Monday, August 19, 2013

THE FIRST TIME I EVER PREACHED - KNEE-KNOCKING AND KNOCKING OUT SOMEONE!

Duke Jeyaraj note to his school mates written earlier and edited now on the significance of August 9th in his life.


I write this piece as a grateful man. I am grateful to my Creator. And my classmates. August 9 is a special day in my life. The reason? My birthday? Nope. The day I was Born Again?! No. It was on that dramatic I got on stage to proclaim God's Word. It happened in a special captains assembly in Ida Scudder School (Vellore) - 19 years ago - August 9, 1991, as a 16 year old.

I remember clearly how it all happened. After the list of captains and prefects was announced our Principal then Mr.MM Mathews asked School Captain Shameen to lead the assembly teaming up with the entire elected team of leaders. I remember Shameen walking up to me, the Lincoln House captain, and asking me to share the message on that day. I agreed with my knees knocking and my heart ready to burst forth. What made Shameen walk up to me still remains a mystery.

But I am glad for what happened after that. With fear and trembling I preached my first ever sermon from that wooden stage in Scudder School in Vellore Town in Tamil Nadu on 9 August. It was a sermon on hell, I recollect. I recollect my class-mate Neeta Wilfred read a passage from Mathew 18 before I went in. "Better to go to heaven with one eye and one hand rather than go to hell with two eyes and two hands!" was the text. I recall how one of the students fainted after hearing that message. Apparently, she was too stunned to hear such straight preaching on hell. It was really an unusual baptism into preaching for me. God was clearly telling me, "You've got to preach Duke. That is one of the callings I have placed on your life!" When I hit the rewind button I recall how many of you walked up to me to say that was not at all that bad (even though I myself know that what my flaws were then).

Did Roshni (Roshni Chandran) sing "Spirit of the Living God" as a solo with Babloo (Dr. Solomon Satish Kumar) on the keys before I started? I am not sure if that happened on August 9 - but it did happen on one more occasion I took the mike to preach in grade 12 in Scudder School. I thank God for what happened that day.
On an earlier occasion I could not even say two lines in a drama I had to do from that same wooden stage (a drama that featured some pretty girls and some of your are smiling!). I told the Lord following that fiasco that I would never get on stage for him. "I can set the mike for some other more talented and more charismatic person to get on stage to preach but I will not do it myself!" I told my Maker then. But thank God for unanswered prayers!

What I started to do that day I continue to do all these twenty-two years. I have some fond memories - preaching to a group of youth in Germany, preaching in the CMC chapel, preaching to 1000 plus youth from 54 corporates and 147 colleges in Hyderabad, preaching in MCC to hip youth who were ready to shoot me down and doing it okay, speaking inside MindSpace IT Park in Hyderabad to curious, cerebral IT pros from various faiths in an open-air theatre and having them spell-bound, hearing from an American School boy that he hadn't heard anyone speak with forthrightness as yours truly on the subject of sexual immorality, etc, etc. I remember the tears at the altar, the stunned silence, the crackles of laughter, the young man from Africa asking if he can have the mike I just preached from so that he could publicly confess the sin of porn addiction he was repenting from, etc, etc.

Even as I write these lines on 8 August 2013, I rub my eyes in disbelief to see over 100,000 hits on the youtube channel (www.youtube.com/visitduke) featuring my Bible talks on sex, love, marriage, misssion and more. I am floored that someone moved by the Holy Spirit would sponsor a unlimited pro Sound Cloud account (www.soundcloud.com/shoutaloud) to enable me to host audio sermons making it convenient for a wider audience to hear me.

I am truly humbled and teary-eyed to acknowledge this: even though there are many more eloquent speakers than me, yet God in amazing mercy chose me to be one of his fulltime spokespersons for the Google Generation and gave me a privilege to serve him in one corner in His Big Kingdom. I get goosebumps that I can now do full-time what I started to do that day - August 9, 1991 - so nervously, so unsure of myself. All by the sheer grace of God! Thank you classmates for the encouragement! Thank you Grabbing the Google Generation Mission (www.facebook.com/googleduke - the official page of the organization that Duke founded in 2006) partners and volunteers for standing with me. Glorious and precious are those memories!

Note about picture: This is me, donning the MC role in a Variety Entertainment Event in my school, the year being 1991/92. There were no pictures taken when I preached my first sermon on August 9, 1991. But this is how I looked - lanky, unimpressive, afraid, etc., etc., Recalling I Cor. 1:26 - 30: 26 For consider your calling, brothers: mnot many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

YOUR WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT – SENT FROM NEW ZEALAND TO VENEZUELA!

Testimonies DUKE JEYARAJ AND EVAN DUKE have received of late

 
 Awesome Duke anna…Love this study…taught me and enlightened me. a Corporate Professional living in New Zealand after watching a YouTube video of Duke’s 2 Peter Bible Bible Book Summary Study where he talks about the dangers of ‘hyper’ grace false teaching.

It is AMAZING to read of what the Lord is doing through you and of your passion for Him. I am more than impressed to see how promptly and passionately and clearly you address contemporary issues that matter to the G Gen.Rev. Arun Andrews responding to Duke’s Sexual Ethics Bible Study titled “Thinking Black And White About Sexual Ethics In The 50 Shades Of Grey Generation.” 
 
