in faith, and He has answered us.

We Deal with Spiritual Realities

But many times, when we come across opportunities or problems in our personal life or ministry, we often default to our natural thinking and methods to figure them out, and we forget that we might be dealing with a spiritual dimension.

I believe the devil laughs when he sees us sitting down with our calculators, logic and expertise to figure a way out of our problems and battles. He knows very well that even if we held 10 Ph.D.s, we couldn’t outsmart him.

I imagine he actually enjoys watching us depend on our great knowledge, latest management strategies and human psychology to run our churches, bring help and relief to the needy and heal our ills. Not that I think any human knowledge or understanding is bad; I don’t. But as long as the devil can keep us depending on those things and believing that we can find answers and solutions to spiritual problems in the realm of the natural, we are not much of a threat to him.

God, on the other hand, urges us to live in the supernatural. This means walking by faith and believing His Word, even if it defies everything our five senses tell us.

Faith Is Seeing Past the Physical

Faith has nothing to do with human logic, mathematics, or what we can see, hear, feel, smell or touch. But it has everything to do with how God operates! Faith disregards the obvious facts and trusts that God will do the impossible.

Faith says:

“Moses, stretch your rod over the Red Sea, and it will part.”
“Joshua, march with your army around Jericho for seven days, and the walls will crumble.”
“David, go to war against Goliath with a sling and a stone, and you will kill him and deliver your people.”
“Bartimaeus, call out to the Son of David, and He will open your blind eyes.”
“Woman, touch the hem of His garment, and you will be healed.”
“Father, bring your son to Jesus, and He will deliver him from the demon.”
“Martha, if you believe, you will see the glory of God and Lazarus will live.”

When I walk by faith, I believe without a shadow of a doubt that God’s promise to me is the absolute truth. I then act and live at this very moment—before I ever see the evidence—as if I have already received the fulfillment.Hebrews 11:11 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” This means that when I walk by faith, I believe without a shadow of a doubt that God’s promise to me is the absolute truth. I then act and live at this very moment—before I ever see the evidence—as if I have already received the fulfillment. If I do this, the Bible declares that I will have my request.

To our human logic it sounds as if God wants us to lie about our real situation. For example:

I have no job—but I believe and rejoice that I have one, and then I will have one.
I am sick, I can feel the pain—but I believe and praise God that by His stripes He has already healed me, and I will be well.
I am weak—but I believe and thank Him that I am strong, and I will have strength.

It sounds so foolish, so opposite of reality and so unscientific! But according to Hebrews 11:1 we are not lying at all; and we haven’t fallen into a trap of hopeless self-deception. No, we are just acting normally—by the laws that govern heaven!

None of this makes sense to our human perception. It boggles our minds just trying to figure it out.

Spiritual Physics

The most important thing for us to remember is this: it is impossible to apply the laws of the natural realm to the realm of the supernatural. They will absolutely not work there!

Jesus said in John 17:14 that we are not of this world, just as He is not of this world. We are born of the Spirit of God and belong to another kingdom that is not a part of this earth. For us as citizens of heaven, it would only be normal that we live according to the laws of our homeland.

Perhaps some of us are reluctant to enter such a walk of faith as described in Hebrews 11:1. We have seen a lot of fraud with a pretense of faith, and it has scared us off. I want to assure you that much of that “faith” is not what I am talking about.

True faith has nothing to do with lies, foolishness, manipulation and claiming wild things God never intended for us to have. True faith first receives a clear promise of God that is within His revealed will, and then acts upon it.

Like a Roaring Lion

Once we have determined to walk by faith, we will encounter severe opposition from the devil. In fact, our greatest struggle will take place between the time we decide to believe Gods’ promise and the actual, visible moment of fulfillment.

That’s the time the enemy fights the most. He attacks our mind and tells us, “What kind of a fool are you to believe God would heal your sickness, pull your marriage back from the brink of divorce, save that wayward family member, or provide for your finances? It’s already been three weeks since you decided to pray by faith. Take a look at your situation. Has it changed? Nothing has happened—nothing at all!

“How long do you want to continue deceiving yourself? You are way off course with your religion. Even if God does such miracles for others, what makes you think He would do it for you? Just look at you. You are not good enough to qualify. You don’t even pray enough.” And the questions and the accusations go on.

Satan tries his best to discourage us with all these doubts. He wants us to give up walking by faith and consequently never see the fulfillment of God’s promise to us. But we must resist the devil and his attack on our minds, and then he will flee from us (see James 4:7).

