The Real Story

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Why Thanksgiving Matters

One day Jesus encountered thanklessness while traveling along the border between Samaria and Galilee." The story is found in Luke 17:11-19.

“Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"

Jesus is called aside by the plaintive shouts of men afflicted with a serious skin condition that present-day translators render as leprosy. Surely, they must have thought, if Jesus could cure the blind, heal the lame, and raise the dead, he had the power to help them too. They were already outcasts and had nothing to lose, so they raised their voices in desperate hope.

When he saw them, he said, "Go, and show yourselves to the priests."

The Master simply tells them to go to the priests, who were the first-century referees as to whether a healing had taken place. Any cure, according to the Book of Leviticus, would need the equivalent of a "seal of approval" so that the formerly unclean could be ritually restored to the community.

Will they go? How can they, since Jesus has done nothing outwardly to assure them of a cure? This, Henry notes, "was a trial of their obedience." How would they respond to the Lord's ambiguous command? Something in the reputation of Jesus, or perhaps in the way he looked them in the eye, encouraged them that they had met not divine indifference, but God's mercy, on the road.

“And as they went, they were cleansed.”

Note the progression: "And as they went, they were cleansed." The obedience precedes the healing.

“One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him-- and he was a Samaritan.”

Until this point, the 10 lepers had acted in concert: they had lived together, they had cried out

together, they had gone off together, and they had been cleansed together. Now, however, one peels off like a jet leaving formation and heads for Jesus. Whatever has happened, the man knows he has been blessed, and the blessing requires a response. First he sees, then he turns, then he praises.

And then, with the Samaritan still humbly at Jesus' feet, come three pointed, rapid-fire questions, which cast a shadow over the celebration.

Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?” Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?" Why did he need to be thanked?

Though he already had rewarded their obedience, he wanted something more. He sought their gratitude. "Gratefulness," Richard Emmons notes, "is a knowing awareness that we are the recipients of goodness." Didn't these nine men understand what God had done for them?

The nine who did not give thanks were not only rude, they were not in line with the truth of the universe; we are the recipients, not the creators, of goodness. In acknowledging this simple truth we ennoble ourselves. "God," John Piper says, "is the one Being in all the universe for whom seeking his own praise is the ultimate loving act."

Given that fact, praise is not an option. It is a joyful inevitability in a world designed and upheld by God. The only question is whether we will add our voices to the choir.

Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well."

I wonder how the nine felt when the man, rising from his worship, finally caught up with them, telling of his grateful exchange with Jesus. They had missed the opportunity to deepen their joy by giving thanks.

Gratitude brings benefits in this world and in the world to come. The nine had their cure; the one who gave thanks had his cure, plus a relationship with Jesus. This Thanksgiving, let's remember that we are all the recipients of God's goodness.

--Russ Sharrock

 

 

Giving Thanks!

This month we wanted to take time and give thanks to God for the many blessings that He has given us. As you read what we are grateful for, please join us in giving thanks to God!

We are thankful for:

The many promises God gives us in His Word that enables us to persevere.

We are thankful for the big struggles, because is shows us that our God is stronger.

We are thankful for our families, and the unique traditions that we've established as a family.

We are thankful for the people God uses to remind us that He is the builder of His church, not us or our abilities.

We are thankful that God has given us good health so we could help others this week.

We are thankful for a house that has warm water and electricity.

I’m thankful that even though I lost my legs three years ago, I can still walk, drive, and serve the Lord.

We are thankful for the hope we have in the gospel of Jesus Christ. It has been amazing to

see how God is revealing Himself to the people of India.

We are thankful that God continues to show us the redemption He started in our lives. It never ceases to amaze me how sufficient His grace is.

We are thankful for each and every one of our donors who have given sacrificially and prayerfully for the cause of Christ.

We are thankful for His care, provision and protection over all of us.

I am thankful for my wife. This year we celebrated our 22nd wedding anniversary!

We are thankful for the increasing number of Hindus and Muslims who are coming to know Christ.

What are you thankful for? 

--Russ Sharrock

If you would like to give a year end donation right now for the furtherance of the gospel in India  just click HERE. Thank you. 

 

Discipling the Nations!

The Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) dominates most of our mission motivation. We always place our emphasis on obeying the command to “Go and baptize.” And “Discipleship” just becomes a task in the process. Unfortunately, many of our mission fields demonstrate our failure in providing adequate discipleship.

We assume discipleship means discipling individuals one at a time. Recent literature on missions by several missiologists says that we are called to disciple “nations.” “Nations” does not just mean ethnic communities or people groups, it also means political nations. We see this emphasis when we read the whole of the scripture and not just the Great Commission as rendered by Matthew.

Abraham was called to be a blessing to the “nations.” Israel was chosen to be a blessing to other “nations.” Joseph’s interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream brought all of Egypt and other nations to follow God’s instructions during the great famine. Prophets were commissioned to proclaim God’s word to the “nations.”

God judges and blesses nations. God even used other nations to bring judgment on Israel. Our God is the ruler of all the nations. Esther influenced a whole nation. We are called to disciple whole nations. It is in this context that we should see our mission.

America is not the only nation God is concerned about. America is not the only nation in the world. We need to go to the ends of the earth. America has always been an influence in the nations of the world in economics, politics, media, and technology and even in spirituality.

Does our mission strategy involve discipleship of other nations or are we still talking about discipling one individual at a time? We need a paradigm shift in our understanding of God’s mission of discipling a whole nation. We need to influence the whole society in its areas of influence like in arts, sports, entertainment, business & economics, education, media and governance.

We need to disciple a whole nation in the “way of the Lord.” Abraham’s call was not to just to follow God, but to bless other nations so that they can follow the way of the Lord. How many of us have received that calling? Discipling a nation requires us to reach out to the influencers – the middle class.

Discipling a nation does not mean just individual conversions, but leading a whole nation, community or society in the “way of the Lord.” Paul was seeking to disciple the whole Roman Empire and so he strategically placed himself in various cities. Paul’s ministry brought people from high places: synagogue rulers, city council members, people from the royal families, several leading business men and women, and even a philosopher in Athens – a member of the Areopagus. 

We need only 5% of the population as a critical mass to become a catalyst to bring change. Discipling nations have nothing to do with the numbers game. If we serve to transform those who have influence, a whole nation can be discipled to acknowledge Jesus as Lord.

Let us together disciple whole nations!

 

--Russ Sharrock

Check out our website HERE to see how you can be a part of our team to reach India with the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Looking Back, Moving Forward

God has done amazing things in 2013, and we are honored to be part of His work.  Many of you follow our blogs, and have seen our presentations and photos.  But what is the reality? 

India is a living kaleidoscope, ever changing, yet the same for millennia. It is hard to imagine unless you experience it: Oppressive tropical heat; crushing poverty; ear-shattering noise; terrifying traffic; glittering palaces and temples; millions of oppressive gods, crowds of men, women and children living their lives--with no understanding of the One True God.   A God of love, forgiveness and salvation who yearn for each of His children. And He wants them to know Him. That is why we go to India.  

The Annual Board Meeting of AIM will convene October 17th to look back over the past months, and seek God's direction for 2014.  Sounds impressive...but we are just ordinary people who are compelled by the Lord to bring His Gospel to people who have never heard the Name of Jesus. What is your part in bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to millions of lost souls? 

First, we know you are interested, since you are reading this newsletter. So, we ask for your

continued prayers, daily, weekly, in church and during your private quiet time. You are involved in our ministry! We need you to be deeply concerned in these last days--about the lost multitudes heading for eternal hell. Help us reach them!

As we said before, Asia International Mission has a two-prong goal: First, change the lives of  children so the next generation can escape inherent poverty and illiteracy—and impact their culture for Christ.  Second, enable national pastors and missionaries to reach their own people with the Gospel.  Whatever we do is committed to reaching these goals.

Looking back on our 3+ month trip, we are grateful for what the Lord has accomplished through us:

• Russ preached 31 times in 14 weeks, bringing the Gospel to many unreached people

• He led 5 Pastors’/Missionaries’ Conferences, equipping men in Leadership and Discipleship to bring Christ to their own people

• Alice led two Women’s Conferences, on for Pastors’ Wives—a first in that area

• The final two weeks, we and our Missions Teams led 2 VBS for over 200 children from slums, villages and a leper colony

• Two water wells were gifted—through your generosity—to ministries and their communities—we know they have already reaped several new souls for the Kingdom

• The new Sunshine Medical Clinic was opened in Bangalore, free to the poor.

Your giving is changing the lives of a whole community!

AIM now has five ministry partners in four states:  Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Orissa and West Bengal. Three have children’s ministries; one is a Bible College; the fifth is a missionary group reaching tribals from the seacoast to the mountains.

Our trip was extremely difficult and much more risky than we knew—we only realized the full extent after we had returned and read the headlines from the area.  The Lord protected us from Maoist rebels, political strikes and anti-Christian demonstrations.  After we left Orissa, 27 politicians and state police were ambushed and brutally murdered in nearby Chhatthisghar; recently, a national missionary was beaten to death.  As we left Bangalore, a serious outbreak of dengue fever erupted with about 1000 initial cases.  The Lord is truly merciful to us.

So what lies ahead?  Our plan is to return to Hyderabad and host “Christworks Ministries” conferences in January, instructing science teachers and pastors in teaching Biblical Creation through astronomy.  These facts will help counteract the deeply ingrained superstitions of astrology which govern the lives of most Indians—even young believers.  AIM’s strategy is to equip the people of India to reach India. This is a process of multiplication, far more effective than what we alone can do—our legacy for the Kingdom.

We also want to provide scholarships for 25 young village men at Shalom Bible College and send them out to plant new churches across the land ($50 each per month, $150 per semester, $450 per man for the entire course.)   The new Grace Children’s Home in Pithapuram would love to have us hold VBS for the children in the Home and surrounding slums. 

But—and this is a pivotal point—we cannot function without your help!  In order to return to India, Russ and Alice need $7000 for tickets, living expenses on the field, and the costs of the Creation Conferences.  (See Christworks Ministries’ website: christworksministries.org)  They have compiled a unique curriculum which we would like to translate into at least one Indian language—and it will remain free to everyone.  Please pray about helping us make our goals a reality!

It is hard to believe we have been going to India for ten years!  We will update you after our Annual Meeting.  Thank you for your faithful prayers and generous support!  May God bless you!

--Russ and Alice Sharrock

Asia International Mission is an IRS approved 501(c) (3) non-profit ministry.

All gifts are tax-deductible and 100% of donations are used as designated

The Water of Life

“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:13-14)   

Jesus spoke these words while sitting alongside a village well—and Alice and I have seen firsthand the importance of the village well in India.

New Well at Kondevaram

Most of us in America take water for granted. Just turn on the tap and there it is! But for 80% of India’s population, this basic life necessity is a continual challenge. Village wells may dry up—especially during drought season before the monsoon arrives.  It is not unusual for families to walk several miles just to find water for their household needs.   The water they do find is often stagnant and polluted. The people drink regularly from lakes, ponds, rivers, and canals—the same water used for bathing, laundry, watering cattle and drainage.

As a result, more than 1.8 million children under the age of five die each year because of contaminated drinking water (WHO estimate.) In fact, almost 80%f of all disease is from this source, primarily cholera, typhoid, roundworms, hepatitis and dysentery.  

Fresh, clean water is the primary health need worldwide. Water is the basis of life. Clean water elevates the health and productivity of families, children and communities. Easily available water 

improves the lives of rural women, who often spend 4 or more hours each day carrying water on their heads or shoulders.  In Andhra Pradesh alone, there are over 3,000 villages without a water source!  No wonder the struggle to rise out of the endless cycle of poverty and disease becomes a virtual impossibility.

Asia International Mission believes that the Gospel of Jesus must be shown in both word and deed. Your gift of a well through AIM is for people of all castes.  It supplies clean water all day, every day for the needs of an entire village—truly a gift that keeps on giving.

Yet compassion for the desperate physical need of water is not our primary goal.  Remember the whole story in the fourth chapter of John’s gospel? A woman coming for water heard about the Water of Life from the Messiah, believed in Him, and virtually the whole village came to Christ.  This is our purpose!

The village well in India is the gathering place for women each morning and evening, (Which is why the outcast Samaritan woman came at noon…) Greetings and gossip are exchanged. News of the day flies from mouth to mouth and family to family.In many cases menservants from upper caste households are there also, as well as children sent by their parents. 

When AIM drills a well, we usually place it next to the village church.  When it becomes known that   The pastor and his wife now have the opportunity to engage the villagers daily and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  The well we bored this April in Kondevaram village has already brought 5 new believers into the Kingdom and the new local church!

A Servant's Heart

all people are welcome to freely access pure water, they flood to the well and it develops into a village center.

In the coming year we have set our sights on the largest goal ever for this outreach—500 wells. Each well, with your help, will be a life-changing blessing to families and entire villages—and a wellspring for spreading the Gospel. Whether it’s in the mountains or the coastal plains of India, the cost of drilling a new well can vary from $500-$5000. 

You can help AIM bring a life-saving freshwater well to a village in India. Every dollar helps us toward the goal.  Please, partner with us today! 

If you are mailing your donation to the "Water of Life Fund" please send to: 

Asia International Mission

PO Box 1597

Stillwater, OK 74076

Donations can also be received using a credit card. You can securely donate by simply clicking the donate button now! 

Thank you for your generosity, and may God bless you greatly.   

—Russ Sharrock

 

Asia International Mission is an IRS approved 501(c) (3) non-profit ministry.

All gifts are tax-deductible and 100% of donations are used as designated

 

Training for the Future

Front Entrance of SBC

Shalom Bible College in Hyderabad is a new, yet essential partner with AIM. When our Executive Director Russ Sharrock met with the Founder and President of the College, Pastor Ravi Sundar, and heard his story and the vision for the work, he was truly impressed.

Most of us take the poverty in India for granted. This is the life that 75% of the population knows as reality—with little hope of improvement—due to many cultural issues.  Yet it is among the poorest castes and emerging tribals that Christianity is spreading like wildfire.

When men or women from this background are called by God, they seldom have adequate preparation for ministry, a solid Biblical foundation, or practical principles for evangelism and church planting. This is where Shalom Bible College fills the need.

Since foreign missionaries are prohibited from preaching the Gospel in India, training the Indian nationals and equipping them with the Word of God is an important strategy for evangelizing the country. Shalom Bible College was established for this sole purpose. 

The students are already residents of the area where they will serve, speak the language, and understand the local culture and customs. SBC offers an intensive one year Theology certificate based on the Word of God. Only 25 students are accepted per semester to ensure personal attention from qualified professionals. Almost 200 men and women have graduated from the Bible College since 2007. 

We had a chance to meet with several of them, hear how and where they are serving the Lord,

and had the honor of working with one of them for two days in his small rural village. If you would like to come to India with us, you will be able to personally experience the work these men are accomplishing for Jesus Christ! (And the risks they take...)

John Prasad is a quiet young man who has come a long way in his 24 years.  He grew up in a Hindu  But, instead, God led him to a Sunday school where he received the hope of Jesus Christ.  He began to teach Sunday school and his church gave him preaching opportunities. His pastor told him about Ravi’s Bible College—Shalom Veda Patasala—and he attended in 2009-10. 

Pastor John Prasad

family where his parents fought constantly. As a teen, he contemplated suicide because of the constant stress and emotional pain.

He was married to Amelia just over a year ago, and God blessed him with a church of 25 members in Allavaram village.  Prasad also has a job, and so he is able to help support other needy people with his tithing as an example to his congregation. 

As with many Christians in India, as soon as Prasad became a believer, his family expelled him from their home and lives.  Some time ago, a Hindu uncle attempted to bring about peace, but failed; the family remains estranged which is very difficult in a land where extended family relationships are the supporting fabric of life.

John Prasad's prayers are: To be able to minister full time; to plant a new church; and to have a motorbike so he can take the church youth out to evangelize.

Students of the Shalom Bible College

We are excited about the nature of the partnership, and the significant change the students will bring to these communities. A very clear strategy has been developed; the students are dedicated and not only trained, but given experience through regular village outreach opportunities where they pass out gospel tracts, New Testaments, and speak to people about Jesus. 

The passion of the men in the field was exciting to see, and each pastor is encouraged to plant at least ten churches in his lifetime.  

With 25 students graduated each year, we are looking at 750 new church plants every five years We are honored to be a partner in this venture of eternal significance—but we need your help!

Tuition for each college student is:
$50 USD per month.
$150 USD per semester
$450 USD per year

Your gift will be applied to room and board, tuition, and necessary school supplies.

Please help spread the Kingdom of God by supporting the Bible College now through the 

"Timothy Fund." Click on the donate button below and designate the funds in the drop down box:  

 When preparing your love gift as a check or money order, please make payable to “AIM”, and on the memo line please designate to the "Timothy Fund.” 

When mailing your donation to train a new pastor in India, please send to:

Asia International Mission

PO Box 1597

Stillwater, OK 74076 

 

 

Asia International Mission is an IRS approved 501(c) (3) non-profit ministry. 

All gifts are tax-deductible and 100% of donations are used as designated 

            

Rewards-Now or Later?

“So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.” (Luke 17:10)

Jesus needed His disciples to understand their proper place concerning their service to Him. They were to serve Him now for the joy ahead. This is the same way Jesus served His Father – service now / joy later. Do you think it is possible for you and me to simply serve the LORD from our heart now - without an expectation for immediate rewards?

The Lord may well affirm our faith-driven obedience. This affirmation can come through prayer,

through words of fellow-workers, through visible results, through Scripture and so many more ways. Because of our work-orientation in this life, we seem to readily apply the same to our spiritual walk. “I work and I get rewarded.”

When followers of Christ obey the Lord, they should not think they need or deserve an immediate reward from the Lord—the reward will follow when the service is completed.

So, I challenge you to count it all joy to work for the Lord, love Him for the opportunity, and continue to seek Him and His will?

—Russ Sharrock

 

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Prayer Requests

1)  In the village of dhepaguda, please pray for the man who has suffered for two years not being able to walk. Medications are not helping him.

2)  In the village of Ruguda, a mother has given birth to her baby two months premature. The baby is very weak, and has now been transported to the hospital in Paralakhemundi. Please  prayer that the baby will gain strength and grow healthy. And that the mother will soon be able to take the child home with her.

3)  Two Sundays ago, Missionary Ekalabya Jagaranga who has been trying to plant a new church in the village of Silimi in Orissa, 20 young men gathered and protested the planned ministry and worship service in this village, and threatened them with death. Out of fear for their lives, the people did not meet that Sunday. Please pray that the Lord God will change the hearts of those who threaten His people. And give the believers the faith and courage to continue to reach out with the good new of Jesus Christ.

Severe Flooding

Khammam District in North Andhra Pradesh is experiencing severe flooding. There are over 2.5

million people in this area, and thousands are being impacted by the high waters.

About 600 villages in Khammam district have been affected as flood waters overflowed on roads, bridges and culverts. Water entered many villages in Khammam and East and West Godavari districts.

Please prayerfully consider giving to help purchase Mosquito netting, medicines, food, clean water, blankets, etc. Even $10 will buy some rice and blankets. You can give on our secure website by using the Donate button below and then clicking on Disaster Relief in the drop down box. 

If you would rather send a check or money order you can send it to:

AIM 

PO Box 1597

Stillwater, OK 74076

Remember to write Disaster Relief on the memo line. Thank you.

--Russ Sharrock

Jesus—The Master Builder

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:1-3)

The Savior has been gone for two thousand years, and has not yet returned to this earth to receive His people to Himself. So what is the plan for His people on earth between His going and coming?

He is still focused on the plan He had over 2,000 years ago when he said, “…I will build my church,

and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” (Matthew 16:18b)  The head of the body, the church, is building His church during this time. The process of establishing local churches in cross-cultural environments is difficult at best, but not impossible, because Jesus is the Master church builder.

Everyone here at AIM has the privilege and responsibility of serving the head of the church, and participating in His plan as we wait for His return. Each of us has spiritual gifts and natural talents God has given to us. Jesus, the church builder, uses all kinds of people and talents as special tools to build the church around the world.

Please pray that we will keep focused on His plan for this church age. Work willingly as His tool. Wait patiently for His return. 

—Russ Sharrock