Reaching Hindus with the Gospel

The Rich, OLD Ruler

Nov 14, 2020 | South Asia, Stories

You’ve heard the story of the rich young ruler from Mark 10. North India also has a “rich ruler.” He isn’t young, though, which makes it even harder to “sell everything.” Elders in India have standing. And this man has been a pastor for years!

Recently a young newlywed couple moved into his area, having little or no social standing. But they didn’t let that stop them. They kept talking to the pastor about being disciples of Jesus, really following Him, and teaching others to do the same. The pastor was fascinated by their excitement. They had personal stories of miracles and of whole families getting baptized together!

The “rich old ruler” had a choice to make: keep all he had and walk away, or sell all and follow. He chose to “sell all.” He humbled himself and began learning from the younger couple. The three of them are now a disciple-making team, bearing fruit among the lost. Whole households are giving their allegiance to Jesus. This “rich old ruler” was willing to lose his life for Jesus’ sake, and now he has truly found it.

Pray that new disciples quickly learn to love and obey Jesus, surrendering all, so his living water can flow through them to others.

Shanti: A True Person of Peace

Aug 20, 2020 | Stories

*Hannah had just moved into a 12 story apartment building when one of the two elevators stopped working. At first, she was annoyed. But soon, the Lord showed her how many people she was meeting right after moving in.

One was a single mom named *Shanti. They ran into one another about once a week and chatted about Shanti’s kids. One day, Shanti said, “You see my problems, don’t you?” Hannah learned that Shanti wasn’t a single mom. Her husband had all but left the family, and the burden to support their four sons was on her shoulders.

Through Hannah, Shanti has heard the Good News many times. She is not yet a Jesus follower. She carries hurt from a brother who became a Christian and began treating the family very poorly. How different his family’s lives could have been if he had brought them into the Kingdom as he was first learning!

Hannah, however, feels the Lord wooing Shanti and sees signs that she’s softening to his call. As a potential person of peace, Shanti has already opened the community in the building to Hannah. Pray God would move mightily and draw Shanti and the entire community to Jesus.

*pseudonym

Don’t Hoard, Share the Food . . .

Apr 16, 2020 | Stories

“This is the kind of fasting I want: . . . Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless . . .. Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.” – Isaiah 58:7-8, 10

News about COVID-19 is bleak. The virus is in virtually every country. The numbers of those infected and dead continue to rise. Many of us in the U.S. are entering our sixth week of quarantine. We have exhausted our self-entertaining options and are dealing with personal struggles. Even as we cope with these daily stresses, we should keep in mind the horrific situation multitudes around the world are facing. As you heard last week, many people around the world are daily wage earners. Each day they don’t work is a day they don’t eat.

But . . .

God’s people in one North India movement are mobilizing to help those hit hardest by shelter-in-place restrictions. Below is a translation of a voice message received from *Sanjay, a national movement leader and Beyond teammate:

. . .We give thanks to Jesus Christ for today’s work! We left our house this morning at 7:00 because we had set a long journey for ourselves.

. . .We made 133 food parcels to give away. Each pack contained 10kg rice, 10kg wheat flour, 2kg sugar, tea, spices (coriander, turmeric, chili), 1l oil, 2kg lentils, and salt. We were able to take these rations to each place we visited.

We are very happy because God helped us with all this travel. It’s very hard to travel these days due to the coronavirus lockdown, but even so, we were able to be out all day without getting stopped by the police . . .. We were able to distribute food in four locations. All these people
are so very poor. There are more than 70-80 house churches [families] in these four areas. As we hand out these food parcels, we encourage those receiving them to share with their neighbors . . .

Tomorrow, more such visits are planned closer to town, but *John and I will not go because other house church leaders have volunteered to distribute rations.

We thank the Lord Jesus for all the work that happened today. We also give God great praise for the prayers you pray and the help you give.

Then this dear brother in Christ expressed his concern for all of us! “We have seen the news about coronavirus in the US. There are so many cases there. How is everyone with our team and all those associated with you? Are they OK? We are worried for them and feel concern for all who care for us. Please let us know if anyone gets ill. We are praying for all of you.”

The beauty of this story is that these same leaders who are distributing food parcels to the starving don’t have very much themselves but share with others out of their own lack. Join us in praying for the 50,000 house churches in the North India Movement. Pray they will continue to wisely yet boldly apply Isaiah 58 to their lives. Pray that God would protect them as they obey, and that God’s Kingdom would greatly advance in these days.

*pseudonyms used

“My Lip Has Fallen Off!”

Feb 27, 2020 | Stories

You never know how God has prepared people to receive truth from his word. Sometimes we think we are the first to bring the gospel into an unreached place when, in fact, God has already been at work. Krish’s* testimony illustrates God’s work in his life before he met a man from a spreading movement in North India and became an industrious disciple-maker himself.

