Testimony - the Deep Impact That My Mother on My Life (Dutch) — K.P. Yohannan

I was born and raised in a tiny village in a tiny state in the extreme southern part of India. And I had the privilege to be born in a Christian home. And when I was eight years old, my mother explained to me about giving my heart to Jesus.

And I didn't have any big sins to confess. And she said, Jesus gave his life for you. You ask him to come into your heart. And my mother was a very godly individual. She was about four feet, maybe two, three inches tall.

A Mother's Life of Prayer and Devotion

With a small frame. But incredibly bright eyes. And she loved Jesus. She has six children. And the Emerson family. And when I was a small boy growing up in my home, I used to hear her say these words so many...

I didn't know where it comes from. It was like she was spaced out. It means like she was in some other world. It was like she was in another dimension. And she was talking to someone. And then I heard her say, who do I have in heaven other than you, gentlemen?

And here on earth I desire nothing more than you. And I didn't understand that. But when I got older, I saw that it was in the Bible. And early in the morning, around three, four o 'clock at night, she was already awake.

Sleeping. And then she left her bedroom and went straight to the living room, where the whole family came to pray. And she had the shawl on her head, and she would pray two, three hours every morning.

And then, when it was 6 .30 or so, she waked all the kids for family prayer. I never saw her reading anything else other than the Bible. I never knew she ever left my tiny village. But she loved him so much.

And my father was a very righteous man. But I don't think he ever understood my mother. He was a good man. But she was a strange individual living in a hole. She was lost in a different world. And I remember this.

A Mother's Hidden Prayer for a Son to Serve God

When I finished my high school, and I said to my parents, they would allow me, I would like to go and serve Christ. She was sitting by the dining table on the bench. Before I could finish my sentence, she jumped up!

Go! Go! I thought she hates me. And I was the accident. She couldn't wait to get off me. And the only Operation Mobilization went off to North India. Yeah, you move it. And back to North India. After two years in North India, I got beaten up.

Persecution While Learning to Follow the Lord

Persecuted. Driven out from villages. No, I was not a great evangelist. Just learning what it means to follow the Lord. After two years I came home. Traveling back 2 ,000 miles. And I remember she said, I want to tell you a story that you do not know about.

She was cooking in the kitchen. She said, come and sit down. She said, you remember the day you came and said you'd like to go and serve God? Yeah, mother, I remember that very well. You hate her? She said, son, you don't know that.

Here's a story. She said, I prayed all the years of my life that one of my sons would go and serve God. One by one they were defaming and business and all that. Somehow I was losing my hope. And when you were growing up skinny, timid, and shy, I lost all my hope.

She said, that's when I decided to fast and pray. Three and a half years, every Friday she fasted for one subject. One day Jesus called one of my sons to serve Him. And then you said that. I knew God answered my prayer.

Discovering His Mother's Hidden Generosity

Now you know how my life is and what impact I had on my life. In August 1990 I was flying from the United States to Seoul, Korea to speak at a conference. When I got to Bombay I heard my mother was taken ill with a heart problem to a hospital.

My father passed away a little too earlier. So I cancelled my trip and went down to the south to be with my mother. She was 84. In the morning at 6 .15 she passed away. Possibly the saddest time of my life.

I never forget looking at my mother's face as she was lowered into the ground. And I said goodbye. The following day my brothers and I gathered together to talk about our mother. And all of her sons would give her what she wanted.

She lacked nothing. But the problem was we didn't see her spending the money. So during the discussions someone asked the question does anyone know how much money our mother left in the bank? So one of my brothers pulled out a notebook and he said I found this under the pillow of our mother's bed.

And I was terribly curious what is in it? And he tore the pages. He said pages after pages a scribbling of our mother's hand. Names of dozens of people some studying the Bible school some on the mission field and there's each name the amount of money she was sending them.

And he said there's nothing in the bank. And I broke down and began to weep. No, not because there was no money in the bank. Because two years prior to her death I was visiting my village. I saw my mother wearing the cloth that was torn from here to here from the blouse.

Sacrificial Living and a Final Gift for the Gospel

And she was hand-stitched. In America you call it Mickey Mouse Jaw. And I was so angry. I said, mother what's wrong with your head? What's wrong with you? Don't you care about your son? Go to the wall and despise about us.

You're putting cow dung on our head. You're putting cow dung on our face. Shame is on our face, mother. You know, preachers can get really angry. And after I finished my preaching she looked at me with an incredible smile and said these words.

My little boy you don't understand nothing. Someday you'll understand. Nothing else she would say. Here I'm sitting in the room. And she walked back to the room with her arms around me and says, son, you're welcome.

I could have purchased a brand new dress every month. I could do anything like anyone else. But that is not the end of the story. In her last will she left with the sons. When I'm dead and gone the only thing I will leave behind is my earrings my wedding ring and the gold chain my husband gave me when he married me at the age of 18.

Sell these items and give the money to preach the gospel among people. They never heard my Jesus name. I want to leave them also in heaven. That was my mother. Her husband didn't understand her. None of her sons understood her.

None of her friends knew her. Do you think she is now with Jesus saying I wish I lived for myself a little more. If she could not believe she is her son keep going. You are a stranger and a pilgrim on the side.

Living as Pilgrims for Jesus

Nothing is permanent there on earth. The only thing real is Jesus. Live for him. I cannot give you 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 things you should do. But the Holy Spirit came to lead us to him and I plead with you for two things.

Fall in love with him again. Love of him. You are going to see him someday. Make every decision you make in the light of 100 years from now. Be silent more than talking. Don't worry much about what people think about you.

It's only important that he knows you. That you know him. Secondly live your life to see others come to Christ. For this Jesus died. And today you and I are called to reach the lost world. For my mother it was her personal journey.

For you he must find that. And nothing in this world is important. The only thing you take with you are the souls that you prayed for and gave your money, gave your life and gave your time to see them come to know this Jesus that you love.

Calling Believers to Reach the Lost

And may the Lord give you grace. And I appreciate you praying for us. We just got one thing on our mind to know him better and reach the lost world. But there are still two things we need to hear about Jesus.

How can they believe unless they hear about him? Pray for us. And pray that the Lord give us understanding about our future here in Europe. That is praying. Dear Jesus we want to thank you for this evening.

A Prayer for Revival in the Netherlands

Thank you for these precious beautiful days of fellowship and learning. Lord I pray you bless this great moment that you raised up. Lord let revival start here in the Netherlands. Use these my brothers and sisters to that end.

Help us to live for you. Thank you for your grace. In Jesus name. Amen. Thank you again.