What and who are Unreached Peoples?

Psalm 117

Praise the LORD, all nations!

Extol him, all peoples!

For great is his steadfast love toward us,

and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.

Praise the LORD!

Who Are the "Peoples," the Nations?

"Nations" and "peoples" in the Bible don't refer to political states like America, Spain, Brazil, China, but to ethnic or language or cultural groupings in these political states. For example, if you go to the website China Source you will see, for starters, a list of sixty Chinese "peoples" (Hui, Dulong, Li, Lisu, Shui, Salar, Yao, etc.). And in the Bible you read about, "the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites" (Genesis 10:16-18).

So when Psalm 17:1 says, "Praise the LORD, all nations! Extol him, all peoples!" it means, "Praise the Lord, Hui of China! Praise the Lord Bahing of Nepal! Praise the Lord, Baluch of Pakistan! Praise the Lord, Maninka of Guinea! Praise the Lord, Bugis of Indonesia! Praise the Lord, Somali and Dakota of Minneapolis!" These are the kinds of groups Jesus was referring to when He said after his resurrection, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations" (panta ta ethne, same phrase in Psalm 117:1). These are the groups that Jesus meant when he said, "This gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come" (Matthew 24:14).

So a huge question for followers of Jesus today is - or should be - how many peoples are there and how many of them are still unreached with the gospel of the kingdom? How many still have no church who obey Psalm 117 and praise the Lord?

Let's just take one reliable research effort, the huge Southern Baptist International Missions Board. For their missionary purposes they calculate 11,227 people groups in the world. Of these, 6,614 have less than 2% evangelical Christians. Of these, 68 peoples have populations over 10 million; 433 populations between 1 and 10 million; 1,452 between 100 thousand and 1 million.

The following video does a good job of explaining the unreached people groups and why we should pray for them. The video can be found at Did You Know? A great place to go to pray daily for an unreached people group is Unreached of the Day

The greatest obstacle to reaching the unreached is the obedience of the church. May we be obedient in prayer, giving and going!!!

Pray for Asia Bibi

To watch the video of this story go to Asia Bibi

Christian faces blasphemy death sentence

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Incident began when Bibi dipped her cup into a bucket of drinking water used by co-workers
• The co-workers complained the water had been contaminated by a non-Muslim
• Bibi is a Christian
• Pakistan has never executed someone convicted of blasphemy

Itan Wali, Pakistan (CNN) -- In this village in Pakistan's Punjab province a tearful 12-year-old girl ponders if the Pakistani government will soon hang her mother.

"Whenever I see her picture I cry," Isham Masih told CNN. "I want my mother back. That's what I'm praying for."

This month a Pakistani court sentenced Isham's mother, 45-year-old Asia Bibi, to death, not because she killed, injured or stole, but simply because she said something.

Prosecutors say Bibi, who is a Christian, broke Pakistan's strict blasphemy law by insulting Islam and the prophet Muhammad, a crime punishable by death or life imprisonment according to Pakistan's penal code.

Mafia Satar said she was there and heard Bibi's insults.The alleged incident happened in June 2009 when Bibi, a field worker, was picking fruit in a village two hours west of Lahore. Prosecutors say when Bibi dipped her cup into a bucket of drinking water during a lunch break, her co-workers complained the water had been contaminated by a non-Muslim.

Court records show the women got into a heated argument.

"She said your Muhammad had worms in his mouth before he died," Satar told CNN, a crude way of saying Muhammad was no prophet.

The town cleric, Qari Muhammad Salim, reported the incident to police who arrested Bibi. After nearly 15 months in prison came her conviction and the death sentence.

"When I heard the decision my heart ached," Bibi's husband Ashiq Masih told CNN.

Masih denies his wife ever insulted Muhammad. He said death threats forced him and his daughters, one of them disabled, to flee their village.

Neither the Koran nor the prophet Muhammad's teachings in the Hadith call for the execution of blasphemers, but Islamic scholars and jurists from generations past included the death sentence when drafting Islamic law.

Human rights groups have long blamed Pakistan's blasphemy laws for persecution and violence against religious minorities like last year's attack on a Christian village in Punjab Province and recent bombings of minority Muslim mosques.

Activists say the government has refused to amend the law for fear of backlash from Islamist groups and their followers who deem scrapping the law as un-Islamic.

At the time this report was filed, Pakistan's law minister had not responded to CNN's request for an interview.

Bibi has appealed her death sentence and asked for bail, the chief prosecutor of Punjab province told CNN.

The prosecutor, Chaudhry Muhammad Jahangir, said the appeal will be heard by the Lahore High court and a decision could be months away.

Pakistan has never executed someone convicted of blasphemy but in Bibi's village public opinion was unanimous.

"Yes, she should be hanged," a group of villagers cried out.

The town cleric, who made the initial complaint against Bibi, called her death sentence one of the happiest moments of his life.

"Tears of joy poured from my eyes," Qari Salim told CNN.

The clerics tears are in stark contrast to those shed by Bibi's daughter Isham, who wants her mother to live.

Robert Park speaks out about his time in North Korea

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, 

for the rights of all who are destitute.

Speak up and judge fairly; 

defend the rights of the poor and needy."

Proverbs 31:8-9

Nearly a year has passed since the Korean American missionary, Robert Park, crossed the frozen Tumen River and walked from China into North Korea. Attentive border guards immediately arrested Park and took him to a North Korean prison where he suffered sexual abuse and torture.

Many of Park's friends are North Korean defectors--they told him how Christians and others are sent to concentration camps, tortured and left to die. Park knew what he was up against before crossing the border, yet he was willing to pay the price.

Whether or not you agree with his conduct, one cannot help but admire his passion, advocacy, and commitment to Christ. Tired of Christians "talking the talk" but not "walking the walk," Park decided to do something to draw attention to the plight of Christians in North Korea. As a result, he suffered excruciating pain and suffering at the hands of the brutal totalitarian regime. He doesn't like to talk about it or give much detail of the torture he experienced, but he reportedly told one reporter that he would "never be able to have a marriage or any kind of relationship."

How are Christians faring in North Korea today and what does he think about those who are evangelized in China or South Korea and then sent back to the North? He responds to those questions in clip one of our CBN News interview.

In clip two, Park explains what he did when he first crossed the border into North Korea.

In clip three, he discusses how he was treated by his North Korea interrogators and what he said to them.

In our fourth and final interview clip, Park explains what Christians can do to make a difference for our North Korean brothers and sisters in Christ.

Please take the time to view all four clips and then pray. Few Christians suffer worse than those in North Korea.

Clip 1 - Underground Church:

Clip 2 - When Park Entered North Korea:

Clip 3 - What He Told His Captors:

Clip 4 - How to Make a Difference:

Print     Email to a Friend    posted on Monday, November 08, 2010 8:03 AM

In the words of an Iraqi brother

Picture of Iraqi church prior to attack

Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, 
when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering. 
Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; 
at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. 
You sympathized with those in prison 
and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, 
because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. 
So do not throw away your confidence; 
it will be richly rewarded. 
You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, 
you will receive what he has promised. 
For in just a very little while, "He who is coming will come 
and will not delay. 
But my righteous one will live by faith. 
And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him." 
But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, 
but of those who believe and are saved.
Hebrews 10:32-39


On Oct. 31, Islamic extremists attacked worshipers at the Syrian Catholic Church of Baghdad, Iraq, killing 59 Christians and severely injuring more than 80 others, according to Voice of the Martyrs sources. Several gunmen armed with automatic weapons and explosives entered the church during a worship service and opened fire on worshipers. Two priests were among those killed in the attack.

"[This church was attacked] because they are very active, especially among the youth and community," VOM contacts said. "This church works closely with the United Bible Society and VOM by distributing Bibles and Action Packs in Iraq. This is the second time this church has been targeted; in 2004 it was hit with a car bomb."

A militant organization called the Islamic State of Iraq, which has links to al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia, claimed responsibility for the attack, according to Compass Direct News. Following the attack, sources told VOM that churches throughout the city had received death-threat letters, warning them to stop their Christian activities or face similar consequences. The threats have caused many churches to cancel services.


Just two days ago I received an email from our friend Malath. Our family met Malath at our church, Jubilee in South Korea. He was attending seminary there. Since then, we have remained friends. Below is his email message and plea for prayer.



Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME, that how I would like to start sharing with you how we are doing in Iraq/ Baghdad.

Actually we are not doing very well these days, as you know the extremists attacked one of the Catholic Church last week which is three blocks far from my church, and they killed more 50 people and so many injured people. what happened created among  Christians frustration and fear. if  you have a look at the pictures and hear the stories of those who were in there you cannot hold your tears and even your feelings. the situation was so hard even beyond our imagination. all I can say we are truly living the book Acts. we are seeing with our hearts, minds, and eyes what dose it mean to be Christian.   the Christians stayed at their homes after that, as long as they cannot protect their families from the hand of terrorists in the churches, however today the extremists killed many Christians in their houses by using guns and explosive things. that made the situation more hard and worse.