Krish grew up in a devout Hindu family. For six years, he had been an active member of a radical pro-Hindu group. He persecuted followers of Jesus and led others in doing so.

One day, Krish’s doctor told him he had mouth cancer. The disease progressed until Krish’s mouth became so disfigured that he started wearing a handkerchief to cover it.

Krish continued persecuting followers of Jesus. As Christmas approached, Krish called together a group of friends to attack a prayer meeting being held nearby. When they arrived, however, Krish realized that the pastor facilitating the meeting was a personal acquaintance. The man invited Krish to sit with them. He did. He told his Hindu friends to leave; he would “take care of things” on his own. They left, and Krish sat through the whole service. He heard about Jesus. The testimonies people shared touched him. Then they offered to pray for his healing! Krish was shocked. These people who had been the target of his aggression had welcomed him in, and then prayed for him? Krish went home befuddled but hopeful. Maybe he’d get better?! After waiting three days, his cancer remained.

At this point in the disease, his face had become so severely deformed that he could no longer drink by himself, even through a straw. His mother had to pour water into his mouth from a cup. Krish began to feel foolish for believing he’d get better. Then he got mad. He became so angry at the pastor for building up his hope that he decided to return and beat him up. How dare the man say that God could or would heal him?!

Krish’s mother caught him as he was heading out the door. She said, “We have paid many doctors to heal you, and they could not, yet you did not beat them. Why are you going to beat the pastor?” Her question stopped Krish cold. He had no answer. He turned around and went back inside.

Five days later, Krish called his mother to pour water in his mouth. As he removed the handkerchief, he realized he could no longer feel his mouth. ”My lip has fallen off!” he thought. “Or maybe I am dead?!” In his terror, he began to scream. His mother ran into the room. She took one look at him and exclaimed, “Your mouth! It’s completely normal!” He had felt no pain because he was completely healed! The very next day, Krish visited the pastor and pledged his life to Jesus.

Krish’s life would change again when he later met a man named *Satish and learned how to become a disciple-maker. Read Satish’s story below.

*pseudonyms used

RELATED STORIES

THE QUIET GUY DISAPPEARED
One of the participants was a man named Satish*. He was a quiet person. He listened intently to the discussions read more …

“YOUR HOME WOULD POLLUTE ME”
Raj*, a high caste Hindu man, hated that his low caste neighbors worshiped Jesus with friends in their home. read more …

SIMPLICITY VERSUS TRADITION
Lata* lives in North India. A few years ago, she was a regular church attendee, but her family did not read more …

Friend, Peon or Manager?

Oct 24, 2019 | Stories

In the West, it is the general practice for a business owner to hire a manager if he or she doesn’t have the time or desire to manage it themselves. In India, however, this is not the custom. The owner is the manager. He or she trusts no one else with the business. The owner manages, and everyone else is a peon. Yes, peon is a commonly used word in India.

Imagine the wonder, then, that people living in this rigid society of hierarchy feel when they hear Jesus say that He freely shares His authority with us (Matthew 10:1; 16:19; Luke 9:1; John 1:12; Acts 26:16). But He goes further than that! Jesus says, “You are my friends if you keep on doing what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer… but I have called you friends . . ..” (John 15:14-15). What?! The God for Whom there is no idol doesn’t consider me a peon? He calls me friend, and entrusts to ME the task to make other disciples? What a message!

Beyond’s South Asian field leaders, Ethan and Nicole, learned that the disciples in India were sharing Matthew 28:18-20 as part of the Gospel Message. “I love that they had eyes to see something about the Gospel that we with our western eyes and deeply rooted Christian traditions could not see,” Nicole says. “Have you ever included Matthew 28 in your Gospel presentation? I’m guessing not. But, for those coming out of slavery, for those who live in a culture where peon is still in common use, sharing in the Master’s authority and carrying responsibility IS Good News. They’re so excited about having a purpose for their lives that they can’t hold themselves back. They embrace the honor to be given the chance, and they quickly share the opportunity with their friends.”

Praise God for obedient friends of Jesus who diligently share His message!

Our field leaders ask for prayer as top Indian movement leaders travel to meet with local leaders to check on the wellness of the churches, gather reports of persecution, pray over needs, and pass on new trainings from God’s Word. The traveling is difficult; they can be harassed by the local police; they are away from their families. Your prayers for these trips are greatly appreciated.

Secondly, we can be praying for the disciple makers’ financial provision. God is giving them creativity to make money/work with their hands. Many are farmers. Some own small shops. Please pray that God would bless their labors so they can continue in the work of making followers of Jesus. Pray, too, that they would continue to be generous with one another like we see in the book of Acts.

*pseudonyms used