57 Articles on Biblical Basis of Missions 2

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Dear Reader Thanks for downloading this e-book. This is not a book but a collection of articles from the various websties during my personal reading and writing on Mission to Muslims. It not only changed my perspective on Mission from the biblical point of view but also gave me a gloable understading of World Mission. I thank God He equiped me and led me to be on Oversease Mission for couple of years.

As you read I pray that you may catch a vision of God for His mission to reach to unreach for His Kingdom to Come .

God Bless you.

Sabir Ali www.Ministrywww.Ministry-OfOf-Grace.Org

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PART

1 BIBLICAL BASIS OF MISSIONS GENESIS TO REVELATION: GOD'S HEART FOR THE WORLD

by Todd Ahrend

What verses come to mind when you think of the word, "MISSIONS"? Most of us are hard pressed to name more than the old faithful Great Commission.

For years our church culture has singled out this passage to be the theme of our missions conferences and the motivation for those who go. It's no wonder that our obedience is slow - who wants to hang their future on one verse? The Bible has a lot more to say on this subject then just the Great Commission.

We need to understand the concept of a Biblical basis for missions. Maybe you're saying, "The Biblical basis, is there one?" YES! And not only that, but missions permeates every book of the Bible. It is in fact the theme of the Bible. If you don't believe that all 66 books can be reduced to one theme, keep reading. You will see that missions is not your pastor's idea, or your campus minister's idea, or even your idea...it is God's. Since creation, God has been interested in redeeming all peoples to Himself. As Christians, it is vital that we see the world as He sees it. Let's look at the Bible in light of God's heart for the world, and we will see that from Genesis to the Revelation He is beckoning you and I and all of His people to join Him in bringing every people group to His throne. The Bible is not a collection of separate books with no common theme or story. It is one book with an Introduction: Genesis 1-11, a Plot: Genesis 12 - Jude, and a Conclusion: Revelation. Let us begin where God begins, in Genesis. Genesis 1:28 "God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth..."

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This is an interesting command. Be fruitful and multiply. Now why wouldn't God just want the Garden of Eden populated? Why the whole earth? Because God knew that as Adam would populate physically, he would also populate spiritually. Can you picture that? The planet covered with worshippers of Him as Adam and Eve "filled the earth." However, we know that by Genesis 3 sin had crept in and by chapter 8 the world was not looking good. So as God floods the earth and starts over, listen to the command He gives Noah, just after he steps off the ark.

Genesis 9:1 "Then God blessed Noah and his sons saying to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth."

"Hey Noah, don't just populate a city, fill the earth." There it is again, the command to multiply. So as we come to chapter 11 there should be one simple question on all of our minds: Does God get the earth filled? Lets keep reading,

Genesis 11:1-4 "Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. As men moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there...Then they said, 'Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.'"

Can't you hear the talk of the town? "Ya know, we all look the same, act the same, talk the same, eat the same, and dress the same. Lets just stay right here and make a name for ourselves. Do we really want to be scattered?"

This does not exactly sound like they are excited about obeying God's command. Because of man's urge to settle, God is forced to step in and scatter, filling the earth just as He desired.

Genesis 11:7-8 "'Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.' So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city."

So as we end the introduction we see that God has a problem: people scattered all over the earth speaking many different languages. How is He going to reach all of them? What will He do? Who will He use? The plot begins.

Genesis 12:1-3 "The Lord had said to Abram, 'Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you...I will bless you...and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.'"

Hey Abram, leave. Leave your country, your people, your family, your life, your dreams, your ambitions, your future as well as all that you know and are

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familiar with and go to the land I will show you. Now if you keep reading, something really weird happens...

Genesis 12:4 "So Abram left, as the Lord had told him."

He leaves. Man obeys God. This is a pretty weird concept especially in today's world. So Abram is off to establish a nation that will bless all peoples.

Interestingly, this command was not for Abram alone. Watch God continue to call succeeding generations to reach all nations. Next in line is Abraham's son, Isaac.

Genesis 26:4 "I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed."

And to Isaac's son, Jacob: Genesis 28:14 "Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring" The rest of the Old Testament is filled with God using Israel to make His name great among the nations. Here are just a few examples: The 10 Commandments Deuteronomy 4:5-6 "Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.'"

His reputation spread after parting the Red Sea Joshua 2:9-10 "I (Rahab) know that the Lord has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us...we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt..."

Solomon and his wisdom 1 Kings 4:34 "Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon's wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom."

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace Daniel 3:29 "Therefore, I (Nebuchadnezzar) decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces... for no other God can save in this way."

Daniel in the lions' den Daniel 6:26 " I (Darius) issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel..."

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For further study see Psalm 33:13-14, 67:1-7, 86:9-10, 96:3; Isaiah 11:910, 49:6, 52:10, 61:11; Jonah 4:11, Habakkuk 1:5, Zephaniah 2:11, Haggai 2:7, Zechariah 8:20-23, Malachi 1:11 As we transition to the New Testament the plot only thickens. Now Christ, God in flesh, enters the scene and what do we see in the pattern of His life and ministry? Nothing different. Whether it is taking a longer route to reach a Samaritan women (John 4:1-42) or healing various Gentiles to teach His followers (Mark 5:1-20, 7:24-30). Christ in the New Testament maintained the pattern established in the Old Testament. Here are a few more examples.

Clearing the temple

Mark 11:15-17 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area designated for the Gentiles to worship and he found people buying and selling there. As He drove them out saying "Is it not written; 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations'?"

The sign of His return Matthew 24:14 "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."

Jesus' ministry Luke 4:42-43 "...they tried to keep him from leaving them but He said, 'I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.'"

The mandate to His followers Mark 16:15 "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation."

The book of Acts is a testimony of the account of the gospel spreading to the ends of the earth. It begins with Jesus echoing what He had taught the disciples for the past 3 years.

Acts 1:8 "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

As the persecution begins so does the scattering (Acts 8:1), and the Lord adds great numbers to their missionary force.

Acts 9:15 "...Go! This man (Paul) is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles..."

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The rest of the book of Acts and Epistles give a detailed description of Paul and the rest of the missionary band struggling to raise up churches all over the world.

For further study see Matthew 9:35-38, 28:18-20; John 20:21, Romans 10:11-15, 15:20; Galatians 3:13-14, I Timothy 2:4-6, II Peter 3:9, I John 2:2 The introduction: Genesis 1-11, the plot: Genesis 12-Jude, so what is the conclusion?

Revelation 7:9 "After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb..."

It is important to connect what is happening in Revelation with what God started in Genesis 12 in the life of Abraham. God will do it. There will be a representative from every nation, tribe, people, and language bowing and worshipping at His feet. Heaven is multicultural. God is a missionary God, and from cover to cover He is showing us His mission. Will you join Him in bringing a representative from every people group to His throne? It will happen, the only question is will you be a part?

MERCY TO BABEL GOD ANSWERS MAN'S DESIRE FOR SECURITY AND SIGNIFICANCE

by Steve Hawthorne Here's a verse you probably haven't memorized, "'Come let's make bricks and bake them thoroughly,' They used bricks instead of stone and tar instead of mortar" (Genesis 11:3). Why include such mundane details of a mud pie party in such an important book? I think that the bricks and tar are important to understand the story, especially in the context. What had just happened? The flood. What were the bricks all about? I think it's pretty simple: flood insurance. Kiln-fired bricks and tar can withstand a lot of water. And check out the blueprint for the tower. Whatever the point of design, it was going to be high. You've heard the expression "come hell or high water." These guys were getting ready for the latter and fairly well preparing for the former by doing so.

The Babel people united in disbelief. They saw rainbows in the sky which signified that "never again will the water become a flood to destroy all life" (Genesis 9:15). But they didn't believe it. They wanted to be really sure. Boats worked, but they were pretty unreliable. People who rode in boats tended to get "scattered over the face of the earth." So the folks at Babel built a tower.

They like most people had two basic needs: security and significance by groping for glory: "Let's make a name for ourselves!" (Genesis 10:4).

Through one special family he would reach all the families of the earth

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Things haven't changed for most people. Today we're still erecting our own security schemes. Fat IRA accounts and lines of credit give an illusory sense of insulation from life's traumas. Many people frantically work two or three jobs just to have enough - way more than enough - for "a rainy day." We crave significance too. You know what it's like to want a little credit for your efforts.

Some folks thirst for importance on a grand scale. Others just need to be needed by one other person. Don't we all abhor abject obscurity - or an even worse fate: meaninglessness? Now there is nothing wrong with being secure and enjoying significance. God has wired us up for that. But he never meant for us to find security and significance in our financial achievements or in the pages of "Who's Who." God watched the brick makers at Babel and let them get pretty far building their flood escape tower. And then God thought over the situation: "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them" (Genesis 11:6). These folks had gotten themselves on a trajectory of disbelief and selfdestruction. If God hadn't done something at this point, any magnitude of evil would have been possible. Most people think of this as a judgment passage. I don't think it is. God broke in before he had to do something more drastic, like he did in Noah's day. He didn't let the rebellion get too far. In fact, this is probably one of the most stunning acts of mercy. What God did was beautifully simple. He divided humanity into language groups. And thus God created a world of peoples, clans, families, and cultures. Humanity was suddenly much more complex, but beautiful in diversity. And the plethora of people would never again rise as easily in united rebellion against God. They would each be preserved as winnable parts of humanity, susceptible to belief in God, and free to influence other peoples redemptively. God was getting the world ready for salvation. And in the very next story in Genesis, God mapped out to one man and his family His strategy for winning the world. He gave the plan to Abraham.

Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation And I will bless you; And I will make your name great. And you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And whoever curses you I will curse; And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you. (Genesis 12:1-3).

Now we can see God's plan in all the daring simplicity. Through one special family He would reach all the families of earth. God wasn't playing favorites.

He was pushing to reach everyone. The Blessing for all families and nations was both physical and spiritual. The book of Genesis closes on the high note of one of Abraham's family becoming a tangible blessing to the entire civilization of that part of the world. Joseph stockpiled grain and blessed the nations with survival during a famine. The promised blessing is spiritual as well. The word of God's love is still in our generation. Making progress to touch directly some of the last of the families or nations to be blessed. The word to Abraham makes sense in light of the strategic move of God at Babel, and the perplexing "punishment" at Babel turns out to be a marvelous act of love when it is connected to Abraham's story. It is God's answer, not only to the rebellion of Babel, but also to man's desire for security and significance.

How secure do you think Abraham felt leaving home, severing family ties,

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packing up a few belongings and heading out without a forwarding address?

"Where am I going, God?" says Abraham. "I'll tell you when you get there" is about all God gives for assurance. How's that for security? God actually gave him much more to go on. Promises. To our way of thinking, promises are just words. Most of us have to be reminded of promises that we make. Do you want to live a life of real security? Let God promise you a future, and be ready to take some risks. There really isn't any other way to be truly "secure." Jesus said repeatedly that whoever tried to "save his life" (that's shorthand for a life of striving for safety in one's own devices) would certainly lose it. But whoever would risk everything on God's promises, to the point of losing what the world holds dear, would surely find a life of surprising fullness. Amidst the promises of security, Abraham heard a truly amazing word, and we need to hear it as well: "I will make your name great." Compare that to the Babel folks trying to make their own name. Only God bestows true greatness. Do you want a life of significance? Go for it Abraham style. Abraham's significance didn't derive from some position he held in Ur, properties acquired, power he amassed or people he governed. Rather, he was a sojourner whose significance was found in his relationship to God. The Abrahamic way was to go for greatness, but only to go for God's greatness! Abraham didn't seek fame or fortune from God. He made it a habit to glorify God's name before the watching world. Find security in God's promises. Doing so opens you up to going places and touching lives that you might not if you lived a "safe" life. When you let go of your security systems, you get free of anxiety and begin living in anticipation.

Find significance in who you are in God. Let go of superficial ambitions for small-time recognition and acceptance. Join Abraham in being a blessing to the nations of earth. You may find yourself blessing others as a missionary.

You may never leave your home, you may preach to thousands, you may touch your neighborhood with kindness. There's no larger life possible.

WAS JESUS MISSIONS MINDED?

by Gordon Olson In His ministry to Gentiles In the beginning of Christ's ministry, He visited Jerusalem and asserted His Messianic authority by cleansing the temple of the money-changers who had infested the outer 'Court of the Gentiles' (John 2:13-22). Mark records (11:17) how a second time at the end of His ministry Christ again cleansed the temple, quoting Isaiah 56:7 as an explanation of His actions: "'Is it not written, my house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it a robbers' den.'" The global purpose of the temple had been buried under the crooked commercialization of the outer court. George Peters states: "The indifference and callousness of Israel in relation to the religious plight of the nations, and her utter neglect and abandonment of any mission toward the nations of the world become consuming motives in the seeming violent reaction of Christ to religious ceremonialism and performances devoid of compassion for the spiritual well-being of others." Although most of Christ's

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ministry for almost three years was devoted to His own people Israel, there are a number of significant incidents in His early ministry in which He showed compassion upon Gentiles. The fourth chapter of John describes his extraordinary trip through Samaria, the conversion of the woman at the well, and through her witness the conversion of many other Samaritans also. When we remember that the Samaritans were despised half-breed Jews whose religion was also 'half-breed', we can understand how radical this ministry was. We also read about the Roman Centurion who sent prominent Jews to Christ to ask Him to heal his servant. The Lord's comment is devastating: Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel. And I say to you, that many shall came from east and west and recline at the table with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven, but the sons of the kingdom shall be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt. 8:10-11).

Not only did Christ meet this Gentile's need, but He contrasted his great faith with the unbelief of Israel in most dramatic language. On a number of occasions Christ's ministry brought Him to the borders of Israel, where He ministered to Gentiles. Across the Sea of Galilee were the ten Greek cities called Decapolis. Christ exorcised a legion of demons from a man in the Gerasene area, who was probably a Gentile (Mark 5:1-20). He healed a deaf man in Decapolis, and He fed the multitude of 4000 men plus women and children in Decapolis. In the region of Tyre and Sidon in Phoenicia, He cast out a demon from a Gentile woman's daughter (Mark 7:24-37). There were probably many other similar unrecorded incidents.

In His teaching Although we have noted that the focus of the first part of Christ's ministry was to the Jews, there are strong intimations of a universal thrust to His teaching.

One hint comes in the favorite title that the Lord Jesus used of Himself. More than forty times in the Gospels Christ used the title, 'son of man'. Although it is a special Messianic title drawn from Daniel 7:13-14, it also clearly indicates His identification with all humanity, not just the Jews. He could have used the title, 'son of David', and others used it of Him, but He preferred 'son of man'.

At the beginning of His ministry, Christ went back to His hometown of Nazareth and after reading from Isaiah 61 in the synagogue, He claimed to be the fulfillment of this Messianic prophecy (Luke 4:16-30). When they struggled to understand how this local carpenter's son could make such a claim, He rebuked them by stressing how Elijah went to the Gentile widow of Zarephath and how the only leper that Elisha healed was Namaan the Syrian. This 'put down' of the Jews and reference to God's blessing on two Gentiles so infuriated the local people that they tried to kill the Lord. Their problem was that they were too Jewish. Because of their prejudice, they had no use for Gentile 'dogs'. The Lord Jesus made His point almost too well, didn't He? In the Sermon on the Mount, He reminded Israel that they were to be the "salt of the earth" and the light of the world." He then proceeded to show the Rabbinic misinterpretations and distortions of the Law which kept them from being such. In Mark 14:9 He made reference to the gospel being preached throughout the whole world. The parable of the good Samaritan praises the conduct of a non-Jew and put the Jewish religious leaders in a bad light (Luke

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 10 10:29-37). In Luke 13:28-29 He repeats similar words to that commendation of Gentiles he had uttered in connection with the Centurion's servant. In the parable of the great feast in Luke 14:10-24, He spoke about a universal invitation to be extended. In the parable of the wheat and the tares (Matt.

13:36-43), the field in which the sowing takes place is neither Israel nor the church, but He declares it to be "the world."

The transition from Israel to the Church It should be noted that the most universal language of Christ comes after His rejection by Israel as He begins speaking consistently in more universal terms only in the last few months of His ministry. There is not a precise turning point, but rather a fairly gradual shift of focus from presenting Himself to Israel as their King in the first years of His ministry, to predicting his passion at Jerusalem and speaking of the church in this connection. We must note several new things: 1. Matt.11:20 - "then He began to reproach the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent." He especially rebuked Capernaum, Chorazin and Bethsaida because the greatest abundance of miracles occurred there.

2. Matt. 11:28 - Come unto me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." This is His first universal invitation extended to all.

3. Matt. 13:10-17,34-35 - Christ began using parables, which He explained as "mysteries of the kingdom,"- new things "hidden since the foundation of the world." This includes an age of the word of God in the field of the world, preceding the judgment of saved and lost.

4. Matt. 16:19 - "...upon this rock I will build my church." The first reference to the church in the Gospels.

5. Matt.16:21 - "From that time Jesus Christ began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day." This is the first of a dozen prophecies of His passion given in just the last six to nine months of His ministry. The astounding truth is that for almost three years of His ministry, Christ never explicitly mentioned His impending death until Caesarea Philippi.

6. Matt. 20:28 - "just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." This is the first explanation of the meaning of His impending death: a ransom for many.

His last few months In those last few months of His ministry after the Lord Jesus began to predict His death and resurrection and the church based upon it, His language turns more consistently universal and His global plans are more explicit. In the Good Shepherd discourse of John ten, for example, He makes reference to "other sheep, which are not of this fold." He goes on to state: "I must bring

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 11 them also, and they shall hear My voice; and they shall become one flock with one shepherd" (John 10:16). The interpretation is straightforward. His Jewish disciples comprised "this fold." The other sheep which were not of "this fold" must be Samaritan and Gentile believers. Christ's plan was to unify both Jewish and Gentile sheep into one sheepfold. This was fulfilled potentially on the Day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was given to baptize all believers into one body, the church (1 Cor. 12:13). The full historical fulfillment came a few years later with the incorporation of Samaritans (Acts 8) and Gentiles (Acts 10-11). The apostle John also records an incident which took place at the beginning of passion week. Some Gentiles (Greeks), who had already become inquirers into Judaism to the extent that they had come to Jerusalem to worship at Passover, wanted to see the Lord. When Andrew and Philip told him about it, the Lord made extensive comments which are best understood in the light of this Gentile inquiry. In John 12:23-24 He spoke about His glorification by reference to a grain of wheat having to die and bear much fruit.

Indeed, that fruit, over the centuries, has been predominantly Gentile. Then He went on to say: "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself." (12:32) The phrase "all men" in the original Greek language can mean 'all kinds of men' or 'all mankind.' It also is an obvious reference to salvation going out to the Gentiles after His death since the context is the key to interpretation. About that same time during passion week, the Lord had a heated discussion with the leaders of Israel. He gave them the parable of the landowner who leased a vineyard to some vinegrowers who mistreated and killed his slaves and finally killed his son (Matt. 21:33-46). As He applied this to His own situation, He said: "Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and be given to a nation producing the fruit of it" (21:43). Here the Lord is very explicit about this transition from Israel to the Gentiles in the plan of God. It was clearly caused by the rejection of the "chief cornerstone" by the leaders of Israel, which was a part of God's eternal plan.

A few days later, the disciples' awe at the beauty of the temple building occasioned the extended prophetic sermon called the Olivet Discourse. As Christ described the end-time events related to His second coming He stated: "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end shall come" (Matt. 24:14). Quite apart from the issue as to the exact time from of this prediction in reference to the rapture of the church, it is clear that Christ predicted global evangelization of all the nations (ethne = ethnic peoples). He could not have been more explicit. In that same discourse He describes Himself as the King, who after His return to earth, will judge the living nations (ethne) by separating the sheep from the goats (Matt. 25:31-46). This scene presupposes the evangelization of the nations. Thus it should be abundantly clear that the Lord Jesus did not drop the 'Great Commission' on the apostles like a bolt out of the blue. He gave them ample warning.

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 12 Problem passages One difficult statement was given on the occasion when He sent out His twelve apostles as ambassadors to His own nation Israel. "Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying. 'The kingdom of God is at hand'" (Matt. 10:5-6). It was because He had a responsibility to Israel first, that He so limited the ministry of the Twelve. Israel was to be first the channel of God's message to the world, but they had to be won first. He couldn't turn to the Gentiles until He had first given them opportunity to respond to the kingdom message. The second difficult passage explained by this transition is the story of the Syrophoenician woman recorded in Matt. 15:21-28. His answer to pleas for the healing of her daughter seems very narrow: " I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." We all recognize that He was testing her faith, and she passed with flying colors.