Thanks a lot Anna and Akka for taking time and hearing me. I'm grateful. Your words of counseling mean a lot. I’ll definite keep loving my husband more.an email which we received after a young married person from the United States of America received online counseling from Duke & Evan.
 
Do you know that you are one of the best speakers I have ever come across?from Bangladesh.

Thank you for your teachings on Boaz and Ruth. - a woman from Atlanta, Georgia. 

God bless you sister Evangelin and Brother Duke for preaching the Right and True Living Word of Him. - Comment on Evan Duke's YouTube message, “How To Choose A Life Partner,” from someone living in Venezuela.  

Duke, enjoyed reading this article (“Maundy Thursday Message For In-Love-With-Unbelievers Google Generation Believers From Judas)! God bless your ministry to the google generation! Rev. Robert Jeyaraj, North India General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God of India.

Heard it brother.........Very timely for today..........Bro. Freddy Joseph, Evangelist, on the March 2001 Graduation Sermon of Duke given in Southern Asia Bible College, Bangalore, which was recently uploaded onto YouTube.

This is one of the best articles on repentance and God's calla young corporate trainer in Hyderabad, India, after reading Duke’s article from Judas’ life titled, “Maundy Thursday Message For In-Love-With-Unbelievers Google Generation Believers.” 

Bro. Duke, I’ll be happy if you can provide url for your new articles/sermons which I can publish on www.2miles.org as your articles are the most desired ones by our visitorsthe site owner of 2miles.org, Bangalore. 

Duke, reading your article while getting an oil change for my car. Very eye opening. I understood from your article how Christians should keep a healthy relationship with friends and peers. Being in a corporate world here in America, I witness a lot of people getting thrown under the bus through gossip, jealousy…. Awesome passage of writing. - an Indian writing from Vero Beach, Florida after reading Duke’s FaceBook article on inter-personal relationships, an article that started with the narration of the Gambhir-Kohli tiff in IPL6.

Highly recommended! The needed read for the youth. – a comment posted on Duke’s scribd account about the Issue 30 of The Days of Your Youth magazine.

Hey bro....was just listenin to ur msg on Romans 7-8 ....whoaa.... its such a blessing....God bless u n ur family abundantly !! – a medico from Pondicherry, India. 

Hello sir Duke. I had attended d youth camp u and your wife preached in. It was really vry gud. I also read ur book, “google generatn.” I actually got a whole make ovr as a christian & now I'm sharing dat book wid as many youth as possible...- youth camper who was in one of Duke's camps (Medak CSI camp) on 31 May - 1 june
I'm African. I met u with your beloved wife in the youth camp in which both of preached in Trichy where I studied in the year 2009. I will never forget you! That time, I was feeling very bad in my spiritual life. But when I saw how you were committed to serve God, and how you were not thinking about the small baby you were having and yet preached with passion, I was revived. I even bought your message CDs. – a woman from Rwanda working in that nation’s Ministry of Public Service and Labour Department. 

Hello Duke,
I’m currently in Australia doing my Masters. I have been a keen listener to your sermons since 8 years (now and then at AG church in an Indian City). I was amused looking at the way you dissected the most infectious and Viral sin of SEX. Honestly God has taught me a lot through your ministry. I have read your article “Popular Unbiblical Modern Alternatives To Marriage/Postpone Marriage – Duke Jeyaraj” (posted on www.freshbiblestudy.wordpress.com). It was interesting to know some celebrity facts revolving around sex. I liked the your writing style since it hooked me onto the article till the end. I realised I spent over an hour reading it and cross checking it with the Bible and other sources you have quoted. I really appreciate your efforts and Thank God for your Ministry. It’s been a blessing for young people like me.
a young Indian Student writing from Australia. 

Sound biblical teaching, Bro. Duke! I cannot agree more! Appreciate all your efforts! You are a man filled with the Word of God and the Spirit of God! We all have a mandate to counter the false gospel with the Truth! Let us keep doing it and may the Lord continue to empower us! A Regent College Vancouver Trained Bible College Professor on Duke’s anti-hyper-grace false doctrine article, Will God Forgive The Sin I Am Planning To Commit? 

Hi Sir Duke....I have listened to your messages and have read your book...its great and inspiring...From the day I messaged you I started hating evil and fearing the Lord. And God has revealed my call and purpose...thank youa young man from Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. 

Duke, I enjoyed watching the video.a teacher living in the United States about the 3rd John Bible Book Summary Video of Duke uploaded onto YouTube. 

Dear Duke,
Greetings! Your 3rd John Bible Study on YouTube was a wonderful message on being a "Good guy like Gaius". All eleven "P's" you mentioned in that Study were creatively wrapped up and presented, laced with the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Keep up the good work.
a writer/pastor living in Hyderabad. 

I am blessed by your preaching videos sir Duke. Really awesome... – a YouTube viewer living in Nagpur. 

A Comment on a family picture of Dukes: This man (on the extreme left) has surely helped thousands of young men and women to help live a better life! He tirelessly writes on Facebook and sends emails to many on a regular basis. He has written books, leads teams and also preaches in many different locations. His wife Evan and kids support him to the best of their ability. I have a lot of respect for this Family. God bless you guys! Ps. Duke Jeyaraj | 'Lion' onstage and 'Lamb' offstage! an ace world-travelling photographer/drummer living in Hyderabad.