A Pastor's Life

This email came to me yesterday from my Voice of the Martyrs contact (I am a trained speaker for VoM). I wanted to share it, not to shock you but to 1) encourage you as you read about those who are suffering for their faith yet standing strong to the end and 2) move you to remember them in your prayers...PRAYER is the number one request of the persecuted church.

In chapel today (at VoM headquarters), the director of Pastor Support Program (PSP) spoke.  Here are some of the facts he gave us that you may want to share with your team:

We have PSP in 21 countries.  As of today, VOM sponsors 4,325 pastors.  The people only receive what their donors send them.  So if a donor misses giving for a month, the pastor will not get that month’s support.  They are given $33/month.  The goal is not to support them fully, but to help free time for them to minister.  Many of these are farmers, or the poorest in their country. 

Our PSP director visits to see if they’re getting all their donation.  The people we support are either:  pastors, teachers, evangelists, or indigenous missionaries.  When asking them what their greatest need is, they respond “Prayer.”  

Some of the countries involved and the number supported are presently:

1.       Vietnam (country with largest number of pastors supported) – 890

2.       China (2nd largest amount) – 727

3.       Algeria – new country

4.       Bangladesh – 18

5.       Burma (new) - 18

6.       Colombia – 168

7.       Cuba – 306

8.       Egypt - 77

9.       Ethiopia (new) – 20

10.   Hmong

11.   India (new) – 35

12.   Indonesia – 359

13.   Laos – 234

14.   Nepal – 264

15.   Nigeria – 524

16.   Pakistan – 287.  Country run by Islam.  Christians bottom of the “food chain.”

17.   Philippines – 20

18.   Sudan – 250.  Pray for difficulties for the work.

19.   Uzbekistan - 19

Here are some stories shared:

Fang of China reaches out to 1,000 house churches.  He does this by means of a motorcycle.

In Colombia, the rebels control the movement in and out of a country.  The rebels often only allow 10 in a church.  In one situation where a woman was pregnant, when she had her baby, the rebels came and shot one of the adults.  The rebel’s comment – “I said 10.”  Rebels take children 10 years old and indoctrinate them.  When a rebel went to slit a man’s throat, he put the boy’s hand on the knife while he did it. The Colombian Christians love Jesus with all their heart.  Farid, a pastor, got a threatening letter.  He said, “ If they kill me, it’s OK.  As long as I can, I will lead people to Christ.”  

When Gaber of Egypt was asked what he’d like us to pray for, he said, “That I could know my family.”  He had often gone away over the past 25 years, to minister, doing what Jesus called him to do - sharing the gospel, and missed that he hadn’t spent more time with his family.  Wahyeb of Egypt led and discipled 42 Muslims to Christ, then provided a safe house for them.  Police took him and hung him by one leg by a rope for 6 hours.  When asked his prayer need, he said, “Pray I can find the love to forgive my captors.”

Amkha of Laos only has one arm and his wife takes him around on a bicycle to minister.  When asked what he’d like us to pray for, he said, “Paper, pencil, and books, so I can teach.”  Khamphey of Laos, when asked what his greatest need was, said, “I’d like transportation (to get out to the churches).  But if not, I’d like a pair of shoes.”

I was touched by their stories. They are living Christianity on the frontline! The battle with the enemy is incredibly intense. We must pray for them and remember them! 

Tell me the stories of Jesus

"Tell me the stories of Jesus, I want to hear
Things I would ask Him to tell me, if He were near..."

This is the plea of hearts, all over the world, longing to know the One who loves them, who died for them and who desires to live with them forever in Heaven.

But what if these people live

• where there is resistance to the gospel,
• where there is no written language, no alphabet, no books or Bible, no Jesus Film,
• where there is, at the most, a small church, few if any believers, and fewer missionaries?

This describes many parts of the Middle East, North Africa and Asia.  But there is hope! That hope is something called "storying."

The following true account is taken from Background Mission Partners

I have a believer friend who lives in a country closed to Christianity.  His village is in a remote area.  The nearest well with somewhat drinkable water is 3 km away.  Goats wander around his village freely.  On the roofs of the mud houses are drying piles of dung to be used for cooking fuel.  In the evenings, people gather in doorways and by mud walls in clusters.  The connection they have with each others’ families comes from centuries of being in a survival community.

Khalim is the only Christian known among his people.  As Khalim has tea with people in his village, he says “Let me share a story with you…” and tells a three minute story from the Bible in their own language.  When he’s done, the men sit around talking about it, eating some bread and nuts and drinking tea, shooing the goats away from the small gardens.  Friends come and go in the discussion which might last for ten minutes or an hour. 

The next evening, he shares another story.  A few days later, another…

What is happening? 

• People are getting into God’s word and God’s word is getting into people in a place that has never had the Bible talked about before.
• They are talking about it freely, exploring it in community.
• This is happening very naturally in environments that are safe and comfortable.
• People aren’t extracted from their communities and labeled “infidels” as they are on their spiritual journey.
• Because it’s natural in style and not threatening, people are taking these stories home where they are sharing with their families and friends in other villages.
• While this is happening, credibility for God’s Word is being built.  Stories from God’s Holy Book aren’t seen as a tool of the “western corrupted church”.
• Khalim and his neighbors aren’t in trouble with the local religious authorities.  They don’t have a print copy of the Bible in their possession and they aren’t doing anything illegal.  They are simply talking over tea. 

It’s a way of getting people into God’s Word and God’s Word into people with the fewest obstacles possible.

Several months after Khalim began sharing stories, he was on a ridge at night watching the sheep of a friend.  As they sat on top of the ridge, his friend sat quietly looking up at the stars.  “Khalim. . . I think I believe in this Jesus that you keep telling stories about.  Tell me more . . . ”

Throughout history, the most enduring form of communication has been stories. Think about it. What do you do when you get with friends or family? Tell stories. What part of a talk or sermon does an audience wake up for? Stories. What do kids want before going to bed? A story.

