“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good, and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” – Luke 6:45 On the occasion of Gospel for Asia’s 40^th anniversary, being celebrated throughout 2019, Missions Box would like to share some of the most compelling words spoken by Gospel for Asia (GFA) founder, Dr. K.P. Yohannan, throughout his four decades of ministry. When we consider the good treasure that has come forth from the abundance of his heart, we can understand why the Lord has used him and the ministry of Gospel for Asia (GFA) so abundantly for these past 40 years.

1. “When our service for the Lord becomes so busy that we forget the Lord Himself, it is time to stop everything and seek Him.” — The Lord’s Work Done in the Lord’s Way

2. “Discipline, pain, sacrifice and suffering are rewarded with fame and fortune in the world. Why then do we refuse to accept it as a normal part of giving spiritual birth in the kingdom of our Lord?” — The Road to Reality

3. “God’s word tells us that righteousness is a gift; it cannot be earned. But godliness is not a gift. We must pay a price to touch godliness through a daily decision to die to self and embrace the cross.” — Touching Godliness

4. “No one wants to be disliked, hated or misunderstood—especially by family, friends and loved ones. But this is often exactly the price to be paid by anyone seriously wanting to follow Jesus into a life of servanthood.” — The Road to Reality

5. “We will never come to the place of being holy enough for God to hear our prayer. Rather, we stand before the Lord pure, transparent and righteous because it is a gift He has given us through His Son. It is not something we can earn. We are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. It is nothing we attain. It is only by grace that we are children of God.” — Learning to Pray

6. “We could read every book ever written on prayer, but that won’t make us people of prayer. We learn to pray by doing it.” — Learning to Pray

7. “How many more cars, clothes, toys, and trinkets do we really need before we wake up and realize that half the world goes to bed every night with empty stomachs and naked bodies?” — No Longer a Slumdog

8. “Neglecting to bathe the ministry in prayer leaves us just workers, not worshipers. When we unite in prayer, there is incredible power.” — Living in the Light of Eternity

9. “Real Christians accept suffering as a normal part of following Christ, just as mothers accept labor as a normal part of delivering a baby. . . Until we can accept suffering, sacrifice, and self-denial as routine and normal, we will never see the Great Commission fulfilled in our generation.” — The Road to Reality

10. “Since when has obedience to Christ and His Gospel become optional to Christianity?” — The Road to Reality

There are rich themes woven through Dr. KP Yohannan’s words. They are themes that come out of the abundance of his heart: willing submission to Christ, the power and necessity of prayer, the denial of self, the need for constant closeness with the Lord, forsaking comfort for the sake of others, and humility.

May the Lord continue to bless this humble man and the incredible ministry that the Lord has entrusted to Him.

May we pray and live as Dr. KP Yohannan does,

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer. – Psalm 19:14

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