The "revolution in missions" is about bringing back evangelism and descipleship, instead of just a socialist mission of handing out food, clothing, housing and medical care. They do go hand in hand, but it's about feeding the soul and spirit first.

The largest International non-profit organization, Gospel for Asia, is mainly focused on training indigenous national missionaries to bring the gospel and convert believers in their own country, to their own people, instead of having not only a language barrier, but the disconnect in the plight of a Third World country, by bringing over missionaries from the Western world, which is also a lot more costly. By the printing of the book in 1986, and through the last printing in 2004, the number of Asian leaders had grown substantially and were then ready to takeover and spread the gospel inside their own communities. This makes sense to me because even Jesus knew his suffering had to be so great for all humans to relate to and to give us strength to stand firm with Him, or else we would just say, "But, Jesus, you didn't have to go through what I went through." These national missionaries live their lives in those Third World countries. They know suffering, plus they are now putting their lives in danger just by teaching and converting others to Christianity. They can relate to each other. Westerners are greatly needed as prayer warriors and for financial backing to continue training and sending out the national brothers without restrictions on any particular religion, which Westerns tend to place on the large monies donated to global missionaries.

Yohannan does stress that your local tithes should come first, and supporting extra missions second. He feels, and I know, that most Americans really can afford to support more mission work. Some would just have to maybe give up a luxury or two in life.

I chose to view his message across all races. Currently, in 2019, America has her own crisis at the border. Hondurans, Mexicans, and I'm sure a fair amount of Middle Easterns, are crossing over into our borders illegally, knowing they will be provided food, clothing, shelter and medical by the US government. This really is not sustainable for the long haul. Besides a border wall and sending people back where they came from, what is the answer? If the US economy crashes, then there will be no support for anyone...which seems to be the goal of some US officials as they indoctrinate the idea of socialism into the minds of young, gullible Americans. I learned that their are two separate missions at work here: 1) social gospel (free living expenses), and 2) spiritual gospel, actually preaching the gospel and saving souls...which is what's lacking at the border.

On page 53, Yohannan writes: "God did not shower such great blessing on this nation for the Christians to live in extravagance, self-indulgence, and spiritual weakness." This is a truth right here that most likely will upset a lot of people.

Haggai 1:6 seems to describe me and my husband, and a lot of other people I know, perfectly. It says, "You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it." [NIV] Wasteful, wasteful, wasteful in every way!

Every individual has their own personal line of indulgences set, that when crossed, will begin to make them feel "uncomfortable" and "guilty" or create an inner conflict. For Yohannan, it was getting comfortable with the American lifestyle and preaching to well-doers, while his people back in India were going without knowing Jesus. He and his wife, Gisela, found themselves becoming compulsive and feeling guilty for just buying hamburgers and sodas. He began to question why it was necessary to save money in bank accounts when Jesus clearly commands us not to lay up treasures on this earth. He cashed in his life insurance and traded in his new model car for an older one and sent the monies to India to help in the startup outreach mission called Gospel for Asia. He specifically states there is nothing wrong with having life insurance or a savings account, but this is what he felt the Lord was telling him and his family to do. God was telling Yohannan to move forward on this and to just trust Him. He put every penny he had into the mission before realizing he needed to create a sponsorship program to keep the mission running. Funding became the real issue with the ministry, but God provided. Yohannan would fast and pray for direction at every turn until God literally provided a way. Each person, alone, is responsible for how they listen and obey Him.

Chapter 12 explains how we have justified going from preaching the Gospel and saving souls to social gospel:

1. How can we preach the gospel to a man with an empty stomach? Rich man - poor man has nothing to do with the condition of his heart.
2. Meeting the physical needs of man is mission work. Luke 16: 19-25. Lazarus was very poor but he had prepared his soul. The rich man lost it all, even his soul although all his physical needs were met.
3. They will not listen to the gospel unless you offer them something first. Substituting a bowl of rice for the Holy Spirit and the Word of God will never save a soul and will rarely change the attitude of a man's heart. Take away the goodies and he will revert to what he's known all his life. But you start sharing about the love of Jesus to beggars and dying men and women on the street, and about the fact that they will never go hungry or thirsty again and He will wipe away their pain and tears, they will listen and their hearts will be changed.

A prime example: Communism took over China regardless of the fact that missionaries were trying to establish themselves and building their big fine churches and schools, orphanages and rest homes for 100 years. The problem is they weren't spreading the word. The communist party were printing their doctrines and spreading it throughout China. Within 10 years, the missionaries were ran out of China. (P. 117)

What is our minimal responsibility to the millions who are lost and suffering?

2 Corinthians 8:13-14 - The Apostle Paul wrote to the rich church in Corinth: "For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened: But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality."

Paul wasn't saying you must pay and just support every needy, giving them a free ride in life. No! He was saying you help others out UNTIL they get on their feet. And when they get on their feet, then they will help you or someone else out down the road. This is what is meant by "equality". I help you; then later, you help me.

Beware of "humanist" or "social" gospel, which does not admit that the problem with mankind is spiritual and not physical. These missionary churches help feed the hungry, provide care in hospitals, house the homeless, but they neglect to feed the Spirit. The number one thing that Jesus commands us to win people to Christ and desciple them. (P. 109)

P. 111: "The trouble with the social gospel, even when it is clothed in religious garb and operating within Christian institutions, is that it seeks to fight what is basically a spiritual warfare with weapons of the flesh." This answers only part of my question about allowing millions of illegal aliens into the country and providing them with free good, free housing, free medical care. Is anyone out there trying to save their souls?? Yohanna is right when he says we are essentially throwing a drowning man a board instead of helping him out of the water. So, what is the answer? God definitely says we are to do both: feed the poor spiritually and physically.

P. 135: He talks about what churches are doing today (this was back in 1986 when the book was published) to get people to come to church and to pay tithes to THEIR church...building gymnasiums, schools, exercise classes. I would have to add a full band with music so loud it literally hurts your ears to produce concert-like music...a hip-hopping church for the young crowd. It's like the church choir is on stage now producing a rock concert, and the congregation can only listen to how great they are... ( )

It's a wonderful story of global outreach, using the countries own local people to do missionary work, funded by Western Countries.

It's a wonderful story of global outreach, using the countries own local people to do missionary work, funded by Western Countries.

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Young Yohannan had no idea what those words of surrender would mean for his life and for millions of others in his generation. Once an insecure 16-year-old, he became a missionary statesman who has impacted the world of missions and whose unbending message has touched hungry hearts on every continent. -- Amazon.