I do not want to say we are doing great, and we have great faith during this time. I am personally so concerned about my church, my people, and my family. at the same Sunday when they attacked the Catholic Church the Iraqi Police came to my church at the middle of our service and talked to me. the police guy told me "please stop the service and let your people go home NOW NOW, we are not able to protect you if anything happens so just run". I was in a situation that could not imagine for a while, and could imagine my church people would be hostages or murdered, however that what the Lord said to all of us in john 16 "All this I told you so that you will not go astray. They will put you out of the synagogue, in fact a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God"

 I am reading the Bible now in a different way that I never read it before, in a way when I could imagine all what the Lord said I might go through, and all what happened in early church could my church also go through. Now I can understand more Paul when he said "And now, compelled by the Holy Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me- that task of testifying to the Gospel of God's Grace" now I could feel what Paul said and what was his heart and emotions.

brothers and sisters, "Christianity without suffering is tasteless", we believe God has something very special to our churches in Iraq. we do not know yet, but it could be unity among the churches, let the whole world know what is going on among in Islamic countries, revival among the catholic church and even the evangelical church in Iraq and the whole world

As I am writing this e-mail to you, I got a message on my phone I would like to share it with you " dear malath please be carful because today they killed many Christians and they put under their cars explosive things so watch and search your car carefully before every time you drive it. also I heard they are collecting information about Christians in our areas, and even they are spying on our phones, take care" that just to make the picture more clear to you and to know how to pray for us.

please keep us in your prayers, ask the Lord to let us speak always about him and his love. and being faithful to him in our faith, action, word, and prayer. He is so good, and I love Him and His kingdom so much. please pray for me so I can say and Live what Paul says " I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Jesus has given me- that task of testifying to the Gospel of God's Grace"

Thank you so much, and let us always remember and believe God is good all the time

God bless you

Malath




Please pray for Iraqi Christians, especially for the families of those killed and injured in the Oct. 31 attack. Ask God to comfort and minister to them during this difficult time. Pray that in the aftermath of this brutal violence, Iraqi Christians will keep their eyes on Jesus, persevere in faith, and not grow weary or lose heart. Pray for peace and stability in Iraq.

Prayer for the nations

When man works, man works; When man prays, God works.

The ministry of the children of God is not doing but praying, not strategizing, but prostrate before God seeking His will, not clever stratagies for manipulating people and events but trusting in God who moves in the hearts of even His most implacable enemies. Through prayer Nebuchadnezzar, and today’s dictators get converted, Manassah’s and today’s persecutors repent and kingdoms of Babylon and Iron Curtains are torn down. We do not engage in ministry and pray for God’s blessing on it, prayer IS the ministry from which all other ministries must flow.

Psalm 2 reveals the Father’s Great Commission to His Son and how the destiny of nations is tied in with their rejection of or submission to His Kingly Son. Look at the command and promises of Ps 2:8.

'Ask of Me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron, And dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.'

Operation World, a wonderful Christian organization which gathers information on every country in the world, including percentage of Christians, economic and political background and ways to pray, is sending out a daily email for the next 60 days. 

Each day will focus on a different country with a bit of information on the country, ways to pray for that country and a short video on the country. You can join this daily prayer movement here.

This is an excellent way to pray for the nations, not only on your own but with your children. You can also purchase the Operation World book which provides greater insight into each country and its prayer needs. 

The content of Operation World  website give something of the needs and challenges of our needy, sin-sick, doomed world. The nations are there for the asking. God is calling you and me into the ministry of intercession for them. Through these prayers much will happen – above all we could ask or expect.

Daniel heard God’s voice in Daniel 7:27:

'The kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; Their kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey them. 

The cost is great, for these words were preceded in verse 21-22 by:

As I looked, this horn made war with the saints, and prevailed over them, until the Ancient of Days came, and judgement was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints received the kingdom.'

The enemy will seek to frighten us and dangle allurements to distract us from the vision of a heavenly, eternal kingdom filled with people from every race, tribe, people and tongue. Yet Jesus offers you a share in his reign. We may look up to Him in agony at times, but see your true position looking down with Him exercising the authority bequeathed to you by Him in the Great Commission He has given to you and every Christian. 

May you become an intercessor with a world vision that prays Satan-defeating, kingdom-taking, people-reaching, captive-releasing, revival-giving, Christ-glorifying prayers.

Prayer not only changes people, situations and even the course of history, but also those who pray! 

It is dangerous for the enemy and also 'dangerous' for you. There is a price to pay to be a person who stands in the gap in prayer. That price may mean becoming an answer to your own prayers in giving time, finances and even going out as a witness in your Jerusalem (where you now live), your Judea (your own country), your Samaria (the other ethnic groups in your own country) or even to the ends of the earth. 

I have been using the Operation World website for over a year now to pray daily for the nations. May each of us prayer give our whole lives for this most noble of causes – to obey Jesus’ last command in making disciples of all nations and so ready the Church and the world for the grand climax of His glorious return!