I'M HOME!

Hello from Innisfil Ontario Canada,

I’m finally home! I’m so sorry that I didn’t write a “coming home” blog from India, I tried my best! And I have 5 half finished blogs to testify to that… but I just couldn’t focus enough to write- my mind was way too excited about coming home. Now I’m home, and it’s so refreshing to see my family again- and by God’s grace I was able to see all of them within 48 hours of coming home- even Mike and Britt in Chicago. We headed to Chicago the day after I got in, to celebrate Mike and Brittany’s graduation from Moody Bible Institute. It was sitting in a park in Chicago that I really got hit with culture shock- the kids that we’re so happy and running around all had on perfect clothes, they had just come from perfect homes, where they had eaten perfect breakfasts. I remembered little kids eating garbage, going to the bathroom in the street- and the contrast kind of blew my mind. I know I’ve been pushing Grace Orphan Home, and I will continue to do so as God has burdened my heart with these children, but whether it’s the orphan home or the homeless person in Toronto- our hearts should be compassionate, and moved to action. We will be separated into two categories in heaven:

Mathew 25:35-36 ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

These people will be called to one side, and will be invited into heaven… notice it doesn’t say, “I gave you a book and you knew it so well” we go to Church on Sunday and learn more about what we should be doing… but going to church isn’t our faith- it’s not what Christianity is about… if a Christian ever asks God “why’d you allow suffering and poverty in the world?” I think he’ll ask us the same question. We have an overflowing, never-ending love to share. It’s by this love that we spread God’s glory

Matthew 5:16 - "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."

It’s really hard for me to be back, not only because of the wealth- but also because of the busyness of the culture, it’s like we’re always doing something- we never have time to just think. We schedule in time for God in the morning… he fits around our busy lives… maybe there’s something wrong here. I feel like that’s a huge tool that the devil uses- every second is filled… there’s no time to just think. We see that we need to come before God with a pure heart, and there’s a nagging feeling when we have something to confess and seek forgiveness for… but that’s easy to suppress when we don’t have a spare second to think.

I’m in the middle of “re-entry” trying to find some common ground between this world and that; I’m not sure that there is one… I have a few requests/prayer requests for my time back at home, before I head up to work at camp this summer. First- that my re-entry could go smoothly, that I could find some way to keep the great things I learned in India, while operating within this culture. Second, that I could find some kind of employment before heading up to camp in July, and finally that I would be able to speak/fundraise for the orphan home construction. The last one is both request and prayer request- if you are part of a church or a small group that would be interested in seeing a presentation- I would be so excited to do that.

Thank you so much for reading these posts, and for praying for me while I was on my trip. It was such a great comfort to receive so many emails that were so full of encouragement. Thank you to everyone who financially supported Grace Orphan Home we raised almost $20,000 which just blows my mind…

Thank you!

James

Eyes on God

I have 19 days left in India, Its crazy how quickly the time has gone. I have moved my return date up a bit for a couple of reasons; homesickness and the hatred of curry are definitely up there… but it will also allow me a lot of time to work out my thoughts before heading up to camp this summer. I remember seeing my brother’s pain and frustration after returning home from his time overseas- it’s an adjustment period known to missionary groups as “re-entry”. Please pray for me that I could get over this time easily, and quickly. I have one thing that I need to do before coming home… At the start of my trip I met a little girl at the dump yard, where she was digging through the trash looking for food. I have only seen her that one time- but her face is burned into my memory… I want to go find her and see if we can get her into the orphan home. Please pray that everything will go smoothly with this.

 I am going home, but a great burden for this mission is coming with me. I’m going to use my time before camp to present my trip to churches, small groups- really anyone that will listen… I have a burden for orphaned children and I am committed to spreading the news about Grace Orphan Home. As soon as this home is built, my burden will change to one where I am trying to find sponsors for these kids…. If you are part of a church, a group of friends or anyone who will watch this presentation- please contact me at jamesjohnsonindia@gmail.com and I will come speak to you.

I have learned something in these past few weeks- God has been testing me, as per my request that He would send me home with a strengthened faith, and an intimacy with Him. These tests are very difficult, but by the grace of God I am embracing them with great joy- the first one was repentance… I felt the need to settle my transgressions instead of bury them- so I have been writing one letter a day, to people I need to seek forgiveness from. The second and third were faith; the faith lesson is really revealing for me… I love analogies- and this one came to my mind when I was thinking about faith. When a baby is picked up by his mother, and is cradled in her arms he feels the most secure. He knows that this person loves him, cares for him, and wants the best for him… but say I was to be picked up and cradled by a giant person- I would be worried about falling, I would not trust them to feed me or care for me… How much more does God love us, than a mother loves her baby? He carries us, He keeps us from going astray, He wants the best for us… and yet, still I worry. God even guarantees us the perfect future! That’s something that a mother could never do for her baby. However I am not as wise as a baby; I am as stupid as an adult… so I worry about the stupid things. I constantly self analyze; I am such a huge failure. If a baby in his mother’s arms was to self analyze, he would be devastated- he can’t do anything! left alone for a few hours he would certainly die. So I am learning how to be an infant- setting my eyes on God only, trusting Him to be true to His promises… Would I ever be able to look Jesus in the eyes and say “I don’t trust you”? I certainly trust Him with my future…. I have seen Him provide all throughout my past- why on earth do I worry in the present? 

