We are doing ministry in a small village in south India. I was asked not share the specific name of the village we are evangelizing in to protect the ministry of the pastor we are staying with. In this village, it is dangerous to be a Christian. You can have a church service on Sunday morning, but evangelizing is illegal. Pastors in this area of India have lost their lives because of their ministry. We met a pastor who was beaten in the streets of his village for evangelizing.
First and foremost, please know that we are being safe. Our team is in a quiet village that is generally very safe. Adventures in Missions staff do not put us in situations where they feel that our safety is a direct threat. We are staying with a pastor, his wife and 10 orphan children in a remote village. We sleep in the church room. Every evening we travel to a different village and peach to a group of about 20-30 people. Afterward, we walk around and pray for anyone who wants it.
One night of ministry really opened my eyes to the passion in the hearts of the Indian people. I was watching the crowd as my teammate Luke preached the gospel and there were a couple of men and women in the back row that did not blink. There eyes were fervent. They nodded along, eager for encouragement. That was the first time I have ever seen that much passion for Jesus in someone’s eyes. It hit me as I watched them, they are risking so much to be here. Following Jesus is everything to them. They are willing to break from their Hindu families. They are willing to risk persecution. They are willing to be the minority in their country.
We met a pastor one night who met Jesus in 1999 and started ministry in 2004. He plans to travel to Brazil next year to continue ministry. He has dedicated his whole life to the spread of the gospel. He knows the risk of evangelizing in these villages, but all the while kept repeating, “I am just thankful for God’s grace in my life.”
I thought about my own heart. If I had to risk my safety, my relationships, my resources for the sake of the gospel, would I?
Being a Christian in America is not hard. Christianity in America is more cultural than personal. I was a cultural Christian for 18 years of my life. I grew up going to Church because that is what we did. I have never had to sacrifice anything because of it.
Following Jesus in India is the opposite. It is counter-cultural. 95% of the people are Hindu. What kind of passion does it take to live for Jesus here? Can you imagine following Jesus in a place where most people do not? Where you are considered a fool? Where there is risk of intense persecution?
As a team we are reading through Acts. In Acts chapter 5 Peter and the apostles are brought before the Sanhedrin for questioning. The Sanhedrin decides to flog them and warn them not to preach in the name of Jesus anymore. The apostles response to this was the following,
“The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day in the temple courts and from house to house they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.” Acts 5:41-42
How transformative is the power of the the cross that people would rejoice in being a subject of persecution? Think about that?! I am sure that people looked at them and thought they were crazy! Rejoicing in persecution? How much power does the gospel hold that it causes this type of reaction in people? In Acts 4:20 Peter and John respond to a threat by saying, “As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen or heard.” They cannot help but speak.
I see a lot of correlation between the ministry of the apostles in Acts and the ministry of these Indian pastors. Persecution does not douse the fire in their hearts. They cannot help but share Jesus because of what they have experienced in their own hearts.
I want a faith like that. I want a faith that is based solely on the power of cross and not on a cultural norm. I want to go to church because I am hungry for the word, not because my family just does that every Sunday. I want to pray because I delight in the fact that I am able to communicate with my heavenly Father, not because it is dinner time. I want to be at peace with looking like a fool in front of people for following Jesus.
We came to encourage the hearts of the Indian people, but most nights we leave feeling encouraged by them. Guys, Jesus CHANGES LIVES. One of the orphan boys brought his Hindu grandmother to us and told us she wants to receive Christ, we prayed to receive Christ with her right there! The people here are fierce. The spirit moves here. The gospel is so powerful. I never want to be desensitized to the weight of the cross.
Here are some pictures of our time here so far!