However, His words were intrinsically true at that point in time. He was not free to devote Himself to the Gentiles until He had fulfilled His responsibility to Israel. And of course, He did heal her daughter.

TYRANNY OF THE IMMEDIATE: ANOTHER VIEW OF ACTS 1:8

by Steve Hawthorne "Why would you want to go to Asia when there are so many needy people right around here?" So reasoned my non-Christian friend as I explained that I would be going to Thailand soon to do missions work. This was some years back, but I still remember watching the concerned expression on his face. He really thought he'd made a tremendous point. He went on in a fatherly tone, trying to calm what he felt was the farthest degree of fanaticism. He was trying to reason with me on my level and spare me years of life wasted in what he thought was the "Christian Foreign Legion." I remember listening to his words with shock. It wasn't his condescending attitude that bugged me. What really bothered me was that I realized I'd recently heard a Christian leader offer roughly the same argument for people to stay at home, at least for a while, until the neighborhood was well evangelized. It was scary to think about how many people have gotten waylaid from pursuing missions work because of supposed greater needs at home. I suppose many get sidetracked out of confusion. Some are even convinced that the biblical pattern directs people overseas only after they have taken care of the needs of their home community. Their biblical warrant for this confusion is usually Acts 1:8, where Jesus tells his disciples:

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 13 ...you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Acts 1:8 is commonly misunderstood when it's read as if it follows four stages.

The idea is that these four stages serve as a priority scheme for any mission endeavor. It usually comes out "home now - nations later." The four-stage rendition goes like this: First, reach "Jerusalem." That's taken to mean the city, neighborhood or campus. Anything local will do. Second, reach "Judea," often understood as the larger city, or country, or people of the same culture.

Third, reach "Samaria." Samaria is commonly read as the Samaritans, the cultural outsiders or ethic minorities on the other side of town. Fourth, reach the "ends of the earth," which is understood as anywhere outside America.

This "home now - nations later" interpretation of Acts 1:8 doesn't work for many reasons. One starkly clear reason should keep us from using this verse as a blanket principle to delay ourselves and others from going overseas: Jerusalem was not these guys' home. Look at what the angels called them in verse 11: "men of Galilee." The disciples were way out of their element in Jerusalem. The local people picked them out right away on Pentecost as being Galileans, just by their accent (Acts 2:7, Matt. 26:73). Jesus actually gave them clear instructions not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait (Acts 1:4). For this group of Galileans, that meant "Don't go home." Instead, they were to stay put in Jerusalem, a mission situation far from their home. Second, Jerusalem was and is unique. We can't pretend our hometowns are anything close to being Jerusalem, the holy city of God and the hinge point of all God's dealings with His people. Jesus said Jerusalem was the geographic center of God's plan throughout Scripture and down throughout the ages: "Forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem" (Luke 24:47). Finally, Acts 1:8 doesn't come to us as a command or a priority principle. It simply states how God's purposes will be accomplished down through history, we can find ourselves in this verse, but we aren't in Jerusalem and we aren't in the first century. That special place and time in God's plan is long past. We are now in the "ends of the earth." The "ends of the earth" aren't found at the farthest distance from Wheaton, IL. or Atlanta, GA. Jesus is speaking of places far away from Jerusalem. (By the way, all points in the United States are farther from Jerusalem than any place in Africa or Asia.) It's important to note that when Jesus uttered the words of Acts 1:8 He had just reviewed for his disciples God's entire plan for the world; He traced through the Old Testament and onward through history until the very end. He pictured the spread of the kingdom of God, specifying that it all had to start from Jerusalem (Luke 24:44-47). In light of the big sweep of all that God was doing for all time and for all the world, Jesus commanded them, "through the Holy Spirit" (Acts 1:2), to do the most strategic thing, which was, at that time, to launch the movement in Jerusalem. Christ leads us in the same way. He gives us the big picture of all God is doing. We have a certain freedom in the great plan of the ages to attempt to do the most strategic thing we can. But we aren't left to our own notions of what's important. You and I can expect Jesus to give us specific guidance regarding our strategic part in the Great Commission in exactly the same way: "through the Holy Spirit." Jesus' way of giving us commands can save us from two equally agonizing extremes. If

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 14 someone is caught up in meeting the homeside needs when he ought to be exploring ways to serve overseas, he faces what I call the "tyranny of the immediate." Here's how it works: Close-up needs such as those in our family or home church, press in so demandingly that immediate needs begin molding life-shaping priorities. Certainly, the immediate needs are real and working to meet them is entirely legitimate. But too often, the close-up hurts and needs eclipse even greater ones an ocean away. The other paralyzing extreme is what I call "global guilt." It's a vague but debilitating anxiety that makes you fear you really aren't doing enough or that you should be living in some dangerous, dreadful place overseas. World Christians sometimes fall prey to "global guilt" because they tend to be aware of the astounding need all over the world. Adrift without specific guidance, people suffering from "global guilt" just can't believe they're enduring enough hardship to please God. It's ridiculous, of course, to consider that a tougher or more strategic role in God's work would make us any more pleasing to God, but Christians have believed stranger things. In any case, "global guilt" is a set-up for burnout at the heart level. There's a way to balance the two extremes of being caught up in local needs and being compulsively guilty about distant ones. We need to be aware of God's greater purposes and of a broad scope of needs, near and far, while striving to be in prayer so that we can best hear Jesus' specific commands for us "through the Holy Spirit." In light of God's will for the entire world, we can best sense God's will for us.

Beat the "Tyranny of the Immediate" Of course, there are great needs all around you. What community was ever so fully saturated with gospel goodness that all Christian workers were out of business? There always seems to be more to do, but you can't assume that you're the one to do it. Here are some ways to beat the "tyranny of the immediate": Inventory close-by needs. Just how extensive are the problems and opportunities? One thing is sure: they aren't infinite. Banish the myth of the infinite need along with the silly notion that you are all alone in serving God. Take stock of all God is doing locally. You could be pleasantly surprised to discover that God is doing more than anyone realized. Keep informed about global realities. There really isn't any doubt that the needs are almost always greater overseas. Try to see any need you are meeting at home in light of an international counterpart. One lonely child in Chicago is matched by scores in Cairo. A confused university student in Denver has many like him in Singapore. A poor neighborhood near Boston looks clean and bright compared with the slums of Calcutta. Mobilize others. This is the best way to climb out of the "tyranny of the immediate." By recruiting others to help you reach your own community, you are putting your contribution into perspective: you're one servant among many. Not the first and not the only.

Escape "Global Guilt" How do you escape "global guilt"? Reestablish you spiritual identity in Christ's love. "Keep yourselves in God's love" (Jude 21) is a good word for those suffering from the cruel deception that full-time ministry is the only way to really please God - and that somehow you get extra credit from God for doing stuff overseas. You might say that some of us are "needient" more than

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 15 obedient. "Needient" people carry a lot of the weight of the world, thinking they have to overachieve meeting needs, both near and distant. Their lives are easily distorted into a compulsive frenzy of activity. Christians who are oriented to obey the God they serve rather than to meet all the needs they see may also work very hard. They often work with great sacrifice, but in response to Christ's orders. They usually report that it's a joy to labor. Think of your part as a big gift from God. Don't unwrap someone else's gift. Do only what God gives you to do. I love what the angels said: "Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11). You would think a statement like that would have made them stand and stargaze all night, but it didn't. They began to act.

That's what the rest of the book of Acts is all about - getting into action. The word about Jesus' return moved them because they knew they had a part to play in God's big plan for the entire world. They had the next step clearly in mind. They probably didn't understand too much of what Jesus meant about the "ends of the earth," but they bravely returned to the city instead of going home. And the world was never the same.

THE GLOBAL THREAD THROUGH SCRIPTURE Aspects of Christ's global cause can be found in every book of the Bible.

Read straight through the passages listed here in one sitting. Watch how this grand theme weaves its way from Genesis to Revelation. Watch how the theme comes through, however, in a way that is compatible with each book and with that books' place in the unfolding of Gods' revelation on the cause.

GENESIS - Through you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. (12:3) EXODUS - For all the earth is mine and you shall be to me a Kingdom of Priests. (19:5-6) LEVITICUS - The stranger who sojourns with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself. (19:34) NUMBERS - A star shall come forth out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel. It shall crush the forehead of Moab and shall break down all the sons of Sheth. Edom shall be dispossessed, Seir also, his enemies, shall be dispossessed while Israel does valiantly. (24:17-18) DEUTERONOMY - The Lord will establish you as a people holy to himself, as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments.... and all the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord; and they shall be afraid of you. (28:9-10) JOSHUA - For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over.... so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty. (4:23-24)

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 16 JUDGES - I will not drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died that by them I may test Israel, whether they will take care to walk in the way of the Lord (2:21-22) RUTH - Entreat me not to leave you or to return from following you; for where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge; your people will be my people, and your God my God. (1:16) I SAMUEL- This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand.... that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. (17:46) II SAMUEL - For this I will extol thee, 0 Lord, among the nations and sing praises to thy name. Great triumphs He gives to His king. (22:50-51) I KINGS - Thus King Solomon excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. And the whole earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put into his mind. (10:23-24) II KINGS - So now, 0 Lord our God, save us, I beseech thee, from his hand, so that all kingdoms of the earth may know that thou, O Lord, art God alone.

(19:19) I CHRONICLES - Sing to the Lord, all the earth! Tell of His salvation - day to day. Declare His glory among the nations. (16:23-24) II CHRONICLES - Likewise when a foreigner; who is not of thy people Israel, comes from a far country for the sake of thy great name, and thy mighty hand.... hear thou from heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to thee; in order that all peoples of the earth may know thy name and fear thee. (6:32-33) EZRA - Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem. (1:2) NEHEMIAH - Thou art the Lord, Thou alone; Thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them.... Thou art the Lord, the God who didst choose Abram and bring him forth (9:6-7) ESTHER - And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom (of Persia) for such a time as this? (4:14) JOB - The Lord said to Satan, 'Whence have you come?' Satan answered, 'From going to and fro on the earth.' And the Lord said to Satan, 'Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth?' (1:7-8) PSALMS - Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! (150:6)

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 17 PROVERBS - By me (Wisdom) kings reign, and rulers decree what is just; by me princes rule and nobles govern the earth. (8:15-16) ECCLESIASTES - I know that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; God has made it so, in order that men should fear before him. (3:14) SONG OF SOLOMON - The maidens saw her and called her happy; the queens and concubines also (note: from Solomon's international alliances), and they praised her.(6:9) ISAIAH - It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob.... I will give you as a Light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth. (49:6) JEREMIAH - And this city shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and a glory before all the nations of the earth who shall hear of all the good that I do for them and shall fear and tremble. (33:9) LAMENTATIONS - Who has commanded and it came to pass, unless the Lord has ordained it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and evil come? Why should a living man complain, a man, about the punishment of his sins? (3:37-39) EZEKIEL - And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them; and the nations will know that I am the Lord when through you I vindicate my holiness. (36:23) DANIEL - And he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.

And to him was given dominion and glory and kingdom, that all peoples, nations and languages should serve him. (7:13-14) HOSEA - Yet the number of the people of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea' which can neither be measured nor numbered; and in the place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' it shall be said to them, 'Sons of the living God' (1:10) JOEL - Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. (3:14) AMOS - In that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen and repair its breaches, and raise up its ruins.... that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations who are called by my name. (9:11-12) OBADIAH - Thus says the Lord God concerning Edom: We have heard tidings from the Lord and a messenger has been sent among the nations:

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 18 'Rise up! Let us rise against her for battle!' (vs 1) JONAH - And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle? (4:11) MICAH - He shall judge between many peoples, and shall decide for strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares. (4:3) NAHUM - The mountains shall quake before Him, the hills melt; the earth is laid waste before Him, the world and all that dwell therein. (1:5) HABAKKUK - For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. (2:14) ZEPHANIAH - For my decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out upon them my indignation, all the heat of my anger; for in the fire of my jealous wrath all the earth shall be consumed. (3:8) HAGGAI - And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this House with splendor. (2:7) ZECHARIAH - And the Lord will become king over all the earth; on that day the Lord will be one and His name one. (14:9) MALACHI - For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name shall be great among the nations, and in every place incense shall be offered to my name.

(1:11)

MATTHEW - Go, and make disciples of all the nations. (28:1) MARK - This gospel must be proclaimed to all the nations. (13:10) LUKE - Repentance and forgiveness of sins must be proclaimed in My name to all nations. (24:47) JOHN - There are other sheep which are not of this fold. I must go and bring them. Then there will be one Shepherd and one fold. (10:16) ACTS - You shall be my witnesses to the ends of the earth. (1:8) ROMANS - We have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of His name among all the nations. (1:5) I CORINTHIANS - Then comes the end, when Christ delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power.

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 19 (15:24) II CORINTHIANS - For God was in Christ reconciling the World back to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them. (5:19) GALATIANS - In Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham has come upon the nations, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. (3:14) EPHESIANS - His Plan for the fullness of times is to sum up all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth. (1:10) PHILIPPIANS - That every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. (2:10) COLOSSIANS - The Gospel has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing. (1:6) I THESSALONIANS - Your faith in God has gone forth everywhere. (1:8) II THESSALONIANS - The Lord will be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance upon those who do not know God and upon those who do not obey the gospel. (1:7-8) I TIMOTHY - Christ was manifested in the flesh, vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory. (3:16) II TIMOTHY - I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom; preach the Word. (4:1) TITUS - The grace that brings salvation to all men has appeared. (2:14) PHILEMON - I, Paul, an ambassador and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus, appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I have become in my imprisonment. (vs. 9) HEBREWS - But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God. (10:12) JAMES - Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creation. (1:18) I PETER - Resist the devil, firm in your faith; know that the same experience of suffering is required of your brotherhood throughout the world. (5:9) II PETER - But according to his promise we wait for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwell. (3:13)

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 20 I JOHN - And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son as the Savior of the world. (4:14) II JOHN - For many deceivers have gone out into the world, men who will not acknowledge the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. (vs. 7) III JOHN - You will do well to send them on their journey as befits God's service. For they have set out for His sake and have accepted nothing from the nations. (vs. 6-7) JUDE - To the only God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (vs. 25) REVELATION - Worthy art thou to take the scroll and to open its seals, for thou hast slain and by thy blood didst ransom men for God from every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and hast made them a kingdom and priests to our God. And they shall reign on the earth. (5:9-10)

100 WORLD CHRISTIAN QUOTES "Must you go to China? How much nicer it would be to stay here and serve the Lord at home!" She made it plain at last that she would not go to China."

- J. Hudson Taylor's new ex-girlfriend "You can do something other than working with God in His purpose, but it will always be something lesser, and you couldn't come up with something better."

- Steve Hawthorne "I have seen, at different times, the smoke of a thousand villages - villages whose people are without Christ, without God, and without hope in the world."

- Robert Moffat "The command has been to "go," but we have stayed - in body, gifts, prayer and influence. He has asked us to be witnesses unto the uttermost parts of the earth‌ but 99% of Christians have kept puttering around in the homeland."

- Robert Savage "While vast continents are shrouded in darkness‌ the burden of proof lies upon you to show that the circumstances in which God has placed you were meant by God to keep you out of the foreign mission field."

- Ion Keith-Falconer

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 21 "I wasn't God's first choice for what I've done for China… I don't know who it was… It must have been a man… a well-educated man. I don't know what happened. Perhaps he died. Perhaps he wasn't willing… and God looked down… and saw Gladys Aylward… And God said - "Well, she's willing."

- Gladys Aylward "Brother, if you would enter that Province, you must go forward on your knees."

- J. Hudson Taylor "The man… looking at him with a smile that only half concealed his contempt, inquired, "Now Mr. Morrison do you really expect that you will make an impression on the idolatry of the Chinese Empire?" "No sir," said Morrison, "but I expect that God will."

- Robert Morrison "Here am I. Send me."

- Isaiah "And people who do not know the Lord ask why in the world we waste our lives as missionaries. They forget that they too are expending their lives… and when the bubble has burst they will have nothing of eternal significance to show for the years they have wasted."

- Nate Saint "Jehovah Witnesses don't believe in hell and neither do most Christians" - Leonard Ravenhill "Had I cared for the comments of people, I should never have been a missionary."

- C.T. Studd "Young man, sit down: when God pleases to convert the heathen, He will do it without your aid or mine."

- said to a young William Carey "Oh, that I had a thousand lives, and a thousand bodies! All of them should be devoted to no other employment but to preach Christ to these degraded, despised, yet beloved mortals."

- Robert Moffat "We must be global Christians with a global vision because our God is a global God." - John Stott "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

- Jim Elliot "A tiny group of believers who have the gospel keep mumbling it over and over to themselves. Meanwhile, millions who have never heard it once fall into

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 22 the flames of eternal hell without ever hearing the salvation story."

- K.P. Yohannan "I have but one passion - it is He, it is He alone. The world is the field and the field is the world; and henceforth that country shall be my home where I can be most used in winning souls for Christ."

- Count Zinzindorf "God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supplies."

- J. Hudson Taylor "He must increase, but I must decrease."

- John the Baptist "If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him." - C.T. Studd "The greatest missionary is the Bible in the mother tongue. It needs no furlough and is never considered a foreigner."

- William Cameron Townsend "Prepare for the worst, expect the best, and take what comes."

- Robert E. Speer "The saddest thing one meets is a nominal Christian. I had not seen it in Japan where missions is younger. The church here is a "field full of wheat and tares."

- Amy Carmichael "I used to think that prayer should have the first place and teaching the second. I now feel it would be truer to give prayer the first, second and third places and teaching the fourth."

- James O. Fraser "It is just as proper, maybe even more so, to say Christ's global cause has a Church as to say Christ's Church has a global cause."

- David Bryant "If you are sick, fast and pray; if the language is hard to learn, fast and pray; if the people will not hear you, fast and pray, if you have nothing to eat, fast and pray."

- Frederick Franson "What are we here for, to have a good time with Christians or to save sinners?"

- Malla Moe "I tell you, brethren, if mercies and if judgments do not convert you, God has no other arrows in His quiver."

- Robert Murray Mc'Cheyne

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 23 "It's amazing what can be accomplished if you don't worry about who gets the credit."

- Clarence W. Jones "Two distinguishing marks of the early church were: 1) Poverty 2) Power."

- T.J. Bach "Do not think me mad. It is not to make money that I believe a Christian should live. The noblest thing a man can do is, just humbly to receive, and then go amongst others and give."

- David Livingstone "From my many years' experience I can unhesitatingly say that the cross bears those who bear the cross."

- Sadhu Sundar Singh "I pray that no missionary will ever be as lonely as I have been."

- Lottie Moon "All my friends are but one, but He is all sufficient."

- William Carey "How little chance the Holy Ghost has nowadays. The churches and missionary societies have so bound him in red tape that they practically ask Him to sit in a corner while they do the work themselves."

- C.T. Studd "I have always believed that the Good Samaritan went across the road to the wounded man just because he wanted to."

- Wilfred Thomason Grenfell "The more obstacles you have, the more opportunities there are for God to do something."

- Clarence W. Jones "Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God." - William Carey "God's part is to put forth power; our part is to put forth faith."

- Andrew A. Bonar "All the resources of the Godhead are at our disposal!"

- Jonathan Goforth "I feel now, that Arabia could easily be evangelized within the next thirty years if it were not for the wicked selfishness of Christians."

-Samuel Zwemer "The Indian is making an amazing discovery, namely that Christianity and Jesus are not the same - that they may have Jesus without the system that has been built up around Him in the West."

- E. Stanley Jones

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 24 "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come."

- Jesus "All roads lead to the judgment seat of Christ."

- Keith Green "Obedience to the call of Christ nearly always costs everything to two peoplethe one who is called, and the one who loves that one."

- Oswald Chambers "Christians don't tell lies they just go to church and sing them" - A.W. Tozer "I have said that there is nothing in the world or the Church, except it's disobedience, to render the evangelization of the world in this generation an impossibility."

- Robert Speer "I will lay my bones by the Ganges that India might know there is one who cares."

- Alexander Duff "Today Christians spend more money on dog food then missions" - Leonard Ravenhill "It will not do to say that you have no special call to go to China. With these facts before you and with the command of the Lord Jesus to go and preach the gospel to every creature, you need rather to ascertain whether you have a special call to stay at home."

- J. Hudson Taylor "We talk of the second coming, half the world has never heard of the first."

- Oswald J. Smith "God cannot lead you on the basis of facts that you do not know."

- David Bryant "And thus I aspire to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named so that I would not build on another man's foundation."

- Paul "Why do we insist on building the largest and most impressive structures in our city when people on the other side of town are hungry, jobless and worshipping in storefronts?"

