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From Crisis to Celebration: The Life-changing Impact of Jesus Wells

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WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing the life-changing impact of Jesus Wells on families in Asia who lack any access to safe drinking water. You need to get some water for a family meal so you head for the kitchen sink. It’s almost automatic; you do it every day. Probably several times a day. You turn on the faucet, but you feel “a sinking sensation” when no water pours from the tap. You panic. Yes, you panic. What am I going to do? We need water. Your mind races as you subconsciously understand you may not be able to make food for your family if you can’t get water. You wonder how long you will be without water. A call to the utility company frustrates you because you hear a recorded message: “Our operators are busy assisting other customers.” While you are on hold, you ask your spouse to run to the store to buy some bottled water. After waiting 20 minutes or so, you learn from the water company that a major main has been severely damaged. They say it might take three...
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Seeing the Success of Selfless Sacrificial Service

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WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) – In his account of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Mark shares the story of a rich young ruler who had inquired of Jesus, “What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life” (Mark 10:17). Jesus essentially told him that he needed to live a perfect life, reciting several of the Ten Commandments to him. The young man replied that he had faithfully followed the commandments all of his life. Mark then records that Jesus looked at him lovingly and said that he needed to do one more thing. He needed to “sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven” (Mark 10:21). Jesus invited him, once he had given all that he had to the poor, to “come, take up thy cross, and follow Me” (vv. 21). Do you wonder what you would have done had you been that rich young man? The truth is, I wonder what I would have done? We spend so much time thinking about what we are able to accumulate in pleasures and treasure that we fail to measure what t...
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Curing Openhomeaphobia

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WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing openhomeaphobia — its symptoms and remedies. Open-home-a-phobic , noun (op-en-hom-a-fo-bick) From Latin phobicus; Greek phobikos; Someone terrified to open his or her home to guests. Someone filled with anxiety due to the overwhelming feelings that his or her home is not good enough for company, the rooms not large enough, the food not tasty enough. Someone who panics at the thought of fitting hospitality into a schedule jammed with deadlines, timelines and bottom lines. Symptoms include: Gagging at the word “guest”. Uncontrollable urges to hide when the doorbell rings. Sweating when the church bulletin pleads for people to include internationals for holiday meals. If there ever was an age in which the beneficial, healing properties of scriptural hospitality were more needed than in this one, I don’t know which age that might be. The AARP Bulletin reported, “Social isolation has become such a problem in Great Britain that Prime Mini...
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Is There Really Hope in Gospel for Asia’s Bridge of Hope Centers?

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WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) — The Bible speaks of hope specifically as a “confident expectation,” not a wish or a maybe. Dr. KP Yohannan ’s vision for establishing Gospel for Asia’s (GFA) Bridge of Hope Program was not simply an idea of something nice to do for the underprivileged children of Asia. The vision was to provide a bridge to the confident expectation of a fruitful and productive future. I take it for granted that most readers already understand what Bridge of Hope centers do. Faithful supporters have read many stories of individual changed lives of current and former Bridge of Hope students. Many readers, however, may not realize the measurable impact that Bridge of Hope centers have on students achieving the confident expectation of a brighter future. Remember What We Do Bridge of Hope centers serve marginalized and underprivileged children throughout the Asian nations of India, Nepal, Myanmar and Sri Lanka . The purpose is to provide students with the necess...
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People with Leprosy Are Not Cursed, Nor Unclean, They Are Loved

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“And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, ‘Lord if You are willing, You can make me clean.’ Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.’ Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” — Matthew 8:2–3 Leprosy. In many parts of the world, the very word brings with it a sense of fear. In the West however, leprosy cases are few and far between. Medicine has evolved to the point where if the disease is caught early enough, it can be cured. In ancient times, however, those afflicted with leprosy had but one hope: for the disease to die out on its own. The afflicted were cast out of their homes, often never to be seen again. When Jesus walked the earth, performing miracles and healing the sick, a man riddled with leprosy disregarded the law and ventured out from his self-exile. He put all his trust in Jesus, fully believing He could heal him. What an enormous amount of faith to have! I have read many reports and stories of men and women in Asia strick...
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Dying of Thirst: The Global Pure Water Crisis (#3 by Gospel for Asia)

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WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) Special Report #1 – Discussing the world’s quest for access to pure water that is safe to drink. India: Success and Challenge In recent decades, India has emerged as a global economic powerhouse. It is now the seventh-largest economy in the world by nominal gross domestic product (GDP) [27] and at least the fourth largest in purchasing power parity. [1] Much of this success stems from the technology field, India’s fastest-growing sector. Information technology, process outsourcing and software services are among the country’s booming industries. " India is suffering the worst water crisis in its history ." But success is accompanied by great challenges. India is home to about 1.34 billion people and is still growing . Its population, now the world’s second largest, [2] is projected to overtake China’s as early as 2024. [3] This has placed unprecedented stress on the country’s water resources, which are already stretched to meet the...
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Evangelical Atheism: Evangelical in Word, Atheists at Heart

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Years ago, friends and I experimented with designing listening groups. These small groups with three or four participants met once a month for seven months. Basically, we listened to one another for two hours. After a time of centering prayer where we became stilled and focused, the first person would begin and share where he or she was in life. When the first person was done, we would go back into silence, and the only way we could respond to the one who had spoken after those short moments of quiet was to ask questions. This pattern continued until we had gone around the group. Over seven years, I led some 250 people in listening groups and was amazed by the remarkable growth I saw in many of the attendees. I also was transformed in unexpected ways; I certainly became convinced of the healing power that exists when humans feel heard and understood. We always take the first session of a listening group to get to know one another a little so that we are not complete strangers. One woma...
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