The Rock 100.5 Interview — K.P. Yohannan

Good morning, it's 1030 and time now for all you ever wanted to know, I'm Scott Fitzsimmons and today we've got a very special guest with us on the phone and all the way from Texas right now and you may recognize his name, his voice from Road to Reality, a program that we run here on the station that is a product of Gospel for Asia and so we've got to K .P. Yohanan here, the author of No Longer a Slumdog, Bringing Hope to Children in Crisis.

So K .P. it's great to be talking with you today, how are you doing?

Yeah, doing well, thank you so much, I'm so glad, especially knowing that we are talking to wonderful people of Canada.

Well it's great to connect because I know that we've connected in different ways and we've seen people in this community that want to support Gospel for Asia and it's great to play the program but it's also great to see another avenue of your ministry in this book so it'll be great to connect with you on this level.

Writing *No Longer a Slumdog* After Seeing Children’s Suffering

Tell me right off the bat, what is it that made you write this book, No Longer a Slumdog?

Yeah you know, at least for 10 -15 years I became keenly aware of the plight, the suffering of children in Southeast Asia, especially among the 5 million people who live in the slums in Mumbai or Bombay.

I'd seen it, I'd bet over it and I saw it and we'd been ministering among these children and these Dalit communities but when I saw the movie Slumdog Millionaire, I just cried and cried and I realized, dear me, this is not just a movie, this is lives and agony of children and I decided that since we've been doing a lot to rescue these children and give them hope and that reality really gave me the inside drive to sit down and write this book which obviously by God's grace has become a huge blessing for a lot of people.

Very nice, well it's great that you've got the avenue to be able to do this and I'm so glad that you were able to put this through. Now you talk about these Dalits in the book, can you tell us who they are?

The Dalits and the Oppression of India’s Caste System

Well you know the Dalits are also known as the untouchables. This comes under the Hindu caste system which has been in India for 3 ,000 years from the time the Aryans or Eurasians invaded the country and brought in this religious brainwashing system that divided the people into different castes and the Dalits represent one third of the country which is 280 million of the people of India are known as the untouchables.

The simple way to explain these people, they are the worst of slaves of any kind, abused, tortured, murdered, used, misused by the upper caste and think about this, 62 million child laborers in India alone and most of these children working from morning till night in the carpet making factories or other places for 10 -15 cents for the whole day's work, they never go to school and the plight of these people is so huge and the children we are talking about like in the movie Slumdog Millionaire, if you ever saw that movie you can see the slum that is raided and people brutally murdered, all happened to be the Dalits, the untouchables, done by the upper caste and so like the slavery in the United States or in England, this is only a thousand times worse and the beautiful thing about it is now these are the people who are saying we are sick and tired of this horrible caste system and we are giving this up, embracing a faith that will help us to know that we have dignity, that there is a God who loves us and caring for these people and loving them is exactly what Jesus would want us to do so that they will experience freedom and hope that is in Jesus.

Wow. Now has there been any change in their lives over the last 100 years?

Freedom and Hope Through the Gospel

Well, you know, I mean I would say any significant change we got to take place maybe in the last 20 years or so when, you know, it's like the children of Israel in the book of Exodus, you know, they had enough of the pain and agony, they cried out to God, God have their praise, the same with the Dalits of India and their leaders saying that enough is enough and we have to get out of this curse and Jesus, you know, is the one who said if none of man set you free, you are free indeed and they find out in Jesus there is hope and of course you know caring for their children like the way we do in the name of Jesus make it an incredible open door for us to, you know, say how much God loves them and it is working.

Like in Nepal, for example, we started 22 schools, Bridger Hope Centers and 6 ,000 children and so far in those unreached areas we have over 70 churches planted, people that came to know Jesus simply because they saw the love of Christ, caring for these kids when nobody cared for them and the whole community is impacted because I believe one of the major reasons for the poverty and the suffering and the calamity has to do with the religion and what people believe or what they don't believe and this is where the gospel of Christ becomes so important as we communicate this through any means we can and that's a key thing.

Jesus’ Concern for Children and the Church’s Responsibility

Now in your book you tell the stories of children who have come out of hopeless situations. What do you think. God's heart is for children who are still trapped?

Well, you know, think about this in the gospel of Matthew chapter 18, you know, Jesus talking about who is the greatest in the kingdom. He didn't talk about rich and famous, you know, educated, smart.

He simply said, you know, children and he used them and then he said as an illustration, look, there are angels assigned to watch all these kids and don't mistreat them, don't abuse them, be kind to them and I think these children in India or China or Burma or Bhutan or Africa, anywhere, God has very special concern for these children and Jesus said when you care for them, you are receiving me and my father into your circumstances and that's the reason I think it is an absolute important thing for the body of Christ.

We don't wait for someone to convince us you have to do something, but rather we should go after possibilities where we can minister to these children and care for them, rescue them in the name of Jesus and that's very, very significant in the scripture.

And our future, both Canadians or Americans, the future of our economy, our church and our nations very much depend on how much we will care for the suffering and the needy around the world and do so in the name of Jesus also.

So it is important for us in every way.

Well, this is, it's great to hear from you and hear you talk about this and we're going to be talking more with K .P. Yohannan about the book, No Longer a Slumdog, Bringing Hope to Children in Crisis and we are going to be back right after this on All You Ever Wanted to Know.

We're back here on All You Ever Wanted to Know. We are talking with K .P. Yohannan who is the author of the book No Longer a Slumdog and Dr. K .P. Yohannan is the founder and the international director of Gospel for Asia and this book, this is a book that I'm sure everybody is going to want to get their hands on to read and really see what's going on.

Now if people want this book, how can they get it?

Yeah, you know, all they need to do is go to our website www .gfa .org, gospelforasia .org and it is a free book. We'll send it to them, no obligation, postage paid and of course, you know, they can buy it from some bookstores.

I think $12 or $14, whatever, but you know, to our listeners, we'd be very delighted to give this. And then also, there's a telephone number they can call, 888-WIN-ASIA, W-I-N-A-S-I-A, and ask for the book also, they will send it, you know, from our Canadian office without any delay.

Very nice. And, you know, I get, you know, emails continually from people who read this book and say, you know, our entire family, our children's lives and everything is impacted. Understanding what's happening, it's not a book created for guilt or condemnation or people feel bad about it, but rather a huge world of wonderful things happening and how we can enter into it.

Living in the Light of Eternity Rather Than Materialism

Wow. That is awesome to be, you know, to see, and obviously, people are jumping on board with this. The forward of this book is by Francis Chan, who is obviously, you know, a writer in his own right and really working in the ministry as well, so it must be encouraging to see people jumping on board with this.

Yeah, you know, people like Francis Chan, you know, he went to India two weeks and spent at these Bridge of Hope centers and saw what's going on, and of course, you know, I tell everybody, you know, please get hold of the book Erasing Hell by the latest book by Francis and read it, because, you know, 100 years from now, what does it really matter?

You are not going to drive your car, I'm not going to live in the house I live in, and all the stupid, shallow, you know, stuff that we actually live for and worry about, really, it has no meaning. Life is so, so short, and we must live our life in the light of eternity, and we are not made to live here forever.

You know, Randy Alcorn's book, Heaven, is one of the must-read for every believer to know that, you know, we are destined. We are destined to be with the Lord for ever, and 10 billion trillion years will not be even the beginning of eternity.

Why do we waste our life for the things of the world, for opinions of people, and, you know, honor of men, and the materialism, and all those things, we must plug in to love Jesus and be completely His, to do whatever He wants to do through our earthen vessels in our generation.

And this is the body of Christ's privilege, and we must respond to it.

It's true. Now, you talk about, in this book, No Longer a Slumdog, Bringing Hope to Children in Crisis. You mention in the book about meeting a beggar girl on the streets of Bombay. Can you tell us about your experience with that?

A Beggar Girl’s Story and a Call to Repentance

You know, I was running for, to go where I was going to go, and that night I had to catch a Lufthansa flight from Bombay to Frankfurt, and they're on the street. I mean, anytime, if you've been to Bombay, you know, dozens and dozens of children come, you know, all around you begging for a few pennies and whatever else, and this is one of those things, one of those times.

You know, I saw it so many times, and I didn't want to respond to it, then all of a sudden. And then I heard this voice from behind me, saying in a Hindi language, Sir, my father died, and my mother is sick, and she can't beg anymore, and I have a little brother, and he's so hungry.

Would you please give me a few pennies that I may buy some bread and take it to him? Somehow I turned around and looked at this girl, maybe eight, nine-year-old girl, wearing long rags, holes all over, her long black hair, so long, so lengthy, and her big brown eyes, but dust mingled with the sweat running down her face, and she was standing there with these eyes that, and I couldn't move, the light turned green, and people walked away, we were going on, and I just stood there, transfixed.

I took all the money I could find from my pocket and gave it to her, and I walked away. It was strange, after Christ himself then joined me on the walk and said, so, you just met that girl, what do you think about her?

I care about her. But then he said, do you care about her, love her like you love your own daughter? That made me too weak. I have my daughter Sarah, born and raised in the United States, in all the comforts and her own private room and everything else, and Christ was asking me, the age of your daughter, who lives on the street, hungry and dying, and that made me to repent.

Honestly, I'm so superficial, I just said to you, I care about you, but really, I can't imagine it is my own daughter, living on the streets of Bombay, begging for a few pennies to buy a piece of bread, and I repented, and I said, Lord, I commit my life to you, not just as a preacher, as a leader, or theologian, or mission leader, but I just want to be your life, and your hand, and your tears, to respond to these children, and I must tell you, that was one of the encounters in my life that changed me forever, and today, when I think about 60 ,000 children we have in our homes, and when I say, Lord, I wish I could help another 500 ,000 children.

John 4 and Recognizing Self-Centeredness in Ordinary Encounters

And, you know, most people don't understand, like the Gospel of John, Chapter 4, Jesus uses common, normal incidents in our life, like when we're driving along, or in the shopping center, or standing, you know, to buy something at Tim Hortons, or airports, God speaks to us, and if you're willing to listen, often He speaks to us about our self-centeredness, our own selfishness.

We have no problem buying another new, expensive, leather-bound Bible. We have no problem about buying a computer for ourselves, or television, or a new Christian book, or a Christian music CD for the world, never seen one page of the Bible.

They have never heard Jesus died for them on the cross. Why. I must continue to spend my money on things, even in the name of spirituality, when I could do something to reach them with the love of Christ.

And, you know, even today, I run into experiences like that, and repent, and ask God for forgiveness, and make new decisions, and go on with my life, and that's my encouragement to all my brothers and sisters that are listening to us.

You know, our life never should be for ourselves, but for others, and we do so because we love Him. We love Jesus, and He's the one who's living and working through us, and then we'll become more unselfish.

Well, it's incredible to hear these stories, and hopefully it's touching other people as well, because the reality is, you're right, that there is a comfort to hear that we get kind of stuck in, even inside of our spiritual lives, that we kind of forget about the outside world.

Embracing the Cross Through Generosity and Sacrifice

Around us. Yeah, you know, I mean, think about it, how blessed we are in Canada, how blessed we are in the United States, you know. When I was in China, the brothers were telling me how they baptized people in the middle of the night with a candlelight in their horse.

When I was in Orissa, recently I saw the brothers and sisters' scars on their face, broken bones, for the sake of Jesus. You know, so for us, I don't think we should feel guilty for being born in the United States or Canada or have the freedom we have, but to those, much is given, much shall be required, and suffering never is imposed on us, and it is something we must embrace the cross, dying to self, so that we can fast and pray more, we can give unselfishly.

Christmas time comes, we are not worried about how many gifts I get or I can give, but rather how all of us can give something away to reach the lost world, and you know, this is what you talk about in Gospel of Asia, about Christmas gift that you can give to touch the lives of people.

We have a catalog that talks about that. You know, we bring hope to 75 ,000 homes in many of these nations that never knew there was a Christmas, by giving them a water buffalo, or a sewing machine, or a bicycle, or whatever we can do to demonstrate that Jesus actually is real, and He loves them.

I mean, it's not just giving money is the important thing, it is our heart. I mean, there may be somebody who got nothing to give, and God is not demanding you, you know, borrow money from somewhere and send to some mission organization.

No, I think it is more our hearts broken with the things that break God's heart in prayer, and emotions, and you know, going to the person next door from our, you know, community, or somebody standing there in the hamburger shop buying a hamburger, and we can talk to them, and can share with them about, you know, eternity and the love of Christ.

And no matter what, I mean, there's a million things. The idea is always, I'm here, 1 John chapter 2 verse 6, with that mindset. It says, we now must live in this world as Jesus lived, and that's all there is.

You're listening to All You Ever Wanted to Know. We are talking with KP Johanan, the author of No Longer a Slumdog, Bringing Hope to Children in Crisis. If you want to find out more, go to the website www .gfa .org, that stands for Gospel for Asia, and there is a Canadian phone number, once again, 1 -888-WIN-ASIA, that's a W-I-N-A-S-I-A, if you want to find out more to get yourself that book.

So we're going to continue talking with KP Johanan right after this on All You Ever Wanted to Know. We're back here on All You Ever Wanted to Know. Scott Fitzsimmons talking with KP Johanan, the author of the book No Longer a Slumdog, Bringing Hope to Children in Crisis, but he is also the founder and international director of Gospel for Asia, and also the host of the program Road to Reality, we get to hear every week here on the station.

It's great to talk to you, KP, to get kind of an idea about what this book is about, what are some of the things that God has been doing in your life in the last little while. Now, we have a question.

The Gospel as the Source of Lasting Change

What is it that is producing lasting change in.

These children's lives and their families? You know, as the body of Christ Christians, we are not ignorant about the crisis in Africa, in Sudan, in India, you know, in Bangladesh, or Pakistan, Iraq, or anywhere in the world.

And we can be so superficial about the hunger and politics and problems, everything. But really, when it's all boils down in America, there's the bottom line is this. The only answer to anything and all things we deal with, it is the Lord Jesus Christ.

And the world is plunged into darkness and chaos, because of sin and darkness. And the only way out of it is the Gospel, the Good News, the Lord Jesus Christ. And when we refuse to understand that, we cannot be the answer to the whole world.

And we are the light to the world. And Jesus is the answer. And so, when you think about the plight of the 1 .2 billion people in India, the suffering of the Dalits, the untouchables, and we think about Afghanistan with 17 million people with less than 200 known believers in the entire country.

When you think about Iran, when you think about the Muslim countries, over a billion people, you know, we must understand God cares, and He loves, and He provides the answer. He sent the Lord Jesus Christ, and He died on the cross, He was buried, He rose again, and we must share this Good News.

And the Good News is shared sometimes by radio, television, books, materials, Bibles, caring for the poor, the needy, the sick, the leper colonies. You know, I just heard last week in West Bengal, in northeast of India, we have a hospital only for the people who are lepers or contract the leprosy, leprosy patients.

And 2 ,000 people who were contracted with leprosy or leprosy patients gave their lives to the Lord, baptized, and worshiping the Lord Jesus Christ. And when our leader told me this, I basically was crying on the telephone, because he said, he said, you know, you should, you should see these people.

Some of them lost their fingers, their nose, their ears, but they clapped their hands with their thumbs and worshiped the Lord Jesus Christ. And I said, how did that happen? And he said, we just cared for them.

We cleaned their wounds. We cleaned out their pus and the blood oozing from their legs and hands and their ears, and we wind them up, and we tell them, we do this because of Jesus. And you know, one by one, these people give their lives to Christ.

Then we take the children from these leper families, people who are lepers, and if we can get these kids before they are age nine and take them to school and take care of them, they'll never become sick, and they'd never contract leprosy.

So what I'm saying is, is that sometimes we are so lost in our own world of Christmas and our comfort and ease and our megachurches and our music and our worship and our knowledge and our counseling, our family problems.

We don't realize there are people by millions living in our world that have no hope. And we are the only hope, not the angels, but we are. And so when I talk to people, God's people, and I say in Canada, in India or Europe or anywhere, which I travel continually and talk to people, and say, look, find the heart of God, and then you will automatically become His agent of reconciliation and hope for people everywhere.

And so for us, the Gospel of Asia, we live with the reality of over a billion people that do not know Jesus, leper colonies and children and Dalits and all that, and everything we do, we say, look, we are responsible.

Whether you are American or Canadian or German or Indian or Yugoslavian or Burmese, we are the body of Christ. We must respond to the whole world and the suffering and do everything we can. And especially when it comes down to children, I think it is more critical than any other people group or any other or a billion children under the age of 14, the potential possibility for us to see them come to know the Lord Jesus Christ.

And that's what I talk about in my book, No Longer a Slumdog. And again, I encourage people to get it. There's no cost, no demand. They can get it free and read it and see what the Lord will tell them, how they can live their life in Canada or wherever they are in the light of eternity.

Well, thank you so much. It's been great to talk to you today about this book that you've written called No Longer a Slumdog, Bringing Hope to Children in Crisis. Once again, if you want a copy of this book, check out the website, www .gfa .org, that stands for Gospel for Asia.

And the Canadian phone number is 1 -888-WIN-ASIA. That's W-I-N-A-S-I-A. Thank you so much for being here today, KP. It's been wonderful to talk to you. And we look forward.

To talking to you again sometime. It's got blessings on you. I'm so glad I could talk to.

You. Well, I look forward to talking to you again. This will not be the last time, I guarantee you that. But thank you so much and God bless. This has been all you ever wanted to know. Once again, talking with KP Yochanan, author of No Longer a Slumdog, Bringing Hope to Children in Crisis.

Thank you so much for listening today. Coming up next, it is The Trading Post after your 11 o 'clock news. Have yourself a wonderful day and be blessed.