Today, the majority of the world’s unreached people groups are made up of oral preference learners.  Many of these groups don’t have an alphabet in their native language.  And even if they do, they prefer to learn by oral or narrative means.  They communicate their history, civics, laws, and religion through stories, parables, songs, and drama.

These people need to be approached in a non-Western way. They need to hear the story of Jesus in a style that they are familiar with. Thus, telling stories is one way that missionaries are bringing the Good News of Jesus to those who have never heard the Gospel.

There are many agencies that are involved in this method of sharing Christ. Some of them include:

Background Mission Partners

One Story Partnership

Scriptures in Use

Story Runners

Campus Crusade for Christ

Faith Comes by Hearing

International Mission Board

The most popular film of all time

What is the most-watched movie in all of history? Would you guess The Godfather, Gone with the Wind, E.T.? None of those. In fact, because of this film, every four seconds, somewhere in the world, another person indicates a decision to follow Christ. What is it -- the "JESUS" film.

Think of the impact of this film...every four seconds someone accepts Jesus because they have watched it... that's 21,000 people per day, 630,000 per month and more than 7.5 million per year! That's like the population of the entire city of Seattle, WA, coming to Christ every 27.5 days. And yet, if you are like most people, you may have never even heard of it.

Called by some "one of the best-kept secrets in Christian missions," a number of mission experts have acclaimed the film as one of the greatest evangelistic tools of all time. Since 1979 the "JESUS" film has been viewed by several billion people all across the globe, and has resulted in more than 225 million men, women and children indicating decisions to follow Jesus.

A video on their website does a good job of visualizing this impact. Jesus film

"But how can any single film reach so many people and touch so many lives?"

It is the power of the Word of God in their heart language.

Based on the Gospel of Luke, the "JESUS" film has now been translated into more than 1,000 languages, with a new language being added nearly every week. This brings God's Word to people in more than 200 countries in languages they know and understand. By God's grace, it is yielding a spiritual harvest of unprecedented results.

Not only is the story of the "JESUS" film one of effective evangelism, but also of a powerful tool for expanding the church worldwide. In fact, according to Dr. Stephen Steele, former CEO of DAWN Ministries (c. 2001):

"Three quarters of all churches planted in the last decade around the world used the 'JESUS' film as part of the church planting process."

God is using this film in powerful ways to reach people and build spiritual movements worldwide. I'd like to share just a couple of the many stories of the impact of the Jesus film.

Two brothers in a South Asian country were Hindu priests. While on a visit to the city, one of the brothers heard the gospel message. Later, when a "JESUS" film team came to their village, both brothers watched the film. One of them began to question the team about the life of Christ, but the other seemed uninterested and wanted to leave. Once home, they talked long into the night, discussing what they had heard. They came to the conclusion that their faith led to a dead-end road, and salvation came only through Christ. The next day the men returned to the film team, wanting to accept Jesus Christ as Savior! Today they faithfully attend church, learning more about Jesus.

In a small, South Asian village, Pema*—a teenager—displayed signs of demon possession for nine months. "JESUS" film team member Joseph, his wife, and two other Campus Crusade for Christ staff members came to Pema's home and prayed for her for seven days. Each day they saw increasing improvement. On the seventh day she arose, then prepared and served tea to her parents and the others. Her family was amazed! When they saw Pema's deliverance through the prayers of Christians, they said: "... the god we serve is really not God. They are devil. So we want to get away ...." Immediately, they piled together all the statues of their gods, poured gasoline on them, and burned them. Pema and all seven members of her family chose to follow Christ. Others in their village saw the change in Pema and heard of her deliverance. Joseph showed the "JESUS" film in the village, and many more received Christ as Savior. Eventually everyone in the entire village became Christians and formed a church—25 families (65 people). Joseph continues to teach them and recently baptized 32 adults in that village. Praise God!

The Bible in their own language

"We have good reason to be encouraged because of what God is doing in the world, but that must be balanced by the solemn reality that so much remains to be done and that forces opposed to us are formidable. The finish of world evangelization is in sight, but there are huge barriers to jump and strongholds to break down before the end when Jesus returns. Isaiah 54:3 foretold the massive spiritual harvest with a promise:

"For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left,

Your descendants will possess the nations (peoples) and will settle the desolate cities."

According to Patrick Johnstone, author of a really encouraging and challenging book which I highly recommend entitled: The Church is Bigger Than You Think, there are three major challenges we face if we are to complete the Great Commission. These are geographic (reaching every inhabited part of the world...I've talked about this in connection with the 10/40 Window where most of the work still needs to be done), ethnic (reaching every people) and urban (reaching the cities...which I just spoke about, see my two blog entries from July 20 and 21). 

I'd like to focus, for the next few blogs, on the ethnic challenge of reaching every people group. Just as a reminder, a people group, referred to as "nation" in the Bible, is the largest group within which the Gospel can spread as a church planting movement without encountering barriers of understanding or acceptance.

To reach every people group, there are various important ministries that must be strengthened for this discipling to be effective and lasting. Today I am going to focus on Bible translation, what it looks like and some of the agencies that are doing this today.

First, each of us needs to consider what the Bible means to us. The Bible is God's letter to us, the expression of His love, His desires, His guidance (see Psalm 119). It is our guidebook on the path of life and it tells us of all God's promises to us. How would we be able to live a life for God without it?

That is the reality for 350 million people who do not have the Bible in their language. But, instead of looking at that number with discouragement, there is much to be encouraged about in the area of Bible translation!

To give you an idea of the rapid progress of Bible translation: in the year 1600 the Bible was translated into 36 languages; 1700 - 52; 1800 - 67; 1900 - 537 and by the year 2,000 it had been translated into 2,800 languages! Praise God for what has been done in this last century.

"We can only praise God for the remarkable ministry of the Bible societies around the world who have multiplied over and over the number of languages that now have Scriptures. More recently God raised up Wycliffe Bible Translators with the specific vision to provide a New Testament for every language without the Scriptures. WBT is now one of the largest cross-cultural mission agencies in the world. Their workers had, by 2008, translated the Scriptures into 796 languages and have teams working on a further 1,953.