As we continually walk by faith and not by sight, we live in the supernatural. God’s very life flows through us unhindered, and we become a useful vessel in His hand. He is now able to use us to bring hope to those around us.

Learning to Walk by Faith

So how do you and I actually do this? I would encourage you to start by thinking of a challenge or a difficulty in your life or ministry, and then find what God says about that.

Do you have any need—financial or otherwise? He promises that He is your provider (see Psalm 23:1, Philippians 4:19 and Genesis 22:14). Do you need guidance? He promises He will guide you as you look to Him (see Psalm 25:12, Psalm 32:8 and James 1:5). Do you need His grace for any particular struggle? He promises He will help you, as you cry out to Him (see Psalm 120:1, Psalm 4:3 and James 4:6)

Find a promise of God that applies to your situation, and then cling to that verse until you see the promise fulfilled. Pray in faith, believing God is who He says He is and that He does what He says He does. And you will have what you have asked of Him (see Mark 11:24).

As I think about this week marking 39 years for Gospel for Asia, I am grateful for all the Lord has done over the years. It is His doing. May He continue to enable you and me and GFA and all His people to walk by faith, into all He has for us in the future. The journey of faith is not an easy one, but a journey worth taking.

Read more posts on Patheos by Dr. KP Yohannan Metropolitan, or on his blog at kpyohannan.org.

Learn more about Dr. KP Yohannan: SourceWatch | Wiki | Flickr | KPYohannan.org | GoodReads

What is really happening when we feel dry spiritually? Read an article about it by Dr. KP Yohannan Metropolitan.

The World Is In Turmoil, But Do ‘One Thing’ for God, Says K.P. Yohannan

November 30, 2020 By KP Yohannan

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WILLS POINT, TX – KP Yohannan, founder of Gospel for Asia (GFA World), has been the model for numerous charities like Gospel for Asia Canada, and Metropolitan of Believers Eastern Church, to help the poor and deprived worldwide — shares on the influence and impact of Dr. John Haggai, the one thing we should do for God amid a world in turmoil.

Evangelist and Bible teacher Dr. John Haggai was not a household name in America. But last week, when he passed away at the age of 96, this kindest and most gracious of men left a giant legacy for the Kingdom of God.

A small part of that legacy was me.

As a skinny, 20-year-old student from India attending a seminary course in Singapore, I was transfixed as this passionate, bold American shot a burning arrow into my quivering faith: “Only what you do for Jesus Christ is eternal. Think of the one thing you will do with your life to glorify God.”

I think Dr. Haggai knew he was telling me something I couldn’t figure out in one day. He knew he was dropping this idea in my mind, and it would have a ripple effect. He knew how to plant something that would take root and bear fruit later.

Fast forward 50 years, and it’s a question I believe every follower of Jesus today must contemplate and ultimately answer: “What is the one thing I will do for God?”

With our world in turmoil — hostage to a virus, reeling from a contentious election, protests, riots and chaos everywhere — so many Christians are running in all directions. Afraid. Distracted. Unsure. Asking, “what should I be doing now” — and yet too frantic, too busy to ask God for direction and listen to His voice.

Could I humbly suggest we ask ourselves Dr. Haggai’s one question that truly matters in life: “What is the one thing God is asking me to do?”

Coming from a small hamlet in India, I had no money to pay for the month-long leadership course. Dr. Haggai’s organization paid my expenses. When he saw me — a young man barely out of my teenage years — he confessed: “I don’t know why we invited you to come… we never invite anyone under 30. Obviously, God must have a plan for your life.”

Dr. Haggai encouraged the leaders in his seminar (just over 40 participants from 12 Asian nations) to dream big. He told us Mahatma Gandhi’s big dream was one thing — a free India. He talked about Indians and others bringing the love of Christ to their own people, rather than the traditional colonial approach of sending Western workers — a radical concept that I came to embrace in my book Revolution in World Missions. “If you believe God wants you to climb to the top of the highest mountain, you can do it,” he said. “Nothing is impossible with God.”

Coming from my little world — the smallest village in India — I was amazed at the idea that I could do something bigger for the glory of God. In my heart, I had a growing awareness God was calling me to do this one thing — to bring hope to the untold millions in the Indian subcontinent — the poor, the outcasts, the beggars.

Dr. Haggai opened my mind to think of my entire life as a wisp that would soon vanish. “We have only one life… and before you know it, the time is gone,” he said. “Our life is like a vapor, a flower that withers. As Moses prayed: ‘Teach us, O God, to number our days.’”