Just in case your interested- this is Vijay and I riding through downtown Gudivada on a motorbike, the driving here is pretty exciting 

Gospel Crusades

Olah! I just want to share with you the news of our last two gospel crusades, as they were really interesting, really exciting. The first one was held one hour from Gudivada- the town was fairly large and bordered by little communities: the Muslim community, the Hindus and the Christians. India is generally segregated like that, especially out here in the boonies. We got into this little truck that felt more like an ATV, it had a huge HUGE speaker on the roof, and we drove around announcing the gospel crusade that night. At a few points we stopped... one point in particular in the Hindu community- we stepped out in the street and preached the gospel through this gigantic speaker. People from all over came out of their houses and gawked at us. After a brief meeting with a roman catholic minister we headed to the gospel crusade- it was tiny, maybe 40 people… but it didn’t matter, because at least 3 people came to Christ that night- we're prayed for and, I believe, received the holy spirit. As it was a village many people came forward who were tormented and possessed by demons- the pastor I am staying with cast out 8 or more demons that night. The next Gospel crusade was huge, a farmer’s field lit up by tube lights- it was attended by 600+ people.  These crusades are very normal in India…. I am seeing more and more that being a pastor in India can often mean being extremely competitive, there is a lot of pride in being an Indian pastor. The first speaker was a Brahman, the highest cast… now this was a hard time for me, he came and sat next to me- wearing a beautiful outfit, gold cufflinks, a Rolex, a new Samsung phone, and the latest ipad… please have mercy and grace with me- in the moment I was trying my hardest not to judge, not to condemn.  But this is a huge problem in the Indian Church; India has no shortage of money… India plays hosts to most of the world’s billionaires… it also plays host to most of the world’s poor. Generally the rich churches are made of Brahmans, and they would never dream of supporting or helping the Dalits, who are poor, oppressed, and made to live on the outside of the village. This man came up preaching God’s love…. I’m going to stop there, I cannot write this without condemning. Anyways, when I went up to preach I was surprised to have a new translator, I had spent time with this man, but had never heard him speak any English- at the end of my sermon I found out why, the whole thing came out as jibberish. Vijaya preached last, he preached so boldly, that the crowd demanded that he keep preaching when his scheduled time was up. I will post a video of His preaching... the swinging arms and bold yelling is always entertaining for me.  When he was finished, 40 or more people stood up to come to Christ... it was an amazing night.

Vijaya preaching:

Good Day

Olah!

It’s been the coolest week. The coolest couple of weeks- both for me personally and for the mission here… This week marks what I believe to be the end of our exile, I am confident that now God will provide the money for the construction of Grace Orphan Home- I don’t know where it will come from…. I don’t know how- but I believe that hearts will be softened so that we can finish this home- to the Glory of God. By faith we have said- start building again, because Vijay also believes that God is now going to build this home. This week, on Monday night New Life Church committed a time to prayer for our needs, on Tuesday a small house church committed their time to prayer, and HOPE Church in Barrie has made a commitment to pray for us. Please join with us in prayer- pray boldly that God will soften hearts, that people will feel lead to support this home. I am confident that soon, 80 children will find a loving home- and a promising future within these walls. It’s a really amazing thing to see how quickly everything happens…. It’s an amazing thing to see Hindus and Muslims trust that our God can provide.

If you feel that God has softened your heart, and is leading you to help the construction financially- you can do so at GraceOrphanHome.org

Michael Bryant has put together a short video that shows the children from Grace Orphan Home, he did such an excellent job; I am so excited to be able to show this! Please take a look at the really awesome kids that have found a home in the present Grace Orphan Home! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBTZE3RYlXo

Please pray for us...

We are currently standing in a place that this ministry is quite accustomed too.

In fact I believe it spends most of its time here…

We are standing in front of the Dead Sea, with the Egyptians closing in on us.

We are in an absolutely impossible situation- and the stakes have never been higher.

The sea has never looked quite so daunting.