Of the world's 6,912 languages, an estimated 2,251 may still require New Testament translation work. The majority of these languages are in the African Sahel and Horn of Africa, the Iranic peoples, Central Asia, the Caucasus, China and India."

In order to grasp what receiving the Bible in their own language can mean for a people group, I strongly recommend the book And the Word Came with Power about missionary Joanne Shetler who translated the Bible for the Balango people of the Philippines. Our children and I were so encouraged by this true story!

You can also view the video EE-Taow  It is an incredible video about how God called an entire tribe to Himself after they received the Bible in their language and heard the Gospel message.

Also, you can be directly involved in Bible translation through the Bibleless People's Prayer Project .

As parents, this is a ministry we can pray about for our children. What better way to live your life than to dedicate it to bringing God's Word to a group of people who have never heard of Jesus' love for them or been able to read about it for themselves?

I have listed below the websites of other organizations, besides Wycliffe,  concerned with Bible translation:

The Seed Company  I blogged about their program for children here Help your kids learn about Bible translation

SIL International

list of many Bible translation organizations

And if you live in or near Orlando, FL or are planning a trip there in the future, you might want to check out:
Wordspring  WordSpring Discovery Center in Orlando, Florida is the place to discover the amazing story of the Bible. Encounter people, languages, and cultures you’ve never seen before. It’s about the art and science of translation. It’s about how God’s Word carries hope around the world to people in their own language. It’s an interactive cultural adventure! Discover how the Bible was preserved and shared throughout history.

But, what if the people group can't read? The world illiteracy rate, according to UN studies, is between 16%-27%. How will those people hear about Jesus?

Over the next couple days I will blog about two really neat ministries in the mission field: the Jesus film and storying.

Priorities

“Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to death; 

don't stand back and let them die.

Don't try to avoid responsibility by saying you didn't know about it. 

For God knows all hearts, and he sees you. 

He keeps watch over your soul, and he knows you knew! 

And he will judge all people according to what they have done.

(Prov. 24:11, 12.)

"It is a solemn and most momentous truth that our every act in this present life – and our every omission too – has a direct and important bearing both on our future welfare, and on that of others. And as believers, it behooves us to do whatsoever we do in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." 

Those are the words of Hudson Taylor when he wrote a powerful book entitledand China's Spiritual Needs and Claims.  Hudson Taylor (1832 – 1905), was a British Protestant Christian missionary to China, and founder of the China Inland Mission (CIM) (now OMF International ). 

Taylor was known for his sensitivity to Chinese culture and zeal for evangelism. He adopted wearing native Chinese clothing even though this was rare among missionaries of that time. Under his leadership, the CIM was singularly non-denominational in practice and accepted members from all Protestant groups, including individuals from the working class and single women as well as multinational recruits. Primarily because of the CIM's campaign against the Opium trade, Taylor has been referred to as one of the most significant Europeans to visit China in the 19th Century. Historian Ruth Tucker summarises the theme of his life: “No other missionary in the nineteen centuries since the Apostle Paul has had a wider vision and has carried out a more systematised plan of evangelising a broad geographical area than Hudson Taylor."

Even though Hudson Taylor went on to be with Jesus more than 100 years ago, I believe his words still have importance for our day. I am sharing just a small number of them below in the hope that they will inspire and challenge you as they have me!

"The writer feels deeply that, as a faithful steward he is bound to bring the fact contained in these pages before the hearts and consciences of the Lord’s people. He believes, too, that these facts must produce some fruit in the heart of each Christian reader. The legitimate fruit will undoubtedly be – not vain words of empty sympathy, but – effectual fervent prayer, and strenuous self-denying effort for the salvation of the benighted Chinese. And if in any instance they fail to produce this fruit, the writer would urge the consideration of the solemn words at the head of this page, - “If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; if thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not He that pondereth the heart consider it? and He that keepth thy soul, doth not He know it? and shall not He render to every man according to his works?” Proverbs 24:11-12

Very early in the course of His ministry, the Lord Jesus taught His people that they were to be the light – not of Jerusalem, not of Judea, nor yet of the Jewish nation, but – of the world. And He taught them to pray – not as the heathen, who use vain and unmeaning repetitions; nor yet as the worldly-minded, who ask first and principally (if not solely) for their own private benefit and need: “For,” said He, “your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask Him. After this manner therefore pray ye: -

“Our Father which art in heaven,

Hallowed be Thy name;

Thy kingdom come;

Thy will be done; as in heaven, so in earth.”

And it was only after these petitions, and quite secondary to them, that any personal petitions were to be offered. Even the very moderate one, “Give us this day our daily bread,” followed them. Is not this order too often reversed in the present day? 

Do not Christians often really feel, and also act, as though it was incumbent upon them to begin with, “Give us this day our daily bread;” virtually concluding with, “If consistent with this, may Thy name be hallowed too?” And is not Matt. 33, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you;” practically read, even amongst the professed followers of Christ, Seek first all these things (food and clothing, health, wealth, and comfort), and then the kingdom of God and His righteousness? 

Instead of honoring Him with the first-fruits of our time and substance, are we not content to offer Him the fragments that remain after our own supposed need is supplied? While we thus refuse to bring the tithes into His storehouse, and to prove the Lord therewith, can we wonder that He does not open the windows of heaven, and pour us out the fullness of blessing that we desire?

We have a striking exemplification of the manner in which we should seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, in the life and in the death of our Lord Jesus Christ. And when risen from the dead, ere He ascended on high, He commissioned His people to make known everywhere the glad tidings of salvation – full and free – through faith in His finished work. This duty He enjoined on us; enjoined in the most unmistakable form, and to the most definite extent; saying, “Go ye, into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” 

Grievously has the Church failed in fulfilling this command. Sad it is to realize that so near to the close of the nineteenth century of the Christian era, there are immense tracts of our globe either wholly destitute of, or most inadequately provided with, the means of grace and the knowledge of salvation.

Leaving other fields, however, let us concentrate our attention on the Chinese empire. Let us reflect on its great antiquity, its vast extent, its teeming population; on its spiritual destitution, and overwhelming need. Let us survey the efforts that have been put forth for its good, and contemplate the work which still remains to be done, ere the gospel is preached to “every creature” throughout this empire. And may the view we shall obtain give rise to devout gratitude to God for our own superior privileges, to humiliation before Him for our past want of earnestness in the dissemination of the truth, and to more strenuous efforts in future for China’s good."

The same can be said for all areas of the 10/40 Window, especially. There are still more than 2 billion people who have never heard the name of Jesus. It is our commission, our duty, our privilege, to tell them about the One who loves them so much and wants to prepare a place in Heaven for them. 

America supplies more money and people to worldwide missions than any other nation. That is wonderful, but it is not enough. We are also among the top five richest nations in the world with the largest percentage of Christians in the world. We have been given a HUGE blessing and a HUGE responsibility. 

Our military are ready to go into foreign nations to fight and die for people they don't know in the name of democracy and freedom so why aren't more Christians willing to go into foreign nations, to fight and possibly die for people they don't know, in the name of Jesus Christ who is more important than anyone else in our lives? 

When statistics show that American Christians spend more money on cosmetics than on mission outreach, that is a sad commentary on our nation. May we each ask the Lord what He wants us to do and then go do it. The glory of the Lord and eternity for 2 billion people is at stake. 

Prayer for Pakistan

Emergency Prayer Alert - PAKISTAN Urgent Prayer for Believers in Pakistan WIN PRAYER ALERT Two Christians were shot and killed in Faisalabad, Pakistan on July 19, 2010.  The men had been accused of blasphemy and were attacked as they were being led to a custody cell.  These murders are another sign that violence against Believers is on the rise in this Muslim nation.

Since the deadly attacks in Gojra in 2009, in which eight people were killed and more than 100 homes burned, violence against Christians has been escalating in Pakistan.  In recent months, there have been numerous accounts of Believers being falsely accused, arrested, assaulted and even murdered. In 2010, a Believer was killed with an ax, six others working with a Christian humanitarian agency were slaughtered, another had his home broken into, his daughters beaten, and stabbed.  Several have been charged with "blasphemy" against the Prophet Muhammad and the Qur'an. Almost all of the violence has been carried out by Islamic extremists.  This comes as no surprise since Pakistan is home to nearly 170 million Muslims (second only to Indonesia in terms of Muslim population), and only about 3 million Believers. In July 2010, mosques in Faisalabad held protest marches against Christians.  Demonstrators carried signs that read "Enemy of Islam Beware," and handed out fliers "calling for mass action against Christians."   Many Believers fled the region in response to these threats. On July 19, 2010, the two men at the center of this uproar were in court.  Rashid Emmanuel and Sajjid Emmanuel had been arrested on charges of disrespecting the Qur'an and the Prophet Muhammad.  As they were being led to a custody cell, masked gunmen opened fire on them and both men were killed. WIN partners pray for Pakistan on Day 28 of the WINDOW INTERNATIONAL NETWORK Praying Through the Window 9:  Global Terrorism and World Religions prayer calendar.  Pakistan is number 14 on the Open Doors World Watch List 2010 of the worst persecutors of Christians. Partner with us in strategic prayer: Pray the Lord of Hosts to arise and do battle on behalf of His children in Pakistan.  (The Bible, Psalm 89:8) Pray Believers are protected and provided for as they face this violent opposition.  (The Bible, Psalm 91:2) Pray Believers will engage in spiritual warfare against these acts of terrorism and these demonically initiated attacks as well. (The Bible, II Corinthians 10:4-5) Pray for Lord to enable our Brothers and Sisters in Pakistan to rejoice as they undergo these trials, remaining faithful to Jesus Christ and boldly proclaiming the Gospel.  Pray for them to forgive their enemies and those who persecute them (The Bible, I Peter 4:13,14;Ephesians 6:19; Matthew 5:44) Pray for comfort for those who have lost loved ones, been attack or imprisoned.  Pray for the Lord to be present with them, giving them His peace.  (The Bible, II Corinthians 1:3,4;II Thessalonians 3:16) Pray the government of Pakistan will take action, arrest and prosecute those responsible for these criminal acts.  (The Bible, Psalm 11:7) Pray for the hearts of Muslims to be pierced by the love displayed by Believers and by the message of the Gospel.  Cry out to the Lord for a great harvest of souls among the extremist groups.  (The Bible, Acts 2:37) Pray for the Kingdom of God to come in power, signs and wonders to the nation of Pakistan.  (The Bible, I Corinthians 4:20) Pray for the peace and stabilization of this conflicted nation. (The Bible, Job 22:21)

Cities for Christ - The next step

If you have already heard the call of the lost from the world's cities or if you are just beginning to hear that call, there are ways you can further explore what God may have in mind for you. The following steps were suggested in The Challenge of the Cities by Roger S. Greenway.

1) Grow
Most important is your own spiritual development. Ministry in cities requires that you "put on the full armor of God" (Eph. 6:11), not just once or occasionally, but daily. Therefore, stretch your spiritual horizons. Go beyond your individual development into church-related concerns and areas of ministry in which you must pay a price in order to strengthen others.

2) Get Involved
Become involved in some kind of organized urban mission work. It will give you valuable experience and will test your gifts for ministry. Offer yourself as an "apprentice" to an effective urban pastor, evangelist or missionary. Observe carefully how the Lord uses his workers. Learn all you can about presenting the Gospel to different kinds of people and meeting a variety of needs.

3) Learn
Read books and journals that deal with mission work in cities and learn all you can about different models of urban ministry. If possible, take a course in urban ministry at a Bible college or seminary. Some schools offer advanced academic programs in urban mission.

4) Explore
Investigate a particular city. Begin by studying a map of the city and identifying its different parts - the commercial areas, industrial zones and residential neighborhoods. Look closely at the areas that are growing in population and the kinds of people and cultures found there.
Then choose one neighborhood and study its people - their religions, cultures, languages and social conditions. Inquire about their spiritual, social and material needs. Find out if there are vital churches in every language group. Then think about ways to advance Christ's Kingdom in particular neighborhoods.

