Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
About K.P. Yohannan Metropolitan
Publications
Links
Social Media
- Facebook
- Instagram
- Twitter
- Pinterest
Archives
FREE NEWSLETTER

Home
Evangelical - Sponsored
The World Is In Turmoil, But Do ‘One Thing’ for God, Says K.P. Yohannan

The World Is In Turmoil, But Do ‘One Thing’ for God, Says K.P. Yohannan

Last updated on: December 3, 2020 at 3:01 am by KP Yohannan

The World Is In Turmoil, But Do ‘One Thing’ for God, Says K.P. Yohannan 2020-12-03T03:01:33+00:00 KP Yohannan

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

WILLS POINT, TX – KP Yohannan, founder of Gospel for Asia (GFA World), has been the model for numerous charities like Gospel for Asia Canada, and Metropolitan of Believers Eastern Church, to help the poor and deprived worldwide — shares on the influence and impact of Dr. John Haggai, the one thing we should do for God amid a world in turmoil.

Evangelist and Bible teacher Dr. John Haggai was not a household name in America. But last week, when he passed away at the age of 96, this kindest and most gracious of men left a giant legacy for the Kingdom of God.

A small part of that legacy was me.

As a skinny, 20-year-old student from India attending a seminary course in Singapore, I was transfixed as this passionate, bold American shot a burning arrow into my quivering faith: “Only what you do for Jesus Christ is eternal. Think of the one thing you will do with your life to glorify God.”

I think Dr. Haggai knew he was telling me something I couldn’t figure out in one day. He knew he was dropping this idea in my mind, and it would have a ripple effect. He knew how to plant something that would take root and bear fruit later.

Fast forward 50 years, and it’s a question I believe every follower of Jesus today must contemplate and ultimately answer: “What is the one thing I will do for God?”

With our world in turmoil — hostage to a virus, reeling from a contentious election, protests, riots and chaos everywhere — so many Christians are running in all directions. Afraid. Distracted. Unsure. Asking, “what should I be doing now” — and yet too frantic, too busy to ask God for direction and listen to His voice.

Could I humbly suggest we ask ourselves Dr. Haggai’s one question that truly matters in life: “What is the one thing God is asking me to do?”

Coming from a small hamlet in India, I had no money to pay for the month-long leadership course. Dr. Haggai’s organization paid my expenses. When he saw me — a young man barely out of my teenage years — he confessed: “I don’t know why we invited you to come… we never invite anyone under 30. Obviously, God must have a plan for your life.”

Dr. Haggai encouraged the leaders in his seminar (just over 40 participants from 12 Asian nations) to dream big. He told us Mahatma Gandhi’s big dream was one thing — a free India. He talked about Indians and others bringing the love of Christ to their own people, rather than the traditional colonial approach of sending Western workers — a radical concept that I came to embrace in my book Revolution in World Missions. “If you believe God wants you to climb to the top of the highest mountain, you can do it,” he said. “Nothing is impossible with God.”

Coming from my little world — the smallest village in India — I was amazed at the idea that I could do something bigger for the glory of God. In my heart, I had a growing awareness God was calling me to do this one thing — to bring hope to the untold millions in the Indian subcontinent — the poor, the outcasts, the beggars.

Dr. Haggai opened my mind to think of my entire life as a wisp that would soon vanish. “We have only one life… and before you know it, the time is gone,” he said. “Our life is like a vapor, a flower that withers. As Moses prayed: ‘Teach us, O God, to number our days.’”

Several years later, this one thing began to grow increasingly vivid. I said to myself: “I don’t want to live for material things. Caring for the beggars and the poor, showing them the love of God, that’s the one thing I want to do with my life.”

Dr. Haggai also taught me that with God working through me, and by His grace, I could embrace the whole globe because “nothing is impossible with God.”

Just over four decades ago, with this one thing burning in my heart and a seed donation of $50, I started Gospel for Asia (GFA World, www.gfa.org). Many people said to me: “This is a great dream, but it won’t work. You’re talking about doing things that are impossible.” Today, by God’s grace, GFA World is a global movement and one of the largest mission organizations in the world, serving millions of the poorest and most marginalized people in the world and showing them the love of God.

Look, if you believe the dream you have is from God — that one thing — and you’ve made a decision to live and die for it, you will succeed. Dream the biggest impossible dream you can. Problems, roadblocks and discouragements will always be there, but without facing challenges, you will never do anything big for God.

Dr. Haggai never claimed any credit for himself. Yet his life influenced thousands upon thousands of evangelists, pastors and missionaries for the glory of God. He was not an A-lister in the world’s eyes, but he was an A-lister in the Kingdom of God. God used him to do one thing — turn the world upside down for Christ! In the next decade, his ministry — Haggai International — aims to train another 250,000 Christian leaders worldwide.

I can hear Dr. Haggai now: “Take courage. Press on. Die to yourself. Live for Jesus. Do that one thing for God’s glory.”

If God can take a skinny teenager from India and use him for His glory, think what He can do for you if only you will say: “Here I am, Lord. Use me to do this one thing for You!”

About KP Yohannan

KP Yohannan, founder and director GFA World (Gospel for Asia) and Metropolitan of Believers Eastern Church, has written more than 250 books, including Revolution in World Missions, an international bestseller with more than 4 million copies in print. He and his wife, Gisela, have two grown children, Daniel and Sarah, who both serve the Lord with their families.

About Gospel for Asia

Gospel for Asia is a Christian-based charity serving the “least of these” in Asia since its beginning in 1979,often in places where no one else is serving. Gospel for Asia workers serve on the field as the hands and feet of Christ by ministering to people’s needs so they can understand the love of God for them for the first time. Gospel for Asia helps provide funds for dozens of projects, such as caring for poor children, slum dwellers and widows and orphans; providing clean water by funding wells; supporting medical missions; and meeting the needs of those in leprosy colonies.

Find out more about Gospel for Asia in the video “A Year in Review with K.P. Yohannan.”

Read what George Verwer, Francis Chan, Dr. David Mains and others have to say about GFA World.

Keep encouraged and get your regular dose of challenge through other articles on Patheos by KP Yohannan Metropolitan, or on his blog at kpyohannan.org.

You can learn more about K.P. Yohannan Metropolitan by clicking here.

About Gospel for Asia

Dr KP Yohannan

KP Yohannan

KP Yohannan Messages

KP Yohannan Revolution in World Missions

Pastor KP Yohannan

Yohannan Revolution in World Missions

Previous Post

November 28, 2020

KP Yohannan of Gospel for Asia Tells Us the Way Up Is Down

Next Post

December 4, 2020 Metropolitan K.P. Yohannan: Unity is Vital to Our Calling

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Current Events Devotionals Field Stories From My Books Guest Writer Inspirational Personal Life Spiritual Growth Uncategorized

Select a Month June 2025 June 2024 May 2024 December 2023 October 2023 May 2023 April 2023 December 2022 August 2022 July 2022 May 2022 April 2022 November 2021 September 2021 August 2021 May 2021 March 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz