Jason's Experience in India Part 1
Written by Jason Raney
Jason Raney has been a friend of Jesus for Asia for a long time and has recently gone to Asia to serve long-term. Earlier this year, he was able to participate in two evangelistic series and train Bible Workers in India. God has given him a passion for the people of India, and he wants to go back!
I stepped forward to meet with the immigration officer and handed him my documents. He then started asking questions. As I fumbled through my answers, I could tell he was not happy. Just then, another agent behind me put his hand on my shoulder and said, "Would you please follow me?" I followed him over to the side of the room, where other agents in separate offices were working on computers.
After telling me to have a seat, he started to question me: "What is your purpose here?" "Who are you going to see?" As I continued to fumble through answers, he wasn't convinced I was there for just tourism.
Then came the odd question, "Tell me about your military experience?"
How had he found out about my US military experience? I wondered if he had seen my Ukraine visa stamp.
So I gave him a direct and honest answer: "Yes, I was in the US military, but I got out back in 1989."
Taking my documents, he entered the room with the computers; I couldn't see what was happening.
I kept reminding myself how the Israelite priests had put their feet in the water, and the Jordan River parted. I was thinking of the New Testament, which says all of these people subdued nations, conquered by faith.
I decided to be bold, no matter the outcome, because they would likely only kick me out. I waited.
After about an hour and a half, the agent returned, handed me my documents, and said, "You can go."
I quickly finished my customs and immigration, collected my suitcase with an immigration hold tag on it, exited the airport, and got into the vehicle waiting to transport me to the area where we would hold evangelistic meetings.
As we started our meetings, I found it increasingly difficult to connect with the audience. Our revival meeting scripts were different from how I think or speak. So, on the sixth day, I decided to divert from the scripted messages and start talking about what Jesus Christ has done for you and me. I explained to them how the Creator of all heaven and earth had left his glorious place in heaven to come here to save humanity. "Through the work of Jesus Christ, you and I will get to live in this glorious new kingdom of His." As I talked to them about Jesus on a personal level, things quickly turned around, and I connected with the audience.
Between two separate evangelistic efforts, 27 people stepped forward to accept Jesus Christ.
Between these two groups of meetings, Israel, Jesus for Asia's India Director, and I decided I should go and do some Bible Worker training in another part of the country.
Because the plans were made on short notice, the Region Director for the church in the area I visited couldn't bring together a group for me to meet with, so I went with him to visit places where the Bible Workers were conducting Bible studies. I found it difficult to condense my Bible Worker training lectures into a two-hour talk, but the Spirit was present, and the results were fruitful. Every house the Director and I visited was filled to capacity.I distinctly remember one location where four ladies were sitting up front with their Bibles, eager to hear the word of God. I led the group through John chapter 14, "In my father's house… that where I am, you may be also."
I kept asking, "So, where is Jesus?" Telling them that I couldn't continue until they gave me an answer.
"Where is Jesus? Where does He want to take us?"
One of the ladies with a Bible finally said heaven. So I asked her to read verses 10, 11, and 20 and then tell me again, "Where is Jesus?"
After a long pause, one said, "Jesus is in the Father." I told them that Jesus wants to connect us with the Father and explained the layout and process of the sanctuary service: how the Father is in the most holy place, and Christ wants to take us there spiritually.
You should have seen the eyes of some of the participants as they started to understand.
At another house, the owners told me that they built their house specifically with an overly large living room and small bedrooms so that they could have church services in their home. When I arrived, this home was also packed with people. After conducting the meeting, one of the house owners came to us and said that a 16-year-old neighbor girl in attendance wanted to give her life to Christ and have Bible studies.
One of the last places we visited was a group of young people meeting in the basement of a factory warehouse. The owner had given them permission to use the space on Wednesday evenings because his facility was closed on Wednesdays.
We went over John 14 again and then proceeded to Colossians 1 and Romans 5. I asked somebody to read these verses and tell me, "Who is reconciled?"
I said to them, "Paul talks about a group of people in both of these verses calling them the same thing, and says that God has reconciled them through the blood of Jesus Christ. What word does Paul use to describe these people?"
I carefully explained to them the work of God through Jesus Christ. One of the girls upfront with the Bible finally said, "The enemy."
I was ecstatic and practically jumped up and down and said, "YES."
I explained to them that we have all sinned and become "the enemy" but that through the work of God in Jesus Christ, He has reconciled "the enemy" to Himself by His son's own blood.
House after house, meeting place after meeting place, the Spirit led many people to commit to Christ. As I left each of these places, I saw the beaming, smiling faces of joy in their newfound friend, Jesus.
Stay tuned for part two.
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-Contributed by Jesus for Asia
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