- K.P. Yohannan "If every Christian is already considered a missionary, then all can stay put where they are, and nobody needs to get up and go anywhere to preach the gospel. But if our only concern is to witness where we are, how will people in unevangelized areas ever hear the gospel? The present uneven distribution of

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 25 Christians and opportunities to hear the gospel of Christ will continue on unchanged."

- C. Gordon Olson "I spent twenty years of my life trying to recruit people out of local churches and into missions structures so that they could be involved in fulfilling God's global mission. Now I have another idea. Let's take God's global mission and put it right in the middle of the local church!"

- George Miley "God provides the men and women needed for each generation."

-Mildred Cable "Oh dear, I couldn't say that my church is alive and I wouldn't want to call it dead. I guess it's just walking in its sleep!"

- Church member "When he landed in 1848 there were no Christians here; when he left in 1872 there were no heathen."

- said of John Geddie "I am ready to burn out for God. I am ready to endure any hardship, if by any means I might save some. The longing of my heart is to make known my glorious Redeemer to those who have never heard."

-William Burns "At the moment I put the bread and wine into those dark hands, once stained with the blood of cannibalism, now stretched out to receive and partake the emblems and seals of the Redeemer's love, I had a foretaste of the joy of glory that well nigh broke my heart to pieces. I shall never taste a deeper bliss, till I gaze on the glorified face of Jesus himself."

- John G. Paton "Save others, snatching them out of the fire."

- Jude "The evangelization of the world in this generation."

- Student Volunteer Movement Motto "Other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring."

- Jesus "Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn't."

- John Piper "His authority on earth allows us to dare to go to all the nations. His authority in heaven gives us our only hope of success. And His presence with us leaves us no other choice."

- John Stott

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 26 "Today five out of six non-Christians in our world have no hope unless missionaries come to them and plant the church among them."

- David Bryant "Tell the students to give up their small ambitions and come eastward to preach the gospel of Christ."

- Francis Xavier "Christ for the students of the world, and the students of the world for Christ."

- Luther Wishard "We who have Christ's eternal life need to throw away our own lives."

- George Verwer "Some wish to live within the sound of a chapel bell, I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of Hell."

- C.T. Studd "When I get to China, I will have no claim on any one for anything. My claim will be alone in God and I must learn before I leave England to move men through God by prayer alone."

- J. Hudson Taylor

FINDING YOUR ROLE IN WORLD EVANGELIZATION

by Todd Ahrend Ingrained in the minds of many Christians is the idea that to be involved in mission work means one thing only: living overseas long-term. This is an unhealthy way to approach missions because it excludes most people. Even those that go long-term will eventually come home and need to appropriate their vision in another way. If it is an attribute of God to desire the redemption of all nations, then it must be cultivated into every one of His followers as an attribute. That is why it is vital to the Church that other avenues of involvement are explored. The following five habits are not to be viewed in terms of "which one is for me?" The idea is that a person who prioritizes God's global plan will do all or most of them.

The main habits are: 1. Going 2. Praying 3. Sending 4. Welcoming 5. Mobilizing

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 27 Going: This habit is most commonly associated with missions. In the past and even still today when someone thinks about missions this is the most natural association. A definition of the goer is the person physically present, laboring on the mission field. Going may mean a short-term trip or an extended amount of time. Ultimately, the goer is willing to completely immerse themselves in an unfamiliar culture with the intention of furthering the gospel in that culture. They are innovative, low maintenance, steadfast, and persevere with little fellowship. In Exodus 3:7-10 God mentions nine different times to Moses that He is concerned with the Israelites and their condition as slaves and is getting ready to bring them into the promise land. During this discourse, God has one reference to Moses. Look at Moses' reaction, "But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" (Ex. 3:11). Sounds like us sometimes doesn't it? Our temptation is to focus on ourselves and our insufficiency! We think there is no way God could want us involved and so many of us never enjoy the blessing of participating. Look at God's reaction; He puts the focus back on Himself in the next verse, "I will be with you" (Ex. 3:12). Before Robert Morrison left to be the first Bible translator in China someone asked if he really thought he could change the 2,000 year problem of idolatry in China, his response, "No I don't, but I expect God can."

As you begin to consider going on a short-term trip, it will be natural for you to look at your abilities (or inabilities) and become discouraged. It is at this point that you must be reminded that "God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things - and the things that are not - to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him" (1 Corinthians 1:27-29). In light of this truth we are all overqualified!

Praying: If you could ask Jesus to teach you anything what would it be?

Personally, I think I would want to learn how He multiplied the bread to feed the 5,000! Can you imagine? Well, in all of the scriptures we see only one time when the disciples ask Jesus to teach them something. The request, "Lord, teach us to pray" (Luke 11:1). Isn't it interesting that after knowing and living with Jesus, their desire was to pattern His prayer life. Maybe after following Him around for a few years they realized that when Jesus prayed things happened. Listen to Christ's response, "This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven..." (Matt. 6:9-10). Jesus was saying that when you pray, you should ask God to bring the activity of heaven down to earth. In other words, pray that what is going on up there, would go on down here. Well, what is going on in heaven? Right now in heaven all eyes are on Jesus, as a multicultural worship service is being held. Sound like your church? This is what Jesus asked his disciples to pray.

Another passage that challenges us to pray for the world is found in Matthew 9:36-38, "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 28 said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.'"

Jesus saw the vastness of lost souls compared to the scarcity of the laborers and He looks to the disciples and says, "Ask." What a powerful image! Not go, or preach, or have a conference, but ask. It's hard to read this passage and not get convicted about your prayer life. Let's evaluate our own prayer lives and see if we come to God with our desires or if we are concerned with His. Obviously, we need to pray for ourselves and yes, we need to lift up our family and friends, but God also desires that we join together and intercede on behalf of all nations and beg Him to send forth laborers into the field.

Sending: Paul the Apostle has an interesting observation, "And how can they preach unless they are sent?" (Rom. 10:15). The unreached do not have a chance at hearing the gospel if there are not people on the home front funding and praying for those that are going. It is like asking the question, "which is more important the rescuer who goes down into the well to save a life or the man at the top holding the rope?" You can't have one without the other. There was a principle in Israelite warfare, "The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike." (1 Sam. 30:24-25). Why? Because they are equally important in God's army.

In our culture we think we are entitled to live at whatever standard matches our income. Our reasoning is that since a person makes $60,000 a year they should live at $60,000. When a person gets a raise, their standard of living gets a raise too! But the World Christian should have a different mindset.

Maybe when a Christian gets a raise or comes into unexpected financial gain God intends that person to be a resource for someone else! This thinking is so contrary to our culture.

The role of a sender is not only integral, but diverse as well. The most obvious aspect of sending is giving of one's financial resources to support a missionary. But this is certainly not the only facet of sending. A sender may work in one or all the following specialized roles: logistics, prayer coordination, communications, research, finances, or re-entry coordinator. A specialist in logistics deals with the practical side of sending. They deal with packing the missionary's goods, travel plans, cost and acquirement of items needed on the field. The prayer coordinator can find specific prayer needs based on research, missionaries in the field and missions societies. They are also needed to enlist others in intercessory prayer for the team and organize special prayer meetings. For prayer needs to be known, a communications specialist is enormously helpful. It is their responsibility to open lines of communication to the team so that prayer requests and equipment and other needs are known. The role of sending is neither glamorous nor easy. The task of dealing with the day-to-day, behind the scenes tasks of mission work may even seem thankless, but it is not without reward.

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 29 This is a seemingly difficult habit for college students to develop because they always feel broke! But the point is not the amount that is given. The point is that they are building a habit of sacrifice.

Welcoming: America is hosting the largest number of internationals of any country and the world is at our doorstep! Over 650,000 international students and scholars are studying here from 188 countries of the world. What a perfect opportunity to extend God's grace and love to the world! And you don't even have to leave. The Welcomer gets his name from the idea that he welcomes those from other countries to his country.

The foreigner is close to the Lord's heart. Over forty times in the Old Testament alone we are commanded to care for the foreigner in our land, "The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the Lord your God" (Lev 19:34).

"He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt" (Deut 10:18-20).

God reminds the Israelites of their past exile in Egypt so that they will be motivated to love the foreigners, for they once were foreigners. Similarly, we should be reminded of our past, how we were foreigners to God and yet he had mercy on us.

Sadly, as available as this ministry is to college students, it is going sorely overlooked. Did you know that 80% of the internationals on your campus will never be invited into an American home? With high hopes they come to study, but soon realize that the hospitality they are used to is just as foreign to America as they are. So they live in their isolated community with fellow internationals and eventually return to their homeland. I wonder what they tell their friends about this renowned Christian nation.

Everyone can be a welcomer. All it takes is a little time, energy and a willingness to say hello. There is no reason that Christians on campus shouldn't have 2-3 new international friends each semester. Can you imagine how the gospel would spread if that were a reality? At the college where I worked, there were 80 students from Saudi Arabia who hung out in their corner of the Student Center. I can remember the first time I took two guys from my Bible study to meet and get to know them. After a few weeks of just saying hello and making ourselves available we became part of the group. We shared the gospel with about 10 of them over the next year. Its amazing to think of the hardship I would face should I go to Saudi Arabia and try to do the same thing! Yet here we have complete freedom to share with otherwise unreached people!

The need for welcoming is great. Brainstorm ideas to show love to the foreigners among you. A simple beginning step is to initiate conversation with

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 30 an international on your campus. There are tons of questions you could ask to get to know them: -Where are you from?

-How do you like the food?

-How do you like it here?

-Is English harder than you thought?

-How it is different from your country?

-Are you finding your way around?

-Can we help you in anything?

You might choose a specific group of them to focus on. Here are some suggested ways to serve them: -Run errands for them or be willing to take them on errands.

-Invite them over for holidays.

-Practice English with them.

-Invite them to Bible study.

-Invite them just to hang out with you and your friends.

The one who welcomes is willing to serve them and reach out to them in the hopes that Christ will be glorified. They will see how easy it is to get involved and soon they will be loving internationals and this strategic ministry.

Mobilizing: A mobilizer is a normal, everyday Christian who walks with God, yet has a global perspective and stays on the home front to rouse others to action. Anyone who has a vision for the world has at one time been mobilized.

Whether someone asked them to go on a short-term trip, invited them to a missions conference, took them to a Bible study on the topic or introduced them to a missionary, somehow they were recruited. And that, in a nutshell, is a mobilizer, a recruiter. Mobilizers are out looking for others to enlist in God's agenda with their entire life. Their focus is Christians who are unaware of God's global plan and they consistently seek to raise the missions awareness in creative ways whether it is in a small group or large group setting. Like Habakkuk, they "Write down the vision and make it plain on tablets so that the one who reads it may run" (Hab. 2:2).

A friend of mine has a saying that I have adopted. "Every Christian a World Christian and every World Christian a mobilizer." Think about the awesome potential in that statement. Every Christian is orchestrating their life around God's heart for the world and fulfilling the Great Commission and at the same time passing on that vision to the new believers and next generation.

Unbelievable!

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 31 So what exactly are the characteristics of a mobilizer? Bill Stearns and Bob Sjogren lists 10: 1. Needs to be able to be a servant.

2. Desires to see laborers raised up to finish the task of world evangelization.

3. Possibly has the gift of encouragement and exhortation.

4. Is "apt to teach" but may be more effective in recruiting others to teach.

5. Speaks in front of groups without (too much) fear.

6. Leads others well.

7. Has a general heart for the world, possibly focusing in on one people group.

8. Sees the priority of waiting and mobilizing others as well as going.

9. Is part visionary - seeing what can happen as God matches empowered believers with key opportunities of ministry.

10. Is part implementer - driven to see a vision become a reality.

Whether it is just the right missions book or a short video, magazine, agency, prayer profile, etc. you need to be able to show others resources. I can remember when I was in college gathering my own collection of tools. I labeled a manila folder "Mobilization Resources." Now it fills two filing cabinets! Part of being equipped with resources is being a networker. You will need to know what God is doing and who He is doing it with. I challenge anyone trying to cultivate their mobilization skills to help others collect and learn how to use the resources and material available in missions. As they are collecting and learning this material they are building a confidence that will enable them to teach others.

The mobilizer is a key player in the process of raising up laborers. It takes a burning heart for the world and yet a willingness to stay. It has happened to every World Christian and every World Christian can do it!

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 32 GLOSSARY OF WORLD CHRISTIAN TERMS AD2000 & Beyond Movement: A worldwide movement of organizations and individuals dedicated to the goal of "a church for every people and the gospel for every person by the year 2000." While remaining committed to doing everything possible to achieve this goal, the movement is not predicting "closure" or the completion of the Great Commission by end of the year 2000.

Adherent: A follower of a particular religion, church or philosophy. This is the broadest possible category of such followers and includes professing and affiliated adults and also their children (practicing and non-practicing) who may reside in a given area or country.

Adoption (of an unreached people): Making a commitment to an unreached people until there is an indigenous, reproducing church established among them. Aspects may include prayer, research, and networking toward church planting. Sometimes called "people group adoption" or adopt-a-people.

Advocate: People group advocates are individuals who have committed themselves to one specific people group (ethnic group), to learn about them, their environment, culture, demographics, status, etc. They pray about how churches can be established among them. They may network and partner with others to encourage their involvement.

Affinity Bloc: Families of peoples related in aspects such as religion, culture, history, politics, and geography. In nearly every bloc there are widely dissimilar and unrelated linguistic minorities, but often there is one particular culture that is dominant.

Church planting: Missionary role of evangelism, discipleship and training of leaders for the establishment of a body of believers, or a church. Does not refer to a physical building.

Closed Country: Countries that limit or prevent Christian ministry by expatriates as missionaries. Alternatively they are called creative-access countries, restricted access countries, closing countries, restrictive countries, sensitive countries.

Cluster: Grouping of peoples within each affinity bloc which are closely related peoples and, for strategic purposes, may be clustered together. These relationships are often based on a common identity of language and name, but sometimes on the basis of culture, religion, economy, or dominance of one group over another.

Collaboration: To combine forces to meet a common goal.

Contextualization: Adapting something (a biblical concept, mission method, etc.) to make it understood within the context of an ethnic culture.

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 33 Deputation: Commonly refers to the prayer and financial support rallying that career and short-term missionaries do before leaving for the field and during furloughs.

Ethnocentrism: Seeing the world through self-colored glasses, so that your culture always looks best and becomes the pattern everyone else should fit into. By no means is ethnocentrism restricted to the majority culture in a country, but it is a nearly universal tendency among humans.

Ethnolinguistic People: An ethnic or racial group speaking its own language.

A people group distinguished by its self-identity with traditions of common descent, history, customs and language. Also known as a people.

Evangelicals: The subdivision of Protestantism which generally emphasizes: 1) the Lord Jesus Christ as the sole source of salvation through faith in Him; 2) Personal faith and conversion with regeneration by the Holy Spirit; 3) A recognition of the inspired Word of God as the only basis for faith and Christian living; 4) Commitment to biblical preaching and evangelism that brings others to faith in Christ.

Expatriate: One who has taken up residence in a foreign country.

Field: The location where ministry, church planting, and evangelism takes place.

Field-based: Strategy determined by those on the field, rather than from those at the "home," sending, or resource base.

Frontier: Pertaining to unreached areas or peoples.

Great Commission: Matthew 28:18-20. Jesus' final instructions to his followers to go everywhere to make disciples among every people.

Harvest Field: All who are not true Christians; not part of the Body of Christ.

Harvest Force: Those of the Body of Christ who are involved in a direct or indirect way in helping to bring in the harvest of souls.

Indigenous peoples or persons: Those individuals or groups who originate from a particular area; a national, a native.

Joshua Project 2000 Unreached Peoples List: A listing of "country-distinct" peoples each over 10,000 in population that were chosen by their ethnolinguistic distinction and their status of being less than 2% Evangelical and less that 5% Christian adherents.

Martyr: A Christian believer who dies in a situation of witness as a result of human hostility.

Mission: The loving work of God to bring humankind to himself as the Church. Secondarily, the overall ministry of the Church for world evangelization.

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 34 Missiology: The study of missions and mission strategies; the theology of missions; how and why we do missions.

Mission agency: A Christian organization helping to further God's work in the world. "Mission board" and "sending agency" are virtually the same thing.

Missionary: One who is sent with a message. The Christian missionary is one commissioned by a local church to evangelize, plant churches and disciple people away from his home area, often among people of a different race, culture or language.

Missions Resource Organization: These agencies support the work of field missions and missionaries by offering information, resources, materials, and mobilization of the Church.

National: Any person who is from the country to which you are going.

Network: An extended group of people with similar interests or concerns who interact and remain in informal contact for mutual assistance or support.

Non-Resident Missionary: Professional career missionary who is working towards the evangelization of a particular people or cluster, but resides outside the group, usually in a city with good international communications facilities and no surveillance.

Para-church: Refers to a Christian organization independent of any church denominational structures.

Partnership: An association of two or more autonomous bodies who have formed a trusting relationship and agreed upon expectations by sharing complementary strengths and resources, to reach their mutual goal.

People Group: A significantly large sociological grouping of individuals who perceive themselves to have a common affinity with one another. From the viewpoint of evangelization, this is the largest possible group within which the gospel can be spread without encountering barriers of understanding or acceptance.

Prayer journey: A trip to pray on location for the lost. Team members may spend extended time prayerwalking, asking God to bring the Gospel to that unreached people group. It does not entail evangelism or mercy ministries.

Prayerwalking: Praying "on-site with insight." Taking prayers outside the church walls as we walk through an area. Praying in the very places we expect to see God bring forth His answers. Usually low profile and unobtrusive in appearance.

Praying Through the Window: Prayer initiatives developed for the purpose of worldwide focused prayer for the countries and peoples in the 10/40 Window.

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 35 Reached/unreached: A term that is widely used today to describe people groups and areas that have or have not responded to the preaching of the gospel. The use of the term has continued despite the faultiness of the terminology. Strictly, it should be a measure of the exposure of a people group to the gospel and not a measure of the response.

Strategy Coordinator: One who develops and implements a strategy to reach a people group, working with a team or network.

Support: The finances and prayer you will need to ask others to give for your mission trip.

Syncretism: Fusion of differing systems of belief. Mixing Christianity with heresy (ex. Aaron and the Isrealites worshipping the golden calf).

Synergy: The interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects. Cooperative interaction among groups that creates an enhanced combined effect.

Tentmaker: A cross-cultural witness who works at a paying, usually secular, job overseas. Often they are able to gain entry into "closed" countries which restrict traditional mission efforts.

10/40 Window: The area of the world between latitudes 10 degrees and 40 degrees north of the equator in the Eastern hemisphere, covering North Africa, Middle East and Asia. The window has in view most of the world's areas of greatest physical and spiritual need, most of the world's leastreached peoples and most of the governments that oppose Christianity.

Unreached People: A people or people group among whom there is no viable indigenous community of believing Christians with adequate numbers and resources to evangelize their own people without outside (cross-cultural) assistance.

Visa: Gives you written permission to travel in someone else's country.

World Evangelization: The whole Church taking the whole gospel to the whole world. The goal of giving every person the opportunity to hear the gospel in a way they understand, to become disciples of Christ, and to join with others in fellowship without leaving their own culture or people.

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 36

PART

2 14 REASONS FOR MISSIONS Sometimes I wonder, just like anyone, “Is my work necessary?” As someone whose job is to motivate people into just getting involved in world evangelization, I find myself reflecting and learning and adapting to many different audiences, needs, perspectives – whether it’s one person or a thousand. Specifically with missions, there are many motivations that God uses to spark interest in people and move them into some kind of involvement. Here are fourteen (just because I haven’t thought of # fifteen…yet).

1) The Promise (Gen 12:1-3) – Because God has promised to bless all nations (or people groups) on the earth. What better motivation and encouragement can we have than the understanding that missions (blessing the nations with the Gospel) is in the sure purposes of God. 2) The Purchase (Rev 5:9) – Because Jesus has already purchased people from every tribe and nation with His blood. Like the Moravians motivated by this purchase we should repeat what two Moravians missionaries said as they set sail for India, “May the Lamb receive the reward of His suffering!” In other words, He has already purchased them, our job is only to gather in what is His. 3) Because the Harvest is plentiful (Matt 9:37) – Now this is for all the numbers gurus out there who are motivated by sheer statistics. Today, out of the 6.5 billion people on the planet, over 4 billion are without a saving relationship with Christ. More tragic is that 2.4 billion of these who are lost have no means to hear the message of salvation through Christ – they are cut off from the gospel through lack of missionaries, lack of resources, etc. If you

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 37 lined them up in a single file line they would wrap around the earth 25 times.

The majority of these people are located in the area of the world known as the 10/40 Window (see map). The harvest is plentiful!

4) Because the Laborers are few (Matt 9:37) – This is probably what runs through my head the majority of the times I get up to speak. Only one in every 20,000 believers will ever take the gospel to those who are out of reach of the church. What’s worse than that? Out of all the cross-cultural missionaries in the world, you would hope that the majority would be working where the majority need is. However only 2.5% of all the 430,000 missionaries are working in the 10/40 Window. More laborers are needed.

5) Because the Destiny of the Lost (Rom 1; John 3:18; John 14:6) – Now this is harder to take in, but I believer the Bible gives us no means by which a person can be saved other than through Christ’s work, and by exercising faith in His name. This means not by other religions, not without hearing specifically about Christ (through evangelism and missions) and not because they died without hearing. The Scripture leaves no loopholes for those living in ignorance. All are born in sin, the Cross has real meaning for salvation, and the Great Commission is necessary for people to hear and be saved. If this shocks you, you may have been influenced by the universalism that is gossiped among church goers. In Romans 1 (creation) does exactly what God designed it to do – it condemns people, leaving them without an excuse and knowledge of a creator – but not salvific knowledge of God through Jesus Christ. This makes missions not only important, but urgent.

6) Logically Necessary for Hearing the Gospel Message (Rom 10:14-15, Acts 8 (Philip) and 10 (Cornelius)) – This goes along with the last one.

Every time someone comes to Christ in Scripture there is a human messenger involved. It would be great to think that God would draw people to Himself in the world apart from someone going. He is able, but this is not the means He has chosen to use. The Church is the means. The Ethiopian eunuch was reading Isaiah (the OT Bible!) and still God miraculously transported Philip, a human messenger to explain Christ to him. An angel appears to Cornelius, a god-fearer. But still Peter must be summoned and travel all the way to Cornelius’ house to explain the gospel to him before he could be saved. Why didn’t the angel just tell Cornelius? It would have saved a lot of time and gas money for Peter – but God used a human messenger.

Missions and evangelism are necessary. I hope we are speaking the message around us as well – they must hear.

7) The Example of the Church (Acts 1:8, 10, 15, Rom 15:20) – The early church has given us a model to follow. They went out, sent out their own missionaries like Paul and Barnabus, and evangelized the Gentiles beyond the reach of the gospel in their world.

8) The Descriptive Future is Prescriptive for Today (Rev 7:9, Rev 21:2426) – Now, it’s tricky but follow this logic. If there are people described in heaven in the future – it is logical that they must be reached with the gospel at

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 38 some point in history. So because we see a great multitude gathered around the throne from every tribe, people, and nation – we must labor to begin with this end in mind, bringing it into reality as God uses us to fulfill it.

9) Because We Will be Held Accountable (Ezek 33) – Here is a passage that will cause you to re-evaluate life. The people of God, meant to be a blessing to the world, were held accountable for not warning others of the danger coming. Will believers be held accountable for their obedience to the Great Commission? It may mean great reward-loss by many Christians for failing to use what God has blessed them with to bless the nations.

10) Because To Whom Much is Given Much is Required (Luke 12:47-48) – Here is Jesus’ measuring standard. It’s like a blessing and obedience math formula. Our accountability may be based on our resources, our understanding, or our ability – more given equals more expected.

11) Because the Church is the Means (Rom 1:5, Gal 3:14-15, 2 Cor 5:1720) – You are God’s ordained means for the blessing of Christ reaching to all the nations, just like He promised (Gen 12). Jesus has purchased them (Rev 5:9) and commissioned us with the task of gathering them in for God’s glory.

12) Because History Awaits the Fulfillment of the Promise (Matt 24:14) – Not sure how it’s all going to play out, but if God has promised that all nations are reached and Jesus says here that the gospel will be preached to all nations…then the end will come – it just seems logical. The story of history seems to be arranged on the thread of this mission, even the history we are a part of today. That is exciting!

13) Because the Glory of God is Yet to be Known (Hab 2:14; Ps 72:19, 86; Isa 11:9) – There are actually about a dozen times that Bible talks of God’s glory “filling the earth as the waters cover the sea.” God has created people to worship Him and that worship is being given to other lesser things right now. Missions is spreading the worship and enjoyment of God to those who are not currently worshippers, because God’s glory is increased by the increase of His church in the world. As John Piper says it, “Missions exists because worship doesn’t. Where passion for God is weak, zeal for missions will be weak.”

14) The Commands of Jesus (Matt 28:18-20; Acts 1:8, 13:47; John 20:21) – And last of all – because Jesus commanded it. Just as Jesus says in John 14:21, "He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me,” or 1 John 3:24, “The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him.” I hope we can all stand before him in the end and hear him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 39 WHO CARES

by General William Booth On one of my recent journeys, as I gazed from the coach window I was led into a train of thought concerning the conditions of the multitudes around me.

They were living carelessly in the most open and shameless rebellion against God, without a thought for their eternal welfare. As I looked out the window, I seemed to see them all... millions of people all around me given up to their drink and their pleasure, their dancing and their music, their business and their anxieties, their politics and their troubles. Ignorant-willfully ignorant in many cases - and in other instances knowing all about the truth and not caring at all. But all of them, the whole mass of them, sweeping on and up in their blasphemies and devilries to the throne of God. While my mind was thus engaged, I had a vision.

I saw a dark and stormy ocean. Over it the black clouds hung heavily; through them every now and then vivid lightning flashed and loud thunder rolled, while the winds moaned, and the waves rose and foamed, towered and broke, only to rise and foam, tower and break again.

In that ocean I thought I saw myriads of poor human beings plunging and floating; shouting and shrieking, cursing and struggling and drowning; and as they cursed and screamed, they rose and shrieked again, and then some sank to rise no more.

And I saw out of this dark, angry ocean, a mighty rock that rose up with its summit towering high above the black clouds that overhung the stormy sea.

And all around the base of this rock I saw a vast platform. Onto this platform, I saw with delight a number of the poor struggling, drowning wretches continually climbing out of the angry ocean. And I saw that a few of those who were already safe on the platform were helping the poor creatures still in the angry waters to reach the place of safety.

On looking more closely, I found a number of those who had been rescued, industriously working and scheming by ladders, ropes, boats, and other means more effective, to deliver the poor strugglers out of this sea. Here and there were some who actually jumped into the water, regardless of all the consequences, in their passion to "rescue the perishing." And I hardly know which gladdened me most-the sight of the poor drowning people climbing onto the rocks, reaching the place of safety, or the devotion and self-sacrifice of those whose whole beings were wrapped up in the effort for their deliverance.

As I looked on, I saw that the occupants of that platform were quite a mixed company. That is, they were divided into different "sets" or classes, and they occupied themselves with different pleasures and employment. But only a very few of them seemed to make it their business to get the people out of the sea.

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 40 But what puzzled me most was the fact that though all of them had been rescued at one time or another from the ocean, nearly everyone seemed to have forgotten all about it. Anyway, it seemed the memory of its darkness and danger no longer troubled them at all. And what seemed equally strange and perplexing to me was that these people did not even seem to have any care that is any agonizing care - about the poor perishing ones who were struggling and drowning right before their very eyes, many of whom were their own husbands and wives, brothers, and sisters, and even their own children.

Now this astonishing unconcern could not have been the result of ignorance or lack of knowledge, because they lived right there in full sight of it all and even talked about it sometimes. Many even went regularly to hear lectures and sermons in which the awful state of these people drowning creatures was described.

I have already said that the occupants of this platform were engaged in different pursuits and pastimes. Some of them were absorbed night and day in trading and business In order to make gain, storing up their savings in boxes, safes, and the like.

Many spent their time in amusing themselves with growing flowers on the side of the rock, others in painting pieces of cloth or in playing music or in dressing themselves up in different styles and walking about to be admired. Some occupy themselves chiefly in eating and drinking, others were taken up with arguing about the poor drowning creatures that had already been rescued.

But the thing to me that seemed the most amazing was that those on the platform to whom He called, who heard His voice and felt they ought to obey it at least they said they did those who confessed to love Him much and were in full sympathy with Him in the task He had undertaken - who worshipped Him or who professed to do so - were so taken up with their trades and professions, their money saving and pleasures, their families and circles, their religions and arguments about it, and their preparation for going to the mainland, that they did not listen to the cry that came to them from this Wonderful Being who had Himself gone down into the sea. Anyway, if they heard it they did not heed it. They did not care. And so the multitude went on right before them struggling and shrieking and drowning in the darkness.

And then I saw something that seemed to me even more strange than anything that had gone on before in this strange vision. I saw that some Of these people on the platform whom this Wonderful Being had called to, wanting them to come and help Him in His difficult task of saving these perishing creatures, were always praying and crying out to Him to come to them.

Some wanted Him to come and stay with them and spend His time and strength in making them happier. Others wanted Him to come and take away various doubts and misgivings they had concerning the truth of some letters which He had written them. Some wanted Him to come and make them feel more secure on the rock-so secure that they would be quite sure that they

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 41 should never slip off again into the ocean. Numbers of others wanted Him to make them feel quite certain that they would really get off the rock and onto the mainland someday; because as a matter of fact, it was well known that some had walked so carelessly as to lose their footing, and had fallen back again, into the stormy waters.

So these people used to meet and get up as high on the rock as they could, and looking toward the mainland (where they thought the Great Being was) they would cry out, "Come to us! Come, help us!" And all the while He was down (by His Spirit) among the poor struggling, drowning creatures in the angry deep, with His arms around them trying to drag them out, and looking up oh! so longingly, but all in vain to those on the rock, crying to them with His voice all hoarse from calling, "Come to Me! Come, and help Me!" And then I understood it all. It was plain enough. That sea was the ocean of life-the sea of real, actual human existence. That lightning was the gleaming of piercing truth coming from Jehovah's throne. That thunder was the distant echoing of the wrath of God. Those multitudes of people shrieking, struggling, and agonizing in the stormy sea, were the thousands and thousands of poor harlots and harlot-makers, of drunkards and drunkard-makers, of thieves, liars, blasphemers, and ungodly people of every kindred, tongue, and nation.

