YO U T H M I S S I O N S M A G A Z I N E
ISSUE 6 >> FREE
HistoryMakers is a ministry of AsiaLink. Registered Charity No. 327165
INTRODUCTION For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 2 CORINTHIANS 10:2-4
Dear friends, There’s a rule in the Armed Forces, “Always obey the last order you got until you get new orders from command headquarters.” The last command Jesus gave is: “Go, make disciples of all nations”. This should be first priority for Christ’s followers. The world is a spiritual battle-field in a cosmic war for souls in which we are all called to serve as soldiers. The task? To please our Commanding Officer, Jesus. Across the planet there are areas where the enemy defences have held for centuries – places where entire people groups, tribes and languages are without any Christian influence. Travel around Asia and you’ll soon see that most people have never ever heard of Jesus. Sometimes we think its bad where we live but try for a moment and imagine what society would look like if it were completely devoid of churches, the Bible or Christians!
EQUIPPED & WILLING Paul the Missionary recognizes we are all in a battle. If it is war we are in then we should firstly prepare. That means every soldier will need to be trained and equipped. Read Ephesians 6. It’s not good looks, intellect or a great personality that God is asking of us. The prophet Isaiah reminds us that all God requires is our willingness to serve and our obedience to go where he tells us to (Is. 1:19).
ENDURANCE We will at some point face hardships and sufferings that are not always in the guise of persecution or imprisonment. They come in other forms to – being a disciple also means simplifying our lifestyles. We are also challenged to persevere, endure hardships like a good soldier and to be content whatever the circumstances.
CONTENTS
FRONTLINES There are different roles in a wartime scenario. There are those, for example, who send supplies to keep the soldiers equipped on the front-lines. For us, that simply means encouraging, praying and giving. Many indigenous workers live on next to nothing and are inexpensive to support. Most of all they need your prayers!
SEARCH & RESCUE By staying informed we are able to search out areas of the world that need our prayer and intercession the most. Our obedience in sending others or going to the nations ourselves is how we rescue those who are in the clutches of death.
W A R FA R E Satan sets up strongholds in many cultures, ethnic groups and religions that gain strength with every passing generation. People are killed or mistreated, children go hungry, injustice reigns. The key to unlocking these principalities and powers begins with our obedience to Jesus’ commands. Prior, during and after this, we are to engage in bold, aggressive and determined spiritual warfare. It doesn’t matter how hard we try to persuade people to believe in Jesus, unless we are serious about prayer and intercession, then the lost will remain lost. God has to work. This issue, we take a look at some of the countries where the war for souls is raging the most. Why not pick one or two nations mentioned and start praying for them. There are other ways to get involved like telling your friends about the unreached people groups, supporting the ministry or even a short-term trip in the summer.
PERSECUTED CHURCH
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N E PA L C O U N T R Y P R O F I L E
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FA Q S
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ROSE ALLEN MUNT
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R AY C O M F O R T I N T E R V I E W
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FRONTLINE NEWS
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Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. P ROV E R B S 2 4 : 1 1
PERSECUTED Church China
While over half of China’s believers belong to unregistered house churches, they suffer from acute shortages of Bibles, teaching materials and trained leaders. Persecution is intense, especially among recognised church leaders. Pray for strength.
Iraq
The non-Muslim population has largely been decimated in the last 10 years. Kidnapping and murder in broad daylight are commonplace. Believers are few and far between. Converting from Islam is a huge risk. Pray for fearless Christian living.
N.Korea
For the 6th year in a row, North Korea heads the list of most severe and consistent persecutors of Christians in the world. State-imposed opposition has purged the land of believers for over half a century. Pray for resolute perseverance.
Kashmir
Historical, political and cultural tensions only accentuate dangers for those choosing to be different and express faith in Jesus Christ. This is a Muslim-populated, Hindu-controlled hot-bed of violence. Pray for safety.
India
Violent Hindu opposition to believers has led to deaths and displacement. The state of Orissa has taken the lives of many of God’s people over the years, Indians and foreign missionaries alike. Pray for the Living Light to shine.