Several years later, this one thing began to grow increasingly vivid. I said to myself: “I don’t want to live for material things. Caring for the beggars and the poor, showing them the love of God, that’s the one thing I want to do with my life.”

Dr. Haggai also taught me that with God working through me, and by His grace, I could embrace the whole globe because “nothing is impossible with God.”

Just over four decades ago, with this one thing burning in my heart and a seed donation of $50, I started Gospel for Asia (GFA World, www.gfa.org). Many people said to me: “This is a great dream, but it won’t work. You’re talking about doing things that are impossible.” Today, by God’s grace, GFA World is a global movement and one of the largest mission organizations in the world, serving millions of the poorest and most marginalized people in the world and showing them the love of God.

Look, if you believe the dream you have is from God — that one thing — and you’ve made a decision to live and die for it, you will succeed. Dream the biggest impossible dream you can. Problems, roadblocks and discouragements will always be there, but without facing challenges, you will never do anything big for God.

Dr. Haggai never claimed any credit for himself. Yet his life influenced thousands upon thousands of evangelists, pastors and missionaries for the glory of God. He was not an A-lister in the world’s eyes, but he was an A-lister in the Kingdom of God. God used him to do one thing — turn the world upside down for Christ! In the next decade, his ministry — Haggai International — aims to train another 250,000 Christian leaders worldwide.

I can hear Dr. Haggai now: “Take courage. Press on. Die to yourself. Live for Jesus. Do that one thing for God’s glory.”

If God can take a skinny teenager from India and use him for His glory, think what He can do for you if only you will say: “Here I am, Lord. Use me to do this one thing for You!”

About KP Yohannan

KP Yohannan, founder and director GFA World (Gospel for Asia) and Metropolitan of Believers Eastern Church, has written more than 250 books, including Revolution in World Missions, an international bestseller with more than 4 million copies in print. He and his wife, Gisela, have two grown children, Daniel and Sarah, who both serve the Lord with their families.

About Gospel for Asia

Gospel for Asia is a Christian-based charity serving the “least of these” in Asia since its beginning in 1979,often in places where no one else is serving. Gospel for Asia workers serve on the field as the hands and feet of Christ by ministering to people’s needs so they can understand the love of God for them for the first time. Gospel for Asia helps provide funds for dozens of projects, such as caring for poor children, slum dwellers and widows and orphans; providing clean water by funding wells; supporting medical missions; and meeting the needs of those in leprosy colonies.

Find out more about Gospel for Asia in the video “A Year in Review with K.P. Yohannan.”

Read what George Verwer, Francis Chan, Dr. David Mains and others have to say about GFA World.

Keep encouraged and get your regular dose of challenge through other articles on Patheos by KP Yohannan Metropolitan, or on his blog at kpyohannan.org.

You can learn more about K.P. Yohannan Metropolitan by clicking here.

KP Yohannan of Gospel for Asia Tells Us the Way Up Is Down

November 28, 2020 By KP Yohannan

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WILLS POINT, TX – KP Yohannan, founder of Gospel for Asia (GFA World), whose heart to love and help the poor has inspired numerous charities like Gospel for Asia Canada, and Metropolitan of Believers Eastern Church, to serve the deprived and downcast worldwide — shares on the Christian life, the struggle with selfish ambition, and the need to take the easy yoke of Jesus upon ourselves.

If there is one verse in the entire Bible that speaks volumes of what it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit or to experience the fullness of the Lord and have His rivers of living water flow out of us unhindered, it is Galatians 2:20—

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

It’s a familiar verse to many of us. But please, take a moment to pause and think about what it is saying.

This “I,” this “me” who is so important, has “ . . . been crucified, it’s no longer I who live . . .”

Someone once said, “There is a cross and there is a throne in all our lives. If ‘I’ is on the throne, then Christ is on the cross. If Christ is on the throne, then ‘I’ is on the cross.”

The measure in which we will allow the cross to operate in our lives, to bring death to our own selfish ambitions, our ways, our rights, our reputation, our interests, in the same measure only will Christ manifest His life through us.

Jesus talked about this in John 12:24–25, “I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”

Jesus’ contemporary, Eusebius, records the account of a king from a small kingdom who, after hearing of the Jewish leaders’ plot to kill Jesus, sent a few of his men to deliver a letter to Him inviting Him to live in their kingdom. The contents of the letter delivered were something like, “We understand the Jews are plotting to kill You. Having learned much about You, I believe You are a good man and teacher. Please come and be part of my kingdom and rule with me. We will take care of You.”