5) Pray
Develop and maintain a prayer ministry for cities. Prayer is missionary action. You can begin your urban mission immediately by making a list of certain cities in various parts of the world. Learn all you can about the people and their needs. Then pray regularly that God will build His Kingdom in those cities.

Follow these steps and you will grow in your understanding of what urban mission entails. God will increase the burden of your heart for cities and will show you what role He wants you to play. Consider it a great privilege if He calls you to be His co-worker in building His Kingdom in the most strategic places in the world, the cities.

Cities -- God's mission field

Big cities...it seems people either like them or they don't. I tend to be of the later persuasion. I grew up on the outskirts of a big city, Los Angeles, and lived in the heart of the 5th largest city in the world, Seoul, South Korea. I don't find them exciting and pulsing with energy. Instead I find them crowded, dirty, loud, crime-ridden, did I mention crowded...but I'm asking God to change my outlook, especially after reading an article, yesterday, entitled The Challenge of the Cities by Roger S. Greenway. I'd like to share some of what he said.

Cities are the new frontier of Christian missions. Because of their size, influence, diversity, and needs, cities present enormous challenges. To neglect cities would be a strategic mistake, because, as cities go, the world goes. They are the centers of political power, economic activity, communication, scientific research, academic instruction, and moral and religious influences. Whatever happens in cities affects entire nations. When Christ's kingdom advances in cities, the number of people worshipping and serving the true God multiplies.

Over the last two decades, the world has seen the largest population movement in history, that of migration from rural areas to cities. In America we tend to think we have the large cities...Los Angeles, New York. But we are only the tip of the iceberg. In fact, by the year 2015, 33 cities are expected to have more than eight million people living in them and 19 of those cities will be in Asia.

To give you an example of the numbers, here are the 33 cities with their population in millions (and this only includes the city proper, not any of the wider metropolitan areas that surround it):
Dhaka (19.0), Bangladesh; Beijing(19.4), Shanghai (15.1), Tianjin (10.4), Shenyang (9.4), China; Tokyo (28.7), Osaka (11.6), Japan; Seoul (13.1), Korea; Bangkok (13.9), Thailand; Mumbai (27.4), New Delhi (17.6), Calcutta (17.6), Hyderabad (10.4), Madras (8.4), India; Jakarta (21.2), Indonesia; Karachi (20.6), Lahore (10.6), Pakistan; Manila (14.7), Philippines; Lagos (24.4), Nigeria; Kinshasa (13.9), Zaire; Cairo (14.5), Egypt; Paris (9.6), France; Teheran (14.6), Iran; Moscow (9.2), Russia; Istanbul (12.3), Turkey; Mexico City (18.8), Mexico; New York (17.6), Los Angeles (14.3), United States; Bueno Aires (12.4), Argentina; Sao Paulo (20.8), Rio de Janeiro (11.6), Brazil; Lima (12.1), Peru.

As you can see...the cities are gigantic and growing every day. Unfortunately, some of the worst suffering is found among people who have recently arrived in cities. The ghettos of New York and Los Angeles pale in comparison to what you will find in Bangkok, Calcutta or Dhaka.

Yet, God is and can do tremendous works in these cities if we will only walk in obedience to where He is calling the Church, because there is an openness to the Gospel in the cities. As a general rule, people who are recently dislocated (which describes a large part of mega cities where the population continues to grow as people from the country move to the city), and are experiencing major changes in their lives, are more open to the Gospel than they were before. New people in the cities are open to new ideas, including ideas about God and religion. And as a result, God is behind the migration of masses of people to the cities, allowing the people He loves to journey to a place where they will be more open to hearing about Him, if only people will tell them.

God is creating new opportunities for spreading the Gospel among unreached people coming from remote towns and villages. It is our task to take hold of the opportunity and carry out Christ's missionary command. Through urbanization, God is drawing people from every race, tribe and language to places where they can be reached with the Gospel.

This is what really hit me...missionaries, instead of going to a remote rural location to reach an unreached people group, can go to cities where there are representatives from thousands of people groups, representatives that because of their difficult lifestyles are more open to the Gospel than they might have been while living in their rural homes. The opportunities in the city are tremendous if God's people will have the wisdom and courage to reap the harvest.

But it takes sacrifice on many believer's hearts to go to the cities. Traditionally, most mission work was done in rural areas. In the past, that made sense because most people lived in rural communities. But the biggest challenge is now in cities, and there we find a shortage of workers. Many missionaries are so disturbed by the noise and traffic in cities, the pollution, social problems, crime and crowded housing, that they prefer working in rural areas. Unreached villages certainly need to hear the Gospel. But in view of the masses of unsaved and unchurched people in cities, more attention must be given to urban centers.

God's heart for cities is not absent in the Bible either. Urban missions began with the story of Jonah being led to Nineveh, much of Christ's ministry was done in poor urban conditions in Jerusalem, and the missionary strategy of Paul was completely urban.

Our response should not depend on whether we prefer to live in cities or not. As it was for Jonah, and no doubt for Paul, the question is whether we will go where workers are needed and where God wants us to go.

If what I have shared has touched your heart in any way for the cities and the billions who need a Savior there, please read tomorrow as I will share some practical steps each of us can take in our desire to reach the cities for Christ.

Perspectives

For those of you who are looking for the very best way to learn more about God's heart for missions, what God is doing in the world and how you can be involved, I can't recommend enough the Perspectives on the World Christian Movement course. I am half-way through and it is life-changing!

Perspectives is a 15-week course (in the classroom) or a year-long course (online) which will change your heart for the Great Commission. It is definitely for all adults but also, for any high schooler. And for those who homeschool, it would be a great course for credit.

While taking Perspectives, don’t be surprised if the Lord suddenly shifts your thinking from ordinary to extraordinary!  He completely opened my eyes to the fact that missions is not just one of many ministries of the Church.  Mission is the primary focus of the Church.  The Lord  showed me that since the call in Genesis 11 of Abraham to be a blessing, He has been about the task of (1) overcoming evil so that He could (2) redeem children from all the nations to (3) worship and glorify Him for all eternity.

