Science in Christian Perspective

Evangelism in India
JOHN DARE
10 Maigaoda Deva Mudaliar Road
Fraser Town, Baugalore 5, South India

From: JASA 24 (September 1972): 125-126.

I am sure that the readers of the Journal ASA know much about India. We have a great mountain range called the Himalayan mountains at the top. I come from the land's end of India called Cape Comarin. Let me remind you of the missionary song,

From Greenland's icy mountains 
To India's coral strand.

You can find only sand here, and some Palmyrah (Palm) trees.

Exactly 1900 years ago, Apostle Thomas arrived in a boat here and started to preach about Jesus Christ. The poor people living along the seashore followed him. Day by day people started following him. Apostle Thomas went to is small mountain bore for prayer. When he was praying, enemies surrounded him and staked him to death. He died there. Today this mountain is called St. Thomas Mount. Christianity came to a halt after his death.

There was an "Evangelical Awakening" in Europe and America during the period 1700 to 1760. Missionaries from these countries arrived here and converted our forefathers to Christianity. We were staunch Hindus. We worshipped a goddess by the name of Kali Amman. We left everything and embraced Christianity. Our forefathers started naming their children with the names of those missionaries who had converted them. Hence you can find the names of George Whitfield, Wesley and Jonathan Edwards here. I understand the above missionaries arrived from your country.

John Thomas, a great British missionary, converted my great-grandfather. This missionary built a great church here. My great-grandfather accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior and dedicated himself to work for Christ. He was blessed with a son, who was sent as a catechist to preach the Gospel. This catechist had 4 sons and he sent all his four soils to do God's work among the non-Christians. Christianity was growing and all the families sent their sons for God's work. So, within these 300 years, we find Christians in almost all towns and villages in South India. Praise Him.

Most of the people are worshippers of Evil Spirits. I know something about thus. Some people want the guidance of the Evil Spirit to achieve their goal in life. As soon as a first-born child is dead, these people slowly follow the funeral procession and locate where this child is buried. In the night, they go to the grave
yard, dig up the body and bring out the skull of this child. They keep the skull with them wherever they go. In the night the Devil speaks to them. They act according to the instructions of the Devil. The' man is called "Devil-possessed." People go to him and ask him to guide them in all matters. They believe in the Devil.
We preach to these people that our Lord and Savior is holy. We need Him as the Lord of our life.

He is tile Spirit of God. I Cor..3: 16
He is the Spirit at Wisdom and understanding, counsel and might. Isa. 11:2
He is the Spirit of the Lord. Isa. 11:2 
He is the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Phil. 1:19
He is the Spirit of Burning. Isa, 4:3 
He is the Spirit of Life, Rom. 8:2
He is the Spirit of Grace. Heb. 10:29 
He is the Spirit of Glory. I Pet. 4:14 
He is the Eternal Spirit. Heb. 9:14

Every man who has this hope in him purifies himself, even as He is pure.

Some people worship snakes. I have been to a Hindu house where I found twin girls. The two girls cannot he separated. These girls were lying on a bed. They are 10 years old. I went near to their bed to havea talk with them. Suddenly the father made a loud noise saving, "Don't go near them." I stopped at once. The father asked me to look down. There I found a big snake. The snake could eat a baby. The father said that this snake is their god who protects these two twin girls. When these girls were born the snake also came from somewhere and lay near the babies. The snake will not harm their parents, but if a stranger comes near, it will attack. We see such scenes as this during our evangelical tours.

Now let me give a brief account of the mode of preaching. The picture shows a portable pulpit which Nve carry \vherever we go. We place this pulpit at the junction where four roads meet. We see a big crowd there. We start with a crying song. The first stanza of the song is,

Your life in this world is not certain. 
You are going to die anyhow. 
Can you tell me who can live in this world without dying?

A whole crowd rushes to hear what this cryng is about. We explain to them. You can read the words, "Jesus Saves Sinners," its the photograph. You caii also see the verse Isaiah 45:22 printed in the Indian language. If they are interested, we distribute Gospels and Bibles.

In the other picture, a hull is pulling a cart. People in advanced countries travel in jet planes and helicopters. But we travel in this bullock-cart to give out the Gospel message. We sit inside the cart because the sun's heat is terrible, and we get sunstroke if we are exposed to the sun. You can see small hells tied around the neck of this bull. Snakes are plentiful in this region; when the bull nods its head, the bell rings Mod snakes are frightened away. There are no proper roads.

A leader of the Communists here wrote several books and booklets against Christ, We went to see him. He patiently heard our message, "Jesus Saves," and sent us away. One clay he took his baby girl for is walk in his garden. There he showed the well to his baby. When the baby was looking into the well, his hands slipped and the baby fell into the well. He did not know how to swim. No one was there at the time. He did not know what to do. He cried and cried. He saw the, baby going into the water and coming up At that time he thought of our message, "Jesus Saves," He humbly, with crying voice, appealed to Jesus Christ to save his child, lie remembered his sins. After praying, he looked inside the well where he found his child was alive, carried just over the level of the water by two blood-stained bonds. He was happy. At that time he saw a stranger passing along the road. He called him. The stranger stopped inside the well and brought the child safely' out, and handed the baby to her lather. The father ran home with the baby', left her there, and came running to us and surrendered himself to Jesus. He is rewriting his books; he is witnessing for Him.

I could write of many more such instances, however, I will close with these words,

Grace be unto you and  peace, from Him which is, and which was, and which is to come: and from the Seven
Spirits, whirls are before his throne.'' Rev. 1:4

As the prophet Isaiah foretold, "The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of Wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord."