Love as evangelism

Here's something that just hit me this morning as I've been reading a book by K. Azariah (this amazing 80-yr-old Indian guy I met while I was over there who is leading a huge Christian mission in multiple areas of India). The book, "Christ-Likeness: Love as Evangelism" has really started to spark some ideas for how we could do ministry in the Bay Area in a similar way to how he reaches hurting, poor, lost people in India.

The cool thing about India and its 700 million Hindus and 150 million Muslims (30 million Christians and 20 million Sikh's), is that they haven't turned off their minds to the idea of TRUTH. Hindus seek truth as they pray to many gods for protection and for their sins. Muslims believe in God, but have trouble with the Trinity; they believe in the ONEness of God, and don't believe that Jesus was crucified.

But the fact that they are willing to talk about God and they actually WANT Christians to pray for them (for healing because they know Christ was a healer) is definitely something we DON'T have in the US.

We can hardly mention God in public schools, let alone Jesus. You mention "God", or "prayer" and people shut down instantly. So how do we reach the unreachable in SF? What brother Azariah does in India is first show them LOVE.

One day at a train station, he saw a man who was deformed and on the ground without a shirt. He tried to talk to him but the man couldn't speak. So Azariah grabbed a towel from his bag and wrapped it around the man. Two students walked over to him and asked him if he was a Christian. Azariah asked, "why would you ask that?", and they replied: "Perhaps they might do it if they are asked to do it, they might do it just to show that they are kind, but you looked as if you are different"

Wow. How can we go into the streets of SF and show God's love without even mentioning his name (let THEM ask when their heart has been softened. We need to pray for that softening that only comes from God!) and yet them recognizing his love?

I just read 2 Timothy 4:2-5 and it talks about how we've come to a time when men don't put up with sound doctrine and gather up the teachers/teachings that suit their needs and make them feel good. I'm currently trying to discern when the timing is right to correct, rebuke and encourage. But I know that the first thing that has to come is LOVE.

Back Home Safe

Hey everyone, thanks for your prayers for this trip. We had a great trip and despite a couple health things with the team, it went really smoothly, so again, thank you for praying, I know it was because you all were supporting us through prayer that things went so well.

I went to bed last night after getting home from the airport, and fell asleep around midnight... woke up and looked at my watch and saw 4:30... I immediately thought 4:30 am because it didn't feel like I had slept long, but I could see some light coming into my room. So I thought, ok, my watch died, so I looked at my alarm clock. Same thing. So then I thought, did they do Daylight Saving while I was gone? So I got up, looked at my computer and saw it was 4:30 PM! I had just slept for over 16 hours and it felt like 4. My bio clock got a little messed up with all the traveling I guess!

We woke up in Chennai at 7:30am on Saturday, had a full day of visiting 2 churches and lots of driving, and got back to the motel at about 10pm. A few hours later, we headed off to the airport and flew out of Chennai to Dubai at 4:30am. About 4 hours later we land in Dubai and thankfully we had no layover, the timing was perfect and as soon as we got past security, they started boarding our flight to NY. 14 hours later we got to JFK airport and waited a couple hours for our flight to SFO. Got to SFO at about 9pm, got our bags and headed home.

Needless to say, traveling to the other side of the world takes a while, even in an airplane!

Well, I just wanted to say that I'm back, doing well, and as soon as I capture the images and video, I'll be putting together a video glimpse of the trip and will try to write more about specifics.

In a nutshell, God is moving in India through native pastors, and through financial and prayer support from people back in the US, they are being equipped to spread the Good News to a place where only 3-5% are Christian and 75% are Hindu (13% Muslim). The cool thing about India is that the people want to know the truth and aren't already shut down in their minds about God like people in the US. Atheism is not their problem, it's just a matter of showing them it's the God of Heaven, not the thousands of gods that they have been trying to please and "attract" to their homes with shrines and lights and hanging things around their doorways.

The Hindus we saw were asking us for prayer despite our religion, and that is something to praise God for. As a nation whose population of Hindus is 3 times the size of our population, and the fact that they are not shut down to hearing and "Considering Jesus" (I'll talk about that more later), India has the opportunity to turn around and become a billion people who love the Lord!

At the Airport in Dubai

Hey guys, just wanted to drop a quick note from Dubai (look it up on Google Maps... it's in the middle east somewhere...) We're here till our flight at 3:45am (we're exactly 12 hours ahead of PST). The airport here is really really nice, it's crazy. Anyways, we had some trouble with our flight to NY at first, there was a mechanical problem so our flight got cancelled. Then we ended up going to LA first and then they almost didn't get our bags on the same flight. And then our flight got delayed because of weather in NY.