You can find out more about the Perspectives course at their website: Perspectives and watch a short video that intros the course.

Who is Jesus to you?

A conquering Messiah, a fiery judge filled with wrath against theevils of humanity, a stone that would crush all opposition, a ruler who would firmly defeat all other authorities on the earth, especially Rome...this is what John the Baptist, and others, expected to see in the Messiah. This is what they had been taughtto expect since they were young. This is the image, the idea, the belief about the coming Messiah that they had put their hope in.


The mission of Jesus was to bring the “Kingdom of God” to earth. John based his understanding of the Kingdom of God on the Old Testament. Through prophecies like Daniel 2:31-35, the Kingdom of God was viewed by Israel as a time when “God’s reign will displace all other reigns, kingdoms and authorities. He will break the proud sovereignty of evil people that have dominated most of history...will sweep away every opposing rule. God alone will be King in those days,” (George Eldon Ladd). Based on this understandings, John, along with the nation of Israel, was looking for a Messiah who would crush Roman rule and rescue them from its oppression; a Messiah who would reign over all the earth with Israel at his side.


When Jesus began His ministry, He did not fit this expectation. Born to humble means and living a life
of obscurity for 30 years, His arrival on the pages of history was not accompanied by shouts of war,
wrath and judgment, “He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets,”
(Matt. 12:19). He entered the synagogues and began to preach “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is
near,” (Matt. 4:17). He healed the sick, cast out demons, showed compassion to the downtrodden and
walked from village to village, telling the people of God’s love for them.


Where was the takeover of the Roman government; the punishment of those who practiced evil; the
establishment of God’s Kingdom on earth...his palace, throne, armies and wealth? None of this
happened...at least not in the physical realm.  


It’s no wonder that even John, the one sent by God to walk in the way of Elijah and announce the
coming of Jesus, had his doubts. Jesus didn’t meet his expectations at all. Maybe John had gotten it all
wrong. Maybe he had misunderstood God and His plan.


Thankfully, instead of turning away and trusting in his own expectations rather than God’s truth, John
was bold enough and humble enough to ask the question...”Was I wrong? Did I have the wrong
expectations? Are you really the Messiah even though you don’t seem a bit like a Messiah? Or should I wait for someone else?”  (see Matthew 11:2)


Jesus understood his doubts. He didn’t harshly chastise John for his unbelief and questions, “A bruised
reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out,” (Matt. 12:20). Instead, he
challenged John to change his expectations; to rethink who the Messiah truly was and what the Kingdomof Heaven truly meant. He asked John to form a new paradigm, to bask in a new revelation of God’s character. He is a God of mercy, compassion, gentleness and incredible love for His people.


Jesus came, not to judge, but to “proclaim justice to the nations...till He leads justice to victory,”
(Matt. 12:18, 20). He brought compassion and concern to the outcasts of society. He battled sin in each
individual, but it was usually done with love, compassion and gentleness rather than force. When dealingwith demonic beings, He was every bit the conqueror, not allowing them any foothold but driving them out with power and force. But with most people He was gentle; a shepherd caring for His sheep; a suffering servant.


There were the exceptions. With the prideful, arrogant, unloving leaders of the Jewish faith, He exhibitedmore of the fiery wrath that many expected of the Messiah. But even with these individuals, if there wereany who were willing to humble themselves and ask Jesus true, heartfelt questions, like Nicodemus, He did not turn them away but showed them compassion and concern as well.  


When Jesus’ time on earth was done, at least for now, He left behind a group of men and women who
embraced the Messiah as He truly was and were willing to share that truth with those around them, even to the point of death. History has proven, time and again, that the gentle way of Jesus, when practiced byHis Church, calls many to follow Him. But history has also shown that when the Church tries to spread the Gospel with force, when it “breaks the bruised reeds” and “snuffs out the smoldering wicks,” great damage is done.


A good example of this is the Crusades. The Church called thousands of men and women to journey to
the Holy Land, following the “will of God,” and take it back from the Muslim “infidels.” They did this
not in love, compassion and understanding for the lost but through force. Thousands were killed on both sides. The cross was worn proudly by those with bloody swords in their hands. The legacy of this quest still weighs heavily on the Muslim world of today and has hurt the name of Jesus in immeasurable ways.  


In contrast, there have been many, including men and women like St. Patrick, Columbo, William Carey, Amy Carmichael, Jim Elliot and so many others, who brought the cross of Christ with compassion,
sacrifice, gentleness and love. They did not come in fiery wrath but in humility and concern. Their
legacy is quite different. Many were won to Christ through their compassion, and the name of Jesus
became a name in which the “nations will put their hope,” (Matt. 12:21).  


We, the Church of today, must follow the example of Jesus rather than our own expectations. Our
human nature desires judgment, a powerful takeover by Christ and expulsion of the enemy. This will
happen someday, at Christ’s second return, but it is not yet time for this. Our mission, like Christ’s, is to
show the love of God, not His judgment. We are to show the world the love of Christ so that “in His
name the nations will put their hope,” (Matt. 12:21).


Today people still have trouble with their expectations of Jesus. If I’m a Christian, than why do bad things still happen to me? Why is the Church so greatly persecuted in many parts of the world? Why does Jesus let children suffer? Why do only some follow Jesus and not everyone? Why, why, why?


We search the Bible, our hearts, ask other Christians, read books and listen to sermons. Yet, when we ask Jesus Himself, I believe that, just like in John’s day, Jesus still says to us, “Pay attention to ‘what you see and hear: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor’” (Matt. 11:4-5).


God is moving tremendously in the world, and He has been, since the beginning. Yet, instead of coming with mighty military power, His present Kingdom comes with quiet, gentle persuasion. Just as Jesus enters each of our hearts with love and patience, His Kingdom spreads in this world with love and patience...with persuasion rather than power.




