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Gospel for Asia: A Singular Focus for 40 Years

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Reflections on the 40-year Ministry of Gospel for Asia The world has yet to see what God can do with and for and through and in and by the man who is fully and wholly consecrated to Him. I want to be that man. - D.L. Moody No doubt that statement by the great American evangelist D.L. Moody is still true, although the Lord used him mightily. We have surely seen “what God can do with and for and through and in” by the likes of Billy Graham, Luis Palau, Tim LaHaye, Jerry Falwell, Chuck Smith, Greg Laurie and many others. But we still don’t know if we have seen the fulfillment of the desire of Moody’s heart that each of these men shared. The amazing thing about the people God uses most effectively is that they seek no glory for themselves, they spend hours in prayer, and they yield all that they are and all they possess to serve the Lord in whatever way He directs their paths. Rarely, when these men were young, did they anticipate a day 40 or more years into the future when they would look...
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10 Things Gospel for Asia Wants You to Know As We Reflect on World Malaria Day

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WILLS POINT, TX – According to Dr. Seth Barkley, the CEO of Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance, “Malaria is still one of the biggest killers of children worldwide, taking the lives of over 200,000 children each year.” April 25 is World Malaria Day. Because the disease is still widespread in large regions of the globe, Gospel for Asia (GFA) has shared 10 facts to remind us about this life-threatening disease: 1. The Institute of Health Metrics & Evaluation estimates that more than 720,000 people die of malaria each year. This is significantly higher than the World Health Organization’s (WHO) estimate of 438,000. 2. Malaria is still one of the leading causes of child mortality. 3. More than 70 percent of malaria fatalities are children under the age of 5. 4. Ten percent of all child fatalities in 2016 were caused by malaria. 5. Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 90 percent of all malaria deaths. 6. Countries with the highest malaria death rates currently include: Country Deaths/100,000 Niger ...
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What Is One Child Worth? Ponders Gospel for Asia

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WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing the state of a billion children in the world who live in extreme poverty who are worth every effort and measure to be given love, care, education – a Bridge of Hope. The world has more than 7 billion people. More than 2 billion of them are children. Half of these little ones live in poverty the likes of which is difficult to understand. Extreme poverty affects every aspect of life, from physical and emotional health to education and the possibility of a better future. So many people are in need of love, care and compassionate help. Solving their complex problems might seem like an insurmountable task. But not if we all work together. Every child who receives life-saving care and access to education is precious in God’s sight. Each one is worth the effort. With tens of thousands of children in developing countries dying every day, often from preventable diseases, education might not seem like the most important problem to focus on. ...
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Gospel for Asia Supported National Workers Do What Needs to Be Done

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WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing what national workers do daily to spread God’s love across Asia. “They need to think about what is needed, not what is possible because possible can change. A major problem I see . . . is not having visionary leaders.” —R.D. Thulasiraj, Director of Operations, Aravind Eye Care System Mr. Thulasirai’s sage observation, although having nothing directly to do with missions, might be worthy of our consideration of what it really means for indigenous, national workers to be supported by Gospel for Asia (GFA) and its generous donors.It is difficult for us to imagine the role of pastors and other national workers in Asia because we have not seen what they have seen, nor have we experienced what they have. One thing is for certain, these pastors and workers do not have the same routine that most Western pastors do. Gospel for Asia (GFA) -supported pastor Marty grew up in an Asian slum where, as a young boy, he often dug for food in the bo...
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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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