John 12:20–21 (NIV) mirrors this account: “Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast. They came . . . with a request. ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘we would like to see Jesus.’ ”

According to Eusebius, the answer Jesus gave to their request was very similar to John 12:24–25. In essence, what Jesus said was, “You want to see Me? If you really want to see Me, you must die. Only through death will you find Me.”

Jesus’ answer is the same today. If we want to see Him and have His beauty and love seen in us, we must die. We must be that grain of wheat that falls to the ground, broken and crushed, to see greater life produced.

But oh how you and I try so hard, even in Christian service, to preserve our own lives, even when Jesus clearly said that if we hold on to our lives we would lose them. We will remain as we are. Fifty years we can live and study the Bible and become an expert, and still, we will not see Him.

On the pages of the Bible, you will see Jesus—the One who dwells in such light that when you gaze upon His face you change without trying. Second Corinthians 3:18 tells us, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory.” That transformation, that change can only take place when our hearts are pure. In one of Jesus’ first sermons He told the crowd that had gathered, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8).

But what does it mean to be pure in heart?

A pure heart has no soulish life in it, no selfish ambition for itself because that “I” has been crucified. With the pure heart, there is no hindrance from Christ within coming forth because there is no contamination from the self-life.

Over my years of ministering, the Lord has had to rebuke me several times after speaking and teaching from His Word. I repent over those times. Even though my speech was absolutely eloquent and people were moved by the words I shared, when it was all over, very quietly the Lord would say to me, “You failed Me miserably.”

“How, Lord?”

“It was all contaminated. You spoke truth, but it was all mixed up with your soulish life. A bit of dirt makes all the water impure. People were deeply moved emotionally and intellectually, but no life can come out of it.”

In Matthew 11:29–30, we read one of the most beautiful Scripture portions ever recorded. It is the invitation of Christ—“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

When Jesus said, “Take My yoke upon you . . .” we must realize that only a broken animal will bend its neck and take the yoke.

For example, I grew up in a place where my people are rice farmers, and we didn’t have machinery then or now to plow the fields. You know how we do it? We use two buffaloes.

I remember as a small boy, looking at the fields where they would be used to plow. Year after year, hundreds of times, I saw the same scene—the buffaloes standing there, not making a single noise. They would never run away. They just stood there. And right there in the field beside them would be a skinny, little man with hardly any clothes on and a tiny stick in his hand. The buffalo would bend its neck as the yoke was brought—there was no fight, no resistance, no squabble, nothing. The buffalo simply yielded its rights.

But then, if you were to look closely, you would see two or three deep scars on the rear of the buffalo. Those scars were made at the time the animal was broken, when it was trained. These buffaloes are strong-willed creatures. With their massive and strong horns, they are capable of killing a man with a single toss of the head. But now they are different. They are broken.

Every servant of God must go through a similar process. Paul speaks of bearing on his body “the marks of the Lord Jesus” (see Galatians 6:17). Christ was broken on the cross. The whiplashes on His back, the thorn piercing on His head, the nail holes in His hands and feet are His brand marks. They speak forever of the humility He chose to walk in on this earth.

Again, we must hear the invitation of Christ—“Come, yield your rights, let go of your own will and take My yoke. It is easy. It is light. Come, learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly, and you will find rest for your soul.”

Keep encouraged and get your regular dose of challenge through other articles on Patheos by KP Yohannan Metropolitan, or on his blog at kpyohannan.org.

You can learn more about K.P. Yohannan Metropolitan by clicking here.

About KP Yohannan

About Gospel for Asia

Find out more about Gospel for Asia in the video “A Year in Review with K.P. Yohannan.”

Read what George Verwer, Francis Chan, Dr. David Mains and others have to say about GFA World.

“We Need Each Other” Says KP Yohannan Metropolitan

November 24, 2020 By KP Yohannan

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WILLS POINT, TX – K P Yohannan, founder of Gospel for Asia (GFA World), which inspired numerous charities like Gospel for Asia Canada, and Metropolitan of Believers Eastern Church, to assist the poor and deprived worldwide — shares on the suffering that the Body of Christ is subject to in the pursuit of living for Jesus, and how we need each other to help one another cross the finish line.

The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:12, “All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer” (emphasis mine). How do you take that kind of concept and translate it into the life of those of us in places where no one is beating us up or screaming at us or anything like that?