 

A 100-yr-old call to love the Muslims

I wanted to share a writing that impacted me. This is by Samuel Marinus Zwemer (April 12, 1867-April 2, 1952), nicknamed "The Apostle to Islam." He was an American missionary, traveler, scholar, and a missionary to Busrah, Bahrein, and other locations in Arabia from 1891 to 1905. Famously turned down by the American Missionary Society, which resulted in him going overseas alone, he founded and edited the publication The Moslem World.  His greatest contribution to missions was that of stirring Christians to the need for evangelism among Muslims.

I believe that need should be stirred again today! The Muslim people are the most unreached people of the world. They comprise a vast majority of the 10/40 Window and in some places have as many as 3 missionaries per million Muslims. Their's is the second fastest growing religion in the world, after Christianity.




The Glory of the Impossible

by Samuel M. Zwemer

The challenge of the unoccupied fields of the world is one to great faith and, therefore to great sacrifice. Our willingness to sacrifice for an enterprise is always in proportion to our faith in that enterprise. Faith has the genius of transforming the barely possible into actuality. Once men are dominated by the conviction that a thing must be done, they will stop at nothing until it is accomplished.

Frequent set-backs and apparent failure never dishearten the real pioneer. Occasional martyrdoms are only a fresh incentive. Opposition is a stimulus to greater activity. Great victory has never been possible without great sacrifice. If the winning of Port Arthur required human bullets, we cannot expect to carry the Port Arthurs and Gibraltars of the non-Christian world without loss of life. Does it really matter how many die or how much money we spend in opening closed doors, and in occupying the different fields, if we really believe that missions are warfare and that the King’s Glory is at stake? War always means blood and treasure. Our only concern should be to keep the fight aggressive and to win victory regardless of cost or sacrifice. The unoccupied fields of the world must have their Calvary before they can have their Pentecost. 

The unoccupied fields of the world await those who are willing to be lonely for the sake of Christ. To the pioneer missionary, the words of our Lord Jesus Christ to the apostles when He showed them His hands and His feet, come with special force: “As my Father hath sent Me, even so send I you”. He came and His welcome was derision, His life suffering, and His throne the Cross. As He came, He expects us to go. We must follow in His footprints. The pioneer missionary, in overcoming obstacles and difficulties, has the privilege not only of knowing Christ and the power of His resurrection, but also something of the fellowship of His suffering.

(And what is that suffering but the) glory of the impossible! Who would naturally prefer to leave the warmth and comfort of hearth and home and the love of the family circle to go after a lost sheep, whose cry we have faintly heard in the howling of the tempest? Yet such is the glory of the task that neither home-ties nor home needs can hold back those who have caught the vision and the spirit of the Great Shepherd. Because the lost ones are His sheep, and He has made us His shepherds and not His hirelings, we must bring them back.

(We go out) not with hatchet and brand, but with the Sword of the Spirit and with the Belt of Truth. They went and blazed the way for those that followed after. Their scars were the seal of their apostleship, and they gloried also in tribulation. Like the pioneer Apostle Paul, “always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, and approving themselves as ministers of God in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in watching, in fasting.”

If the uttermost confines of the Roman Empire were part of (Paul's missionary)  program who had already preached Christ from Jerusalem to Illyricum in the first century, we surely, at the beginning of the twentieth century, should have no less ambition to enter every unoccupied field that “they may see to whom no tidings came and that those who have not heard may understand.”

In the first days of Christianity, there is an absence of the calculating spirit. Most of the Apostles died outside of Palestine, though human logic would have forbidden them to leave the country until it had been Christianized. The calculating instinct is death to faith, and had the Apostles allowed it to control their motives and actions, they would have said: ‘The need in Jerusalem is so profound, our responsibilities to people of our own blood so obvious, that we must live up to the principle that charity begins at home. After we have won the people of Jerusalem, of Judea and of the Holy Land in general, then it will be time enough to go abroad; but our problems, political, moral and religious, are so unsolved here in this one spot that it is manifestly absurd to bend our shoulders to a new load.’”

It was the bigness of the task and its difficulty that thrilled the early Church. Its apparent impossibility was its glory, its world-wide character its grandeur. The same is true today.

He that ploweth the virgin soil should plow in hope. God never disappoints His husbandmen. The harvest always follows the seed time. “When we first came to our field,” writes missionary Hogberg from Central Asia, “it was impossible to gather even a few people to hear the glad tidings of the Gospel. We could not gather any children for school. We could not spread gospels or tracts. When building the new station, we also had a little chapel built. Then we wondered, will this room ever be filled up with Moslems listening to the Gospel? Our little chapel has been filled with hearers and still a larger room! Day after day we may preach as much as we have strength to, and the Moslems no longer object to listen to the Gospel truth. ‘Before your coming hither no one spoke or thought of Jesus Christ, now everywhere one hears His name,’ a Mohammedan said to me. At the beginning of our work they threw away the Gospels or burnt them, or brought them back again - now they buy them, kiss the books, and touching it to the forehead and pressing it to the heart, they show the highest honor that a Moslem can show a book.”

But the pioneer husbandman must have long patience. When Adoniram Judson was lying loaded with chains in a Burmese dungeon, a fellow prisoner asked with a sneer about the prospect for the conversion of the heathen. Judson calmly answered, “The prospects are as bright as are the promises of God.” There is scarcely a country today which is not as accessible, or where the difficulties are greater, than was the case in Burma when Judson faced them and overcame.

The prospects for the evangelization of all the unoccupied fields are “as bright as the promises of God.” Why should we longer wait to evangelize them?

Is there a more heroic test for the powers of manhood than pioneer work in the mission field? Here is opportunity for those who at home may never find elbow-room for their latent capacities, who may never find adequate scope elsewhere for all the powers of their minds and their souls. There are hundreds of Christian college men who expect to spend life in practicing law or in some trade for a livelihood, yet who have strength and talent enough to enter these unoccupied fields. There are young doctors who might gather around them in some new mission station thousands of those who “suffer the horrors of heathenism and Islam,” and lift their burden of pain, but who now confine their efforts to some “pent-up Utica” where the healing art is subject to the law of competition and is measured too often merely in terms of a cash-book and ledger. They are making a living; they might be making a life.