Laos
One of the world’s most persecuted countries, especially among minority groups. Murder, forced registration, abduction, torture and prison are a reality for Christians. Pastors have disappeared. Still the Lord builds His work. Pray for unwavering disciples.
Maldives
Leaving Islamis a frightening step for many. Believers in these islands dare not even meet together for fear of reprisal. No churches and no Bibles allowed here. Pray for wisdom.
Burma
Christians among Burma’s hill tribes face persistent harassment. Restrictions on movement, public gatherings and public evangelism are commonplace. The Church continues to grow! Pray for faithfulness.
We regularly receive requests for prayer from our partners in Asia. The plea from workers is not that we pray for the persecution to stop, but rather that they would have the strength to endure.
Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. H E B R E W S 1 3 : 3
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NEPAL P O P U L AT I O N 28 Million
CHINA BHUTAN
INDIA
BANGLADESH BURMA LAO S
THAILAND
C A P I T A L C I T Y Kathmandu
CAMBOD
R E L I G I O N S Hindu 75%; Buddhist 16%; Muslim 5%; Christian 1.9%; Other 2.3% L A N G U A G E S 124 P E O P L E G R O U P S 332, of which 308 are unreached The Himalayan region includes a number of independent countries as well as provinces of India. Some areas have experienced remarkable revival for over fifty years and have been sending out their own missionaries around the world. Other places remain tightly closed, satanically bound and deeply persecuted. Nepal has never been colonised in the way many of her neighbours have been. On the contrary, the country remained tightly closed to outside influence until 1951. Since 1990 there have been a series of destabilising influences, ranging from civil unrest to the murders of the royal family in 1999. Nepal remains heavily dependent on foreign aid and especially on good relations with India.
CHURCH/MISSION ACTIVITY Nepal is a Hindu kingdom which allows people to choose their religion but prohibits the conversion of others. Hindu extremists are often violent in the opposition to the Church. Hindu extremists, Maoist guerrillas and even family members are sometimes violent in their persecution of believers. Nevertheless, the Church has grown and there may be around 500,000 believers today.
MAIN UNREACHED GROUPS Tibetan refugees and Tibetan-related Nepalese living in the mountains have just a few congregations springing up. Most of these peoples are Lamaistic Buddhists. Muslims with Kashmiri, Bengali or Urdu backgrounds are increasing but with only a dozen or so known believers among them. The Awadhi (0.5 million) and the Maithili (3 million) from the lowlands Indian border region have been generally unresponsive to any Gospel approaches. The Tharu (1.3 million) have an animistic rather than Hindi background and churches have been appearing among them.
W H AT Y O U C A N D O Prayer: Pray for this country, one of the poorest in the world. Pray for the government. Pray for Christian leaders to emerge and assume positions of responsibility. Pray for national believers and churches within the country to be strengthened. Short-term: Please prayerfully consider your partnership with us as we travel to Nepal in the summer. You could also financially support those who are going or contribute towards the cost of sending our Youth Officer. £25 buys 500 copies of John or 1000 copies of the ‘Life of Jesus’ tract to be distributed by our Nepalese partners and short-term teams.
Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. P S A L M 4 6 : 1 0
FAQS
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What is Missions? Missions is calling the world to do what it was created to do, namely, to enjoy making much of God forever.
I can’t see the word used much in the Bible, where did it come from? The word ‘mission’ derives from a Latin word meaning ‘send’. It is also a modern term for the Great Commission – Jesus’ final command to his followers. Is the Great Commission for all Christians? Yes. The Command that Jesus gave us is imperative. That means it’s of vital importance that we respond to the authority of the One who gave the command and we will be judged on how we obeyed it.
Surely it can’t be that important? I don't see any mention of it in other parts of the Bible. A missionary in Asia once said “if you take missions out of the Bible, all you'll have left is the covers”. From front to back we see one overriding theme, God redeeming all peoples. Check out Genesis 12:3, Psalm 87, Isaiah 49:6, Luke 24:44 and Revelation 7:9 and you’ll notice a lot of talk of peoples and nations. This is the promise that the Church of Jesus Christ will be established among every people group on earth!
So the job’s nearly done? It’s a common misconception that the task of missions is almost finished. We're closer than we’ve ever been, but there’s still lots to do. What’s left to do? Thousands of tribes, tongues and peoples are without a single Christian witness and over 2000 languages are without a single portion of Scripture. Approximately 2 billion people have never even heard of Jesus. Do I have to go to the ends of the earth to obey the Great Commission? Not everyone will leave their homes to go to some far off place.
MARTYR
INFORM
So I can stay at home, live a comfortable life and just show up at my local church every week, great! No! This is a misunderstanding for many believers today. Go, means go! It might not be your calling to go and plant a church among an unreached people group but it doesn't mean you can't get involved in numerous other ways. Like what? Frontline missionaries and agencies need our prayers. It’s this type of intercession that breaks demonic strongholds in some of the darkest places on the planet. Jesus also told us to pray for more workers because the labourers are few. Is that all? Missionaries and mission agencies need our financial support. You can give directly to missionaries or to ministries like AsiaLink and HistoryMakers as well as to many others. Anything else? Yes! Short term trips can be life-changing. Ask anyone who's been and you’ll get the same response. “Amazing!”. Often, seeing God at work in some of the remotest corners of the earth is an unforgettable experience. Plus, indigenous believers get the benefit from our hard work. Whether its carrying literature into Communist countries or distribution among tribal groups, national believers value our short term support. Surely that’s it!? If God has called you to stay at home, then you can mobilize others to go to the nations! What if I feel God calling me to go to the ends of the earth? Great! Email us at historymakers@asialink.org.uk and we’ll do our best to advise you on ways you can be trained and equipped to move into full time missionary work.
INSPIRE
ROSE ALLEN MUNT, ENGLAND 1557 Rose Allen jumped from her bed and peeked out the window. There in front of her door stood a sheriff, two police officers and a crowd of people carrying torches. They were talking with her father on the doorstep. She looked at the clock on the mantel. It was two in the morning. Rose’s mother, Alice Munt, had also been awakened by the loud pounding on the door. “What is it, Rose?” she whispered. “They’ve come to get us, Mother,” Rose whispered back. Rose could hear her Father, William, letting the men in below. Then she heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Friends had warned them of the danger of not attending the official church, but their sense of duty to the truth was stronger than their fears. They continued to worship in secret places with few men and women of like faith. Now the authorities had come to take them away... T O F I N D O U T O U T W H AT H A P P E N E D T O R O S E
go to www.historymakers.info/martyr
“I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!” L U K E 1 2 : 4 - 5
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EVANGELIST
INSPIRE
Ray Comfort has been equipping Christians across the world for more than 30 years. His literature is used by the Moody Bible Institute, Campus Crusade For Christ and the Institute for Scientific & Biblical Research. He has also written more than 60 books and is a regular platform speaker. HistoryMakers interviewed Ray who has recently pioneered the fantastic ‘Way of The Master’ course alongside Kirk Cameron. The fact that there are no species-to-species transitional forms in the fossil record, the fact that evolution has no explanation for what was “in the beginning” (the initial cause) and how we have ended up with male and female throughout all of creation. Did both male and female of every species evolve together? I have expounded these thoughts in The Charles Darwin Bible (Holman Bible Publishers), due out on Feb. 12th 2009 (Darwin’s 200th birthday).
“I have seen awthheeinststhbeayckhseliadrethat ” Way of the Master season 3 is now available. What is the main difference from the previous episodes? It’s the same theme running throughout the series (reaching the lost). However, it has jumped up much higher in production value, thanks to some very talented people. How would you encourage people who don’t feel bold enough to witness to their own friends and family, let alone complete strangers? The issue isn’t really one of ‘boldness,’ but one of love and compassion. If you saw a woman and her children trapped on the third story of a burning building, it is love and concern that drives you to reach out to rescue her. The Bible says “And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire . . .” (Jude 22-23). If you are not concerned for the salvation of others, I’m very concerned for yours.