A More Subtle Form of Suffering

Let me ask you another question. It says in 1 Peter 2:21, “Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow in His steps.” Is that only talking about His suffering on the cross? In that case, I must come to you and say, “Can you beat me up?” And then I will go and buy some lumber and make a cross and say, “Would you please nail me to the cross?”

No, that is obviously not what St. Peter meant.

I think the kind of suffering Peter was talking about was this: Jesus was God on earth. And He could have thought one thought and the whole earth would have gone up in smoke. And yet He was called a bastard. People basically said, “Who are You? You got a mother, but where is Your father? So, don’t try to be smart with us.”

And then, when He would do the best thing for people, they said, “Oh my goodness, here is a man working with the devil.” And then, with all these miracles He performed, the people who were intimate with Him, who saw Him day and night, they still didn’t understand Him. Then in the end He said, “You know, where is your faith? Don’t you see this?”

So, you see His suffering? It wasn’t just when He sent to the cross. It was being misunderstood; it was emotional pain; it was loneliness.

When we make the choice to live for the Lord, really take the hard road, try to be faithful to Him, decide to go against the current and stand for God, we will find that this is part of our struggle also. Cooperating with God means choosing the cross and the way of difficulties to continue the ministry of Christ. It means choosing to follow in His steps of suffering.

Think about the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians. He talks about being burdened down to the point that it felt like it was going to crush Him. I’m sure he dealt with fear and anxiety. If you look at those verses at the beginning of 2 Corinthians, it sounds like he was on the verge of mental breakdown; he just didn’t know how he was going to survive the next hour.

We can say all kinds of spiritual Christian things about suffering, but you know what? It isn’t easy! It’s hard, and our flesh hates it. And we can blame others or circumstances, and not realize we are dead center in the middle of a sermon illustration and at a choice in our hearts.

The first thing we need to do is to recognize what’s happening. If we really are in the midst of actively pursuing God and His purposes and our hearts are right, this is part of our choice to follow Him and to follow Him in His suffering. It’s not just something nice to say on Sunday, but it’s real life hardship. This kind of life is part of picking up our cross daily. It is never easy. But it is worth it.

We Need Each Other

The second thing we need to realize is that we are not alone. The enemy is so quick to tell us we are and that the whole world is against us. But we are not. We are a part of body of Christ, a body, that is all connected. A body that hurts when one of its members is hurting.

Yes, we keep on meditating on Jesus, and look unto Him. But we also need the people around us. A human touch of kindness that we can see with our eyes. The problem is that you and I don’t see Him. We want Jesus to talk to us and to figure out something from Him. But maybe He is not talking to us. He is not giving me a hug.

See, this is where we can become the Jesus for our brothers and sisters, I become the Jesus for my brothers and sisters. That is the reason Hebrews says, “Encourage one another as long as time remains.” This was written to people who were going through tremendous amount of suffering which included a huge amount of physical problems and rejection and loneliness and being isolated. They were being killed for their faith in Christ. Because of their desperate situation, they were told to: encourage one another while you can. Let this be for us today. The way you incarnate Christ now, so others can see and touch and feel and smell and taste, it is going to be through us.

I have a little poem that I wrote “You Be My Jesus.,” You can read it here. I wrote that poem after counseling someone. And in the end, this brother made this statement, “But I don’t find Him, I don’t know where He is.” I shared with him that I’ve been through this. “Don’t give up,” I said, “This is part of the journey of following in the footsteps of Christ. “ And I prayed with him.

So, who is here to help us all to continue the journey, when we face these kinds of difficulties?

It is the rest of those in the Body of Christ; it is the Church.

None of us will make it to the finish line on our own. As parts of the Body of Christ, we hold each other up. I need you and your prayers. And you need me and my prayers. We don’t have much time left. Let us in this time before us, lift up one another. Be hand of Jesus reaching out to the one beside you, and by the gift of prayer to the one across the world.

Ask God who He wants you to be Jesus to this week.

At the end of Paul’s statement in 2 Corinthians 1:9-11 he says: “you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many.” We will make it in the end through each other.

About KP Yohannan

About Gospel for Asia

Find out more about Gospel for Asia in the video “A Year in Review with K.P. Yohannan.”

Read what George Verwer, Francis Chan, Dr. David Mains and others have to say about GFA World.

Keep encouraged and get your regular dose of challenge through other articles on Patheos by KP Yohannan Metropolitan, or on his blog at kpyohannan.org.

You can learn more about K.P. Yohannan Metropolitan by clicking here.

Photo via: brut carniollus