Bishop Phillips Brooks once threw down the challenge of a big task in these words: “Do not pray for easy lives; pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers; pray for powers equal to your tasks. Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle, but you shall be a miracle.” He could not have chosen words more applicable if he had spoken of the evangelization of the unoccupied fields of the world with all their baffling difficulties and their glorious impossibilities. God can give us power for the task. He was sufficient for those who went out in the past, and is sufficient for those who go out today.

When David Livingstone visited Cambridge University, on December 4, 1857, he made an earnest appeal for (Africa), which was then almost wholly an unoccupied field. His words, which were in a sense his last will and testament for college men, as regards Africa, may well close this book:“For my own part, I have never ceased to rejoice that God has appointed me to such an office. People talk of the sacrifice I have made in spending so much of my life in Africa. Can that be called a sacrifice which is simply paid back as a small part of a great debt owing to our God, which we can never repay? Is that a sacrifice which brings its own blest reward in healthful activity, the consciousness of doing good, peace of mind, and a bright hope of a glorious destiny hereafter? Away with the word in such a view, and with such a thought! It is emphatically no sacrifice. Say rather it is a privilege. Anxiety, sickness, suffering, or danger, now and then, with a foregoing of the common conveniences and charities of this life, may make us pause, and cause the spirit to waver, and the soul to sink, but let this only be for a moment. All these are nothing when compared with the glory which shall hereafter be revealed in and for us. I never made a sacrifice.”

The politics of Christianity

The year is 2010, the place - America or any other nation whose majority is Christian. The problem - our nation is faltering, backsliding, failing. The solution, in many minds -- a Christian government. If we could just get a Christian back in the White House than everything would change. If there were just more politicians who were Christians than our country would return to the way it was. 


The year is 30 AD, the place - Jerusalem and Judea. The problem - the nation was faltering, backsliding, failing. The solution, in many minds - Jesus, a conquering Messiah. If we could just get Jesus in charge of Israel, overthrow Rome, than everything would change. If He would take over political power than Israel would return to the way it was under King David...large and in charge. 


But, the question that needs to be asked today, as it was at the time of Jesus Christ, is: was Christianity meant to be used as a political force? Did Jesus come to take over politically and force faith in Him on every subject of the empire or did He come as a servant, speaking the truth, loving others and placing the power struggles in God's hands?


Does Christianity flourish when it is the law of the land or does it flourish when it is spread, one humble servant to the next, in love, humility and sacrifice? 


One example from history is the Roman Empire. Christianity, once a persecuted religion under men like Nero, became the official religion of Rome. Yet, during that transition, the Christian faith was altered. “The political triumph of what eventually came to be known as Christianity was in fact a mixed blessing...(because) when Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire it became ill-equipped by its very form to complete the Great Commission among any populace that was anti-Roman,” (Ralph D. Winter). The people of other nations saw Christianity as strictly a Roman religion and thus, whatever wrong things the Roman government did, in the minds of the other nations, it was Christianity that was doing the wrong. This same unfortunate truth can be seen throughout history with the Muslim view of Christianity due to the Crusades, the Indian view due to England's colonization of India, the Eastern European countries and the way they view Christianity due to Russia's Orthodox church, etc. 


When Christianity takes on political power and might, it often times becomes corrupt and power hungry (as seen in the Catholic Church during the Middle Ages and some Western churches today). Our human nature wants to make our religion supreme and in charge. We want power and authority, but of a worldly kind. This is what the Jews were looking for when Jesus arrived. When He did not provide this, many of them rejected Him. 

The sad truth is that when Christianity becomes the main religion of the masses, officially recognized by the government, and the persecution stops, often times so does the fervor of outreach. When it becomes easy to be a Christian, it also becomes easy to be content in this world. When we are content in this world, we are not seeking after the Lord and anticipating His arrival as we should. When this happens, the fervor for the Great Commission seems to dwindle. Difficulty draws us closer to the Lord and thus His heart for the nations. Ease in life makes us complacent and content with the status quo. 

It may be for this reason that Jesus never sought political power and authority for Himself on earth. He did not want faith in Him to be linked to the Jewish or Roman authorities. God is not linked to any one government or people group. He is King. He is Lord. He does not need the help of any government to spread His love and truth throughout the world.  

America has been greatly blessed by God, in freedom and prosperity, for a number of years. We, as a nation, have done much that is good, in bringing the Gospel and freedom to many other nations. But we have also failed God in many ways, especially lately. The moral decline in our culture and the  large scale embracing of a rich and decadent lifestyle, does not speak well of America or the Western World.  But this is not a time for worry or despair on the part of the Church in America. While the “entire Western world in its present political form may be radically altered (and) we may not even be sure about the survival of our own country...we have every reason to suppose from past experience that the Christian, biblical faith will clearly survive” (Ralph D. Winter). While America has reached out to the non-Western world with the Gospel, we could have and should be doing so much more! “If we in the West insist on keeping our blessing instead of sharing it, then we will, like other nations before us (Israel, Rome, etc.) perhaps have to ‘lose’ our blessing in order for the remaining nations to receive it,” (Ralph D. Winter).  We don’t “deserve” any of the blessings we’ve been given. Each American Christian could, just as likely, have been born a girl in China or a Dalit in India. But God chose to place each of us in a prosperous country in order that we might share His blessings of prosperity and freedom with those who have never heard His name. If we are not doing this, He has every right to take those blessings away and give them to a people (like the Chinese and Indians) who are boldly reaching out to the unreached, even at the risk of their own lives.  But this should not be a source of injured pride or sadness on the part of the American church. We need to look at the big picture. We are first and foremost, part of the body of Christ in the world. In Heaven, for eternity, our nationality will no longer make a difference. Thus, on earth, we should be overjoyed at the growth of the Church in non-Western lands. We should join in prayer, financial support and even in person, with those who are spreading the Gospel in the non-Western world and celebrate with them as God, once again, seems to be shifting His blessings to yet another part of His vast world.