The Greatest Lesson I Ever Learned - Dr GD James

As I entered full-time ministry in 1995 I read a book compiled by Dr Bill Bright entitled, "The Greatest Lesson I Ever Learned". It was a collection of stories from Christian leaders. It inspired me to ask various Christian leaders in Australia that I knew (or, mostly, knew of) for their story. These have been sitting in my computer for 10 years waiting for publication, but I didn't collect enough to warrant publishing them. So, I am now posting them as blogs so the stories can get out there. I trust you enjoy them as much as I do.

Geoff


Dr. G.D. James

Emerging out of Hinduism in 1937, Dr. G.D. James has been engaged in full-time evangelistic ministry since 1940 in India, Malaysia, Singapore and Asia. In 1960 the Lord enabled Dr. James to found the Asia Evangelistic Fellowship which is one of the fastest growing third world Missions with 140 national missionaries engaged in dynamic evangelistic, training and church-planting ministry in 15 countries.

One of the top mass evangelists and conference speakers in today's world, Dr. G.D. James has held large-scale evangelistic crusades in Asia and around the world - thrilling his audience with his wit and humour. Recently Dr. James conducted a nation-wide crusade in Hong Kong called "LOVE HONG KONG MISSION" (24th April - 3rd May '87). When more than one million people were exposed to the Gospel through direct preaching, radio, TV and the newspapers and several hundreds of people were counselled for decision and dedication. Dr. James has spoken to seven million people directly and to hundreds of millions on the radio and TV. Little wonder that he is hailed as the "Billy Graham of Asia". A prolific, and articulate writer, Dr. G.D. James has authored 20 books - three of which are best sellers.

{Dr G.D. James passed into the presence of his Lord Jesus several years ago}

OUR OMNIPRESENT FATHER

It happened on one memorable night in July 1937 when I was studying at a Christian School in South India. I was reading from Isaiah Chapter 53 in my Tamil Bible when I was struck by a miraculous vision of Jesus Christ as if He was dying for me there and then. The misunderstandings and misgivings I had entertained about Christianity vanished. I was more than convinced that the Lord Jesus Christ was the Saviour of the world and my Saviour. With my eyes stung with tears, I knelt down and surrendered myself to Jesus.

During school vacation, I went and shared with my parents and other relatives' this most thrilling and exciting experience. As Hindus for generations, they were shocked and were furiously angry because they believed that I had disgraced them by accepting what they dubbed a 'foreign religion.' They gave me two options: either to give up the new religion and enjoy all the privileges of the home or to get out of the family for good lest I should be killed by one of them.

Confusion and perplexity throbbed at my seventeen year-old heart. Just then the words of the Lord Jesus came alive in full force: "I am with you always - even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20). Infused by a new courage, I left home that very midnight when everybody was asleep -- armed with my precious Bible and tracts in my shoulder-bag. With the Lord's help, when I had completed my academic studies after three years, the Lord called me to be a full-time preacher, and after much struggle, I abandoned myself to the Master, Jesus Christ, in response to this compelling call.

For a whole year (1940) I travelled from town to town and village to village in South India as an itinerant preacher. No church or Mission supported me. Many a time I went without food and some days the only nourishment I had were a couple of bananas and cold water. But the joy and excitement of the presence of my living Lord Jesus was so real that all the privations and persecutions dwindled to nothing. Again and again my divine Master reassured me that He was with me all the time and that I should not be afraid.

Things began to ease a little on my home front. In 1941, I went back to Malaysia from India as a missionary and, to begin with, gathered my relatives and friends at my father's home and taught them from the four gospels each night for six months. There was a clear evidence that the Lord's presence was with me in this venture. "All authority is given to me," the Lord Jesus assured me “go... and I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:18-20). The result was fantastic. Some 30 of my close relatives repented from their old sinful ways and trusted Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour and Lord. Mr Ernest Brewerton, a New Zealand Brethren missionary, baptised a few of these new converts and later I baptised the others with the result that a small church was established in the village.

At the end of 1941, the mighty conquering Japanese army descended upon South-east Asia - including Malaysia and Singapore. We were trapped in the doldrums of the Second World War for 3 1/2 years of suffering, privations and constant fear of being clapped into prison or brutally murdered by the Japanese soldiers. In spite of it all, the Lord enabled me to serve him faithfully. Only those locals who were employed by the Japanese or other business companies were safe to eke out a living. For me, to be a full-time preacher in those dreadful years was not only economically hard, but also highly dangerous, because all young men who did not have an 'employment certificate' were arrested and dispatched to Siam (now Thailand) to build the infamous 'death railway.' The Lord's words of assurance, "I am with you" and His conscious presence with me and my wife, Rose, were very real which empowered us to face each day in faith and confidence.

While conducting evangelistic campaigns in the major cities of India, Malaysia and Indonesia, there were occasions when some religious fanatics plotted to kill me or issued death-threats, but the Lord Jesus wonderfully protected me. In two cities - one in Indonesia and another in India - the leaders who carefully strategised to attack us were miraculously converted and their followers ran away. When the challenge came for me to speak to 30,000 to 70,000 people in India, Indonesia and Korea, I was filled with fear and trepidation but again the Lord's assurance armed me with fresh courage and zest. Hundreds of people received Christ as their Saviour at these mammoth crusades.

At the invitation of churches in Singapore and Malaysia. I conducted evangelistic campaigns with abounding blessing. Financially, I was better supported than some Western missionaries. In 1960 while recovering from a heart attack, the Lord very powerfully gave me the vision to start the Malaysia Evangelistic Fellowship, later known as the Asia Evangelistic Fellowship. This brought much persecution and affliction. A cruel web of conspiracy was engineered by a couple of missionaries who influenced the leadership of our church. The result was that the level of our financial support dropped considerably. We had six young children to feed and faced great agony. The gentle, healing words of the Lord Jesus were again heard "I am with you... don't be afraid." The Lord worked some miracles and vindicated us. After three years, our oppressors' gossips were proved wrong to the Christian public and things began to improve. The Asia Evangelistic Fellowship has been much blessed by the Lord that we now have more than 110 national workers engaged in dynamic evangelistic and missionary work in 15 countries. Those who did their utmost to destroy the Mission are all gone, but the Mission which the Lord established is growing from strength to strength.

Satanic attacks were unleashed against me in various ways: sometimes one's own loved ones and close friends hindering the ministry for ostensibly 'good reasons.' At times some 'Christian' leaders concocted false accusations against me, but my Lord and Master whispered "I am with you; the servant is not greater than his Master", strengthened me to go on in the Lord's Rescue Mission of depopulating hell! The Lord also equipped me with three most powerful weapons to use against my enemies - love, prayer and forgiveness, before which my most formidable foes fell flat, disarmed and in disarray.

The greatest lesson I have ever learned in all these 55 years of my ministry as the servant of the Most High God is that the Lord Jesus is a living Saviour who will not leave me or forsake me - whatever happens or whoever opposes me or the ministry. Hence the Lord changes problems into prospects, persecutions into possibilities and tragedies into triumphs.