“The issuebuistno’tnereoaflllyovoenaenodf ‘cboomldpansessiso,n’ ” How effective do you think street preaching is in this fast-paced generation? A good street preacher can reach more sinners in 30 minutes than the average church does in 30 weeks. Sinners don’t go to church, they go where sin is. They hate the light, and they won’t come to the light in case their sin is exposed. We have to go to them, as we have been commanded to do (see Mark 16:15). If I didn’t believe in openair preaching, I wouldn’t have stood on a box 5,000 times and done it. It works. Jesus did it, Paul did it, Stephen did it, and Spurgeon did it. So did Wesley, Whitefield and Billy Graham. This fast-paced generation won’t hear the gospel if we don’t take it to them: “And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:
“If I Idwidonu’ltdbne’tliehvaeveinstoopoedn-onaiar preaching, box 5 ,000 times and done it ”
‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!’” (Romans 10:14-14). Why is The Way of the Master method of evangelism so relevant and contemporary? It is relevant because it’s biblical. It speaks to the conscience. Every generation has a conscience that can be awakened by the Law of God (the Ten Commandments). This generation is no different in that respect than any other. Remember, every generation thinks that it’s “modern.” In 20 years time we will look back and laugh at today’s “advanced” technology– like we laugh at “dial-up” connecting for the Internet, audio cassettes and typewriters. What would you say to Christians who think that The Way of the Master method of evangelism is the only correct method to use? The question should never be, “Is it the only correct method,” but “Is it biblical?” If it is, then we should use it. If it’s not, it should be discarded, as should every other man-made method. In your book, God Does Not Believe in Atheists, you discuss the analogy of a painting as evidence of a painter (and thus the creation as evidence of a Creator) as an axiom of reason. Has this proved to be successful? The building, builder; painting, painter does work. I have watched lights go on in the eyes, where there has been nothing but darkness. I have seen atheists backslide when they hear that. This is because it is biblical: “For every house is built by some man; but He that built all things is God” (Hebrews 3:4), “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse…” (Romans 1:20). What are the most effective facts you use to prove that evolution is nonsense?
How essential is prayer in the ministry to which God has called you? Do you have any tips for youngsters on how to improve their prayer lives? Make sure that you don’t substitute prayer for obedience. Prayer is the oxygen of Christianity, but if we pray without preaching the gospel as we have been commanded to, we are drawing near to God with our lips, but our hearts are far from Him. Make sure you put legs to your prayers and reach out to those who are going to Hell. A.W. Tozer warned, “Have you noticed how much praying for revival has been going on of late-and how little revival has resulted? Considering the volume of prayer that is ascending these days, rivers of revival should be flowing in blessing throughout the land. That no such results are in evidence should not discourage us; rather it should stir us to find out why our prayers are not answered.... I believe our problem is that we have been trying to substitute praying for obeying; and it simply will not work.... Prayer is never an acceptable substitute for obedience. The sovereign Lord accepts no offering from His creatures that is not accompanied by obedience. To pray for revival while ignoring or actually flouting the plain precept laid down in the Scriptures is to waste a lot of words and get nothing for our trouble.”
“ putouletgstotothyoosuerwphraoyaerres agonidngretaocHh ell ” What has been the most memorable answer to prayer you have experienced since becoming a Christian? It has been God answering my prayer to raise up labourers. I cried out to God during the early 1980’s for Him to use me to stir up the Church to its moral responsibility to reach the lost. I am overjoyed that our TV program now goes to 70 countries and is on 31 networks. An amazing 22 million of our tracts are sold each year. More than 14,000 sets of our Basic Training Course is being used to train up Christians, and thousands come to our Transformed conferences. It is a great encouragement never to give up praying, and never doubt the faithfulness of God.