If you are a brother or sister in Christ, I ask that you would join with us in prayer. That God would deliver us, and that he would keep us safe from those who pursue us. We were forced to build, when we really shouldn’t have, as we were already drowning in debt. However the contractors forced us to push forward…. Our debt is now massive, and the people are getting angry. The phone rings once every 10 minutes, someone else looking for money.  Personally I am a little confused… my mind bounces between the British Mueller who would pray and wait for God’s provision… and Chicago’s Moody who would pray and ask. I tend to side with Mueller- I believe that our Father will motivate hearts, and that he doesn’t need me to ask- and if he did want me to ask, I wouldn’t feel unsure about it. Anyway- please  join with us in prayer and fasting, we are excited to see what God will do- and yet our weakness allows us to be afraid… please pray for God’s provision- but also for the courage of those in the ministry here.

So much more

We were meant to live for so much more

Yes that is from a song… but it’s the line that resonates with me constantly. Because it’s not a condemning thought, not really… it’s a hopeful, encouraging thought. I hate the idea of writing a condemning blog- because it would be so hypocritical… or it would seem so. I never want to write like I know more than the wise and the old that I know and love, and learn from. I am the dog that returns to his vomit- if you truly knew my life, you would know that I cannot ever speak with a condemning tone of voice. I am the greatest sinner- Paul was wrong. As soon as I could understand anything- I knew of gift of eternal life… as a kid I was really good. I was an awesome kid, and I remember that… but I made a conscious decision to see what it would be like to be a “bad kid”. Pearls to swine, dog to his vomit- this is me. I am truly disgusting, I am a testament to His great mercy- but even then I find myself being proud of the faith he has given me… I am a mess… I am not condemning...

However since I came to India, even before India, I’ve seen that the Church that I have seen, the believers I have met, my own life… there is a huge problem. It seems to me like in India the devil is working very hard to possess, and attack… in America it’s almost as if he has won. He has atheists, he has so many denominations and religions… he has such a strong foothold… and I think the most terrible thing that he has, is a position within our church.

I am convinced, that many people who profess to be Christians, are not saved. I believe that there is a comfortable nook in our churches for people to be Christians by title- by study, by intention…. and not action.  Of course we are not saved by our actions- of course, of course. We are saved by Grace… But I think we have misinterpreted right from the very beginning what it means to be a Christian. The sinner’s prayer- I think is a lie. I don’t think that if you say a sentence that, like saying a spell, it will guarantee you eternal life with our Father. Becoming a Christian is repentance and a new life… not merely saying a sentence. I think there’s a very comfortable Christianity that is just living the American dream with a different title…. I think that to be a Christian, doesn’t mean that you say you’re a Christian- but that you live as a Christian.

I am saying “I think” because I’m being candid… I don’t want to make a statement, but I would love to provoke thought. I often get emails from people who disagree with me…. I won’t answer anyone who disagrees with this post- because I’m not saying it as a statement, I’m saying it as something that is burdening my heart… something said to friends that is very vulnerable and heartfelt- and meant to be received with the grace of someone talking to a friend.

But when I read about the Church in the bible, when I read through Mathew- I see a picture for a very different Church… I see fishermen who left everything and everyone to follow Jesus- who gave him their whole lives. Have I given God my whole life? Am I completely sold out to him… what does this mean for me? I think our Churches are very well known for what we believe… on Sunday  we gather more knowledge as we meet as a Church… maybe we fellowship with coffee after- but is this all that God has for his Church? I think the American church has more accurate bible knowledge than anywhere else in the world… we have the preachers who read the greek… blah blah and so on… but what good is our great knowledge if we don’t use it? It’s like having the best tool for the ministry, but keeping it in the toolbox un-used.  I think we as a church are trapped into a religious, comfortable box of “this is how we do it” and “this is how we’ve always done it” but when I think of the Morovians who sold themselves into slavery to minister to the slaves… I can’t help but think, we were meant to live for so much more. I am praying for a radical revival in the Church- a revival based on the bible and not on any Christian writer or anything like that…

Do you think the Church is aware, awake and totally sold out for Christ?

Again… please receive this as thought provoking only, and not as a condemnation or a statement…. 

Please Pray

Olah!

So here is an update on what’s going on- and more than anything a request for prayer….

Construction has started up again, but not because we have paid for it…

In India, you need to rent a great amount of wood when you are building a concrete structure. This wood is used as a mold, they will design the floor out of wood, and then lay the iron on top of it- later the concrete will be poured, and will harden in this mold. However the people who rented us the wood are becoming understandably frustrated… it’s been so long since we’ve built, and so long since we’ve paid the rent. So last week they sent their men to take all of the wood away- Vijay begged them not to and promised them that we would start building again. Now Vijay has secured just enough money in loans, to pay a small percentage of our debt to the shop- so they have agreed to supply materials so that we can lay the third floor … construction is going again, but we still haven’t really paid our debt, all we are doing is building on it.  By Wednesday we’re guessing our debt will be around $20,000 which is a huge deal in India. Please pray for us… we are of course excited to see construction going again, but the growing debt is a constant burden on minds… burdening us to the point of becoming sick with the stress. We ask that you would join with us in prayer, that this money would be provided.