But everything worked out for us, and our team all came together just in the nick of time at JFK airport. Needless to say, though, we've spent quite a while sitting in airports and on planes! Haven't been outside of an airport since 7am thursday and now it's Saturday and we won't be getting into Hyderabad till about 8am.
Anyways, just wanted you to know we're all here and doin well. Keep up the prayers! Also, my cold seems to be going away so I think it should be gone here pretty soon if I keep getting better. Thanks for praying for that, those who knew!

Prolly won't hear from me for a while now, so from here on out, no news is good news!
Blessings
Jake

UPDATE:

Well, it's 3:15am now and our flight doesn't leave till 6am for some reason. So killing some time. :-) Here's a link to Google Maps to show u where we're at!

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=Dubai,+United+Arab+Emirates&ie=UTF8&z=3&ll=15.961329,33.574219&spn=100.592726,219.023438&t=k&om=1&iwloc=addr

Off to India!

So, it came up really fast on me, (both in hearing about the opportunity and also just how quickly it's already here), and I'm leaving for Hyderabad, India on Thursday.

Basically myself and another guy from my church (Dave Gross, pray for him too!) are going with a small team from a couple other churches that are part of our church's organization and will be going to some of the churches that have been planted in India by this organization. (http://www.pillar.org/missions_india.shtml Don't let the name scare you. :-)

Anyways, they needed a video guy, and without thinking, I quickly volunteered. (Note to self, it's probably a good idea to think about going to a country where you don't even know how to say 'hi' in their language...or even what language they speak there!) So before I knew it, I was signed up. It's amazing how God keeps throwing these mission trips at me! I'm not even looking for them, and BOOM! here comes another opportunity!

To be honest, after realizing what I was getting myself into, I kinda struggled with it a bit, wondering if I should really be going. But I prayed about it and asked God to shut the door (slam, if necessary) if it wasn't within His will.

So here I am, about to embark on a journey to a place I know nothing about, can't speak the language, and only know that my mission is to use my gifts to bring back a glimpse of the ministry that's happening in India (there have been churches planted in some 55 villages in India by the organization).

This is where you guys come in! Since I have no idea what to expect, these are some things I'm personally asking the Lord for help with, and if you could back me up on that, I'd appreciate it!

1. Phillipians 4:6-7 says: "Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."
   
   This verse has been on my mind the last few days. It was actually speaking to me more about being nervous about leading worship for church on Sunday, but I've come back to it over and over as I feel myself sometimes freaking out a little about what is ahead of me.
   
   Please pray that I will trust the Lord and PRAY constantly while I venture into the unknown.
   
   
2. I'm taking a VERY expensive video camera that I bought (and shot the Peru trip with this year), and I'm concerned about 2 things: 1) The worldly side of me that doesn't want it to get broken or stolen cuz it was expensive! and 2) (and more importantly) That everything works properly with it so that the stuff I record makes it back here so I can share with all of you and with the POF organization and their churches.
   
   Please pray for my camera equipment: that it stays safe and that everything works properly so I can share the ministries that are going on there.
   
   
3. Lastly, although I'm not worried about getting sick, and actually am at peace with the idea of getting sick again (when I got really sick the first time in Peru, I felt so miserable but it definitely drew me close to God), I do feel like I have an important responsibility with recording the stuff that's going on... so...
   
   Please pray that the Lord would give our team good health and that if we do get sick, we are drawn close to God and are also not completely incapacitated. :-)
   
   

Alright, if you made it all the way through my longwindedness, A+ for you! If not, I think there are going to be Cliff's notes released at some point. :-)

Thank you all so much for your prayers, and I encourage you all to "Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon." (Phil 4:4-5)

Blessings to you all!
Jake

p.s. I don't think I'm going to have Internet access so you might not get another update till I get back. I will try though if I can get online!

My Most Recent Trip

For those who didn't get to see the video from my most recent trip to Peru, here ya go. I sadly still have a pile of thank you notes addressed to all you who supported me and I've been wanting to write you each a personal note... but obviously it still hasn't happened yet. It will though!


Anyways, I just wanted to say thank you again to those who prayed and gave financially. It was an amazing experience for the high schoolers who went, and just the beginning of the trips that the youth ministry at Coastside is going to see.


In April, we're going to Mexico, so you'll be hearing more about that after my next trip which happens this Thursday! I'm going to India for about 11 days with a team from my church and a couple others to basically document the ministries going on there so people back in the US can learn what's happening over there. I don't know much yet, but will be posting more for you all so you know what's happening and can pray!