DEVELOP
PROJECTS
IRAQ’S DISAPPEARING CHRISTIANS Iraqi Christians have been texting a Middle-East Christian TV station requesting urgent prayer: “In the name of Jesus, pray for Christians in Nineveh province. We’re under the weight of killings and displacement.” ‘Christians’ is an all-encompassing term here. It includes Assyrians and Chaldeans, Syrics and even Yezidis. They are non-Arabs but among them are also found many of Iraq’s believers. The Lord has always clearly directed AsiaLink and brought us into partnership with like minded people. A staff member recently travelled to Iraq to help us discern whether this was a place where God was inviting us to work with Him.
Their fears are justified. Many have lost their lives in recent months. Some 3,000 Iraqi Christians have fled the northern city of Mosul. Other reports have stated that Christian homes have been bombed, leaflets circulated and text messages sent threatening Christians with death unless they convert to Islam.
CHINA BIBLES The simple goal here is to help equip China's Christians with God's Word. The church in China is estimated to number 100 million (some say 30,000 new believers each day). AsiaLink has for many years been serving Christians inside China who are printing Bibles. Cost: £1.50 covers the cost of printing and distributing one Bible. £150 provides enough for 100 Bibles. 100% of funds designated for printing goes to this Bible production.
PROJECT SMILE Poor use of pesticides and the legacy of the massive abuse of herbicides during the Vietnam War have resulted in the birth of thousands of Vietnamese children with severe medical difficulties. Project Smile helps children from poor families in Vietnam who were born with disabilities such as cleft palates, cleft lips and club feet. Cost: A gift of £40 will help one child to have a better life, and an opportunity for his or her family to hear about Jesus Christ for the first time.
As security tightens in Baghdad, so Al Queda moves northwards. One believer I met had just lost his brother in law, shot dead the day before in his own shop. Not long ago there were over a million Christians in Iraq from various backgrounds. Now, there are possibly only 80,000. Some have been kidnapped. Others killed. After last year’s August bombings of four churches, Iraq’s own Minister for Migration estimated that some 40,000 Iraqi Christians fled the country within a space of two weeks. Here, the Christian Church is barely surviving. Praying for Iraqi pastors is a humbling experience. They stood together in a row and one by one we went down the line beseeching the Lord’s help for them. Some were young men, passionate and zealous for God. All had witnessed firsthand what it means to follow Christ. There is no cheap discipleship here.
ASIAN WORKERS The economy of many places like rural Nepal, Kashmir or Burma is so poor that there is little or nothing left in the local church for “big” expenses such as sending an evangelist or a missionary to an unreached area. In China, some house church evangelists have even sold their own blood at the hospital, receiving just a few pence as payment. They then buy a few meals with this money, giving them enough strength to continue to preach the Gospel for another week or two. The Asian Workers’ Fund assists many of those workers who are doing strategic work in Asia .Please pray about whether you, your family, home fellowship or church could help support one or more of these workers with £25 per month each. 100% of your gifts go to the workers in need.
HISTORYMAKERS Our youth ministry endeavours to work alongside young people and help them discover a passion for missions. The goal is to awaken the next generation in the Church to realize their potential in Christ and in reaching the nations. We believe that God has a history-making role for every young person in His purposes. This missionary perspective can only continue if we keep informing and inspiring young people. It’s a vital role of the ministry to partner with youth and church leaders in order to help them assume responsibility for the Great Commission. Invest in the next generation of world-changing young people! Cost: £1 – £100. Please pray about your partnership with us.
There are multiple ways in which you can financially support the work. Go to www.asialink.org.uk/giving to find out more.
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for the unreached people of Asia
This summer, invest yourself in something completely life-changing. Take a missions trip to the rooftop of the world!
From the sanctuary of Annapurna to the famed hills of Mustang, Nepal is one of the truly great must-see-before-you-die places. It’s also home to 23 million Hindus, 3 million Buddhists and 310 of the world’s least-reached people groups. And that’s why we’re going! This August, join AsiaLink’s youth department, HistoryMakers and our Nepalese partners in sharing Jesus Christ with people who have never ever heard the Good News. For more details, contact historymakers@asialink.org.uk
HistoryMakers is a ministry of AsiaLink. Registered Charity No. 327165