Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Reflections on "Revolution in World Missions" by K.P. Yohannan


Wow what an incredible book! Its on the must read list for me. One that is so good you don't want to put it down, but at the same time very challenging of the things we have accepted as the norm in the American Church.

The mission that Gospel For Asia is doing is absolutely life changing for hundreds of thousands of people around the world. They are the publisher of this book and are so missionally minded that they give this book away completely FREE! You can get a copy here. If you request it, please read it, because although it is free to you, it does cost them money to produce and ship it.

I am going to put some of what I felt the most impactful statements of the book are below.

Once again, I highly encourage you to read it.

"If all your[a believers] concern is about your own life, your job, your clothes, your children's good clothes, healthy bodies, a good education, a good job and marriage, then your concerns are NO DIFFERENT from someone who is lost in Bhutan, Myanmar or India."

"For some reason, Americans seemed to have a need to surround themselves with noise all the time... Why do they always have to be either entertained or entertaining? It was as if they were trying to escape from a guilt they had not yet defined or even identified."

"God did not shower such great blessing on this nation for the Christians to live in extravagance, self-indulgance and spiritual weakness."

"Unless there is repentanc among Christians--Individually and in concert as a community of believers--an awesome judgement will fall on America."

"...Every Christian needs to ask himself:

Why do you think God has allowed you to be born in North America or Europe rather than among the poor of Africa or Asia and to be blessed with such material and spiritual abundance?

In light of the superabundance you enjoy here, what do you think is your minimal responsibility to the untold millions of lost and suffering in the Two-Thirds World?"

"Why did Eve fall into sin? Because she did not truly believe in the judgment--that death would come if she ate...This is the same reason many continue in lives of sin and disobedience."

"Our priority must again be placed on calling men to repentance and snatching them from hell-fire...If we are not willing to plead in prayer for a mission revolution--and let it start in our own personal lives, homes and churches--we will lose this generation to Satan."

"...we must keep supreme the priority of sharing the message of salvation with them--and we must never minister to the physical needs at the expenseof preaching Christ."

"You have to evaluate how you spend every dollar and everything else you do in the light of eternity."

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Knowledge vs. Belief

Knowledge IS NOT the same as Belief



Although that may sound silly, there are many things that I know to be true, but I don't really believe. For example,

I know that not brushing my teeth causes tooth decay, but if I really believed that I would carry around a tooth brush and brush after every meal.

I know that people who acheive very high levels of success write out their goal(s) and carry them in their wallet and read them daily, yet I don't really believe it because I have yet to do it. (Thinking of these things is convicting me though :))

People that smoke cigarrettes know that they lead to all kinds of diseases, yet most don't really believe it otherwise they would quit.

Here is the point knowledge only points to your agreement about something. Your level of belief is shown by the amount of action/will displayed in relation to that something.

This is very disturbing when many in America claim a belief in Jesus Christ when really they just have a knowledge of Jesus Christ. I am not talking about earning your salvation or works based salvation. I am talking about the action or fruit that is always associated with a real belief in Jesus Christ. As in my previous post, LeCrea speaks in his song "If He's truly raised to life, than this news should change your life!

For a very real example of this in God's Word look at Mark 1:34

"and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was."

Now it is very clear that the demons had a knowledge of who Jesus was, but considering it is a demon, he obviously does not believe in Jesus.

For those that are reading this that may have come to a realization that you do have a knowledge of Jesus, but you do not see any action/will that displays to you a real belief in Him; you have just discovered the most important thing in your life. I love you and truly want to talk to you.

For those that are reading this who are displaying the fruits of belief in Christ we are obligated to help wisely guide others who have been decieved.