Oh, what a black sea it was! And oh, what multitudes of rich and poor, ignorant and educated were there. They were all so unalike in their outward circumstances and conditions, yet all alike in one thing all sinners before God all held by, and holding onto, some iniquity, fascinated by some idol, the slaves of some devilish lust, and ruled by the foul fiend from the bottomless pit! "All alike in one thing?" No, all alike in two things not only the same in their wickedness but, unless rescued, the same in their sinking, sinking... down, down, down... to the same terrible doom. That great sheltering rock represented Calvary, the place where Jesus had died for them. And the people on it were those who had been rescued. The way they used their energies, gifts, and time represented the occupations and amusements of those who professed to be saved from sin and hell followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. The handful of fierce, determined ones, who were risking their own lives in saving the perishing, were true soldiers of the cross of Jesus. That Mighty Being who was calling to them from the midst of the angry waters was the Son of God, "the same yesterday, today, and forever," who is still struggling and interceding to save the dying multitudes about us from this terrible doom of damnation, and whose voice can be heard above the music, machinery, and noise of life calling on the rescued to come and help Him save the world.

My friends in Christ, you are rescued from the waters, you are on the rock. He is in the dark sea calling on you to come to Him and help Him. Will you go?

Look for yourselves. The surging sea of life crowded with perishing multitudes rolls up to the very spot on which you stand. Leaving the vision, I now come to speak of the fact a fact that is as real as the Bible, as real as the Christ who

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 42 hung upon the cross, as real as the judgment day will be, and as real as the heaven and hell that will follow it.

Look! Don't be deceived by appearances men and things are not what they seem. All who are not on the rock are in the sea! Look at them from the standpoint of the great white throne, and what a sight you have! Jesus Christ, the Son of God is, through His Spirit, in the midst of this dying multitude, struggling to save them. And He is calling on you to jump into the sea to go right away to His side and help Him in the holy strife. Will you jump? That is, will you go to His feet and place yourself absolutely at His disposal?

A young Christian once came to me and told me that for some time she had been giving the Lord her profession and prayers and money, but now she wanted to give Him her life. She wanted to go right into the fight. In other words, she wanted to go to His assistance in the sea. As when a man from the shore seeing another struggling in the water, takes off those outer garments that would hinder his efforts, and leaps to the rescue so will you who still linger on the bank, thinking and singing and praying about the poor perishing souls, lay aside your shame, your pride, your cares about other people's opinions, your love of ease and all the selfish loves that have kept you back for so long, and rush to the rescue of this multitude of dying men and women?

Does the surging sea look dark and dangerous? Unquestionably it is so.

There is no doubt that the leap for you, as for every one who takes it, means difficulty and scorn and suffering. For you it may mean more than this. It may mean death. He who beckons you from the sea however, knows what it will mean and knowing, He still calls to you and bids you come.

You must do it! You cannot hold back. You have enjoyed yourself in Christianity long enough. You have had pleasant feelings, pleasant songs, pleasant meetings, and pleasant prospects. There has been much of human happiness, much clapping of hands and shouting of praises, very much of heaven on earth.

Now then, go to God and tell Him you are prepared as much as necessary to turn your back upon it all, and that you are willing to spend the rest of your days struggling in the midst of these perishing multitudes, whatever it may cost you.

You must do it. With the light that is now broken in upon your mind, and the call that is now sounding in your ears, and the beckoning hands that are now before your eyes, you have no alternative. To go down among the perishing crowds is your duty. Your happiness from now on will consist in sharing their misery, your ease in sharing their pain, your crown in helping them to bear their cross, and your heaven in going into the very jaws of hell to rescue them.

Now, what will you do?

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 43 THE OBLIGATION OF THIS GENERATION TO EVANGELIZE THE WORLD

by John R. Mott (Updated by Jessica Ahrend) "The Church...possesses a remarkable resource. Think of her membership!

There are not less that 135,000,000 members of Protestant churches."

•

Today there are 680,000,000 Bible-believing evangelicals world wide.

This means that for every believer there are only 9 non-believers and for every unreached people group, there are 583 Christian congregations.

"With over 500 missionary societies and auxiliaries there are, without doubt, missionary organizations and societies in sufficient number."

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Today there are 3,970 mission agencies in existence.

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Last year alone, about 120 million people were presented the gospel for the first time.

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The number of people who are being presented the plan of salvation every day is now at least 260,274. The average number added to the body of Christ world-wide is 174,000 daily.

"If only one-fourth of the Protestants of Europe and America should give but one cent a day toward the evangelization of the world, it would yield a fund of over $100,000,000..."

•

Today, Great Commission Christians (those Christians who are committed to world evangelization) earn $2.5 trillion in disposable income. We give about $8 billion annually to missions (about one-third of 1% of our disposable income). All that would be required to reach every unreached people group is an additional $1.25 billion - onetwentieth of 1%.

"It would take less than one fiftieth of the Christian young men and women who will go out from Christian colleges in the United States and Canada within this generation to furnish a sufficient force of foreign workers to achieve the evangelization of the world in this generation."

•

About 100 million evangelical believers worldwide are young people.

Just one-tenth of 1% of these would field a force of 100,000 new missionaries - enough to send a church planting team to each of the remaining unreached people groups.

"The Bible Societies, not fewer than eighty in number, have translated the Scriptures entirely or in part into 421 languages and dialects."

•

Every 14 days another translation of the New Testament is begun in a new language.

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 44 "There are nearly 80,000 native workers, and their number and efficiency are rapidly increasing."

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Today, 70% of the world's missionaries are native.

"The greatly enlarged and improved means of communication constitutes one of the chief facilities of the Church..."

"Of the 400,000 miles of railway lines in the world, a considerable and growing mileage is already to be found in non-Christian lands. It took Judson eleven months to go from Salem to Calcutta. The trip can now be made in a month."

•

It is possible to travel by air to any part of the world and be there in less than 24 hours.

"The thoroughly organized news agencies which, through the secular press bring before the members of the Church facts regarding the most distant and needy nations, serve indirectly to awaken and foster interest in the inhabitants of less favored lands."

•

Through the internet, it is possible to access information about every corner of the world, not to mention the countless websites that are committed to encouraging prayer by providing statistics on unreached countries.

"The Universal Postal Union with its wonderful organization and its vast army of well nigh 1,000,000 employees immensely facilitates the work of foreign missions."

•

Today, instant communication with the other side of the planet is possible through email, cell phones, web-cam and international chat rooms.

The stats above are adapted from data by David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson of the Global Evangelization movement.

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 45

THE ALIENS HAVE LANDED! What are we going to do about it?

by Dan Waterman Aliens have invaded the United States! Millions respond with complete apathy. This could very well be a headline of the newspapers in most of the major cities in the United States.

The aliens we are talking about do not have pointy ears and green skin. Often though they are treated as if they do. These aliens are the thousands of immigrants, international students, and refugees the USA receives each year.

They are lonely, scared, yet excited and longing to fit into this culture so new to them.

Many of the countries they come from place hospitality as one of their highest values, and as for hospitality to foreigners, it goes without saying - it is essential.

Our Biblical Responsibility i type You can imagine their surprise when they arrive in a country like the United States and instead of being treated as visiting royalty, they are ridiculed, insulted, or even worse, ignored.

As Christians we are often guilty of being the very ones who are ignoring the aliens in our land. This goes directly against very clear commands from God in the Bible: "When the alien lives in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the Lord your God." (Lev. 19:3334) "He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. And you are to love those who are alien, for you yourself were aliens in Egypt." (Deut. 10:18-19) What is wrong?

I have spoken across Canada challenging people to go as missionaries overseas. Inevitably someone will stand up and say quite smugly, "Doesn't missions begin in our own backyard?"

To his surprise, I often shout a loud "Amen!" and say, "Yes, let's begin with those God directed us not to ignore: the widows, the orphans, the aliens (immigrants, refugees, international students), the homeless, the hungry, and the prisoners."

If there was uncomfortable shifting in the seats before, the room now sounds like a game of musical chairs. Why the guilt? Because there are no excuses.

They are our backyards and we are accountable to God for them. Regretfully,

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 46 we live in an age when we can piously give to the building fund, sit on a committee for evangelism, and sing in the choir, while ignoring our Pakistani neighbor. There are literally thousands of alienated people waiting for some genuine love and concern.

The story of Tim Here's one example from my experience. One day, while at the University of Alberta, a friend and I decided to go sharing the gospel with some people on campus. We sat down with a young man from Hong Kong named Tim. As the conversation continued, Tim broke into tears.

Sobbing, he told us how glad he was to talk to us. We were the first Canadians that had ever talked to him - he had been in the country two years.

Sure he had talked to his professors and to store owners and salesmen, but we were the first ones to talk to him who were not already so obliged.

I went and visited Tim's home, if you could call it that. It was a room the size of our washroom. A mattress on bare cement, a dresser, a hot plate and a television were all it contained. There were several other Chinese students in the basement who shared his toilet facilities. Tim was not a person given to weeping, but he cried again when we had him over for Christmas dinner. He was so glad to be there! He tried a knife and a fork for the first time, and did a good job. Not only did he enjoy himself, but it was one of the best Christmases our family ever experienced.

Tim also became part of the Bible study I was leading on campus that year.

He and Lu, a Ph.D. student from Burma never missed a study. I often wonder how many international students go home every year without meeting an American who really wanted to talk to them and how many go home without hearing the name of Jesus.

"Amen, brother! Missions does begin in our own backyard!" The question is, do you even see the backyard around you?

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 47 A MISSIONARY CALL

by Robert E. Speer What constitutes a missionary call? It is a good sign that men ask this question. First, because it suggests that they think of the missionary enterprise as singularly related to the will of God. Second, because it indicates that they believe their lives are owned by a Person who has a right to direct them and whose call they must await.

But when we have said these two things, I think we have said everything that can be said in favor of the question because, far too often, it is asked for thoroughly un-Christian reasons.

For instance, Christians will pursue a profession here in the United States having demanded far less positive assurance that this is God's will than it is for them to go out into the mission field. But by what right do they make such distinctions? Christianity contends that the whole of life and all services are to be consecrated; no man should dare to do anything but the will of God. And before he adopts a course of action, a man should know nothing less nor more than that it is God's will for him to pursue it.

If men are going to draw lines of division between different kinds of service, what preposterous reasoning leads them to think that it requires less divine sanction for a man to spend his life easily among Christians than it requires for him to go out as a missionary to the heathen? If men are to have special calls for anything, they ought to have special calls to go about their own business, to have a nice time all their lives, to choose the soft places, to make money, and to gratify their own ambitions.

How can any honest Christian say he must have a special call not to do that sort of thing? How can he say that, unless he gets some specific call of God to preach the Gospel to the heathen, he has a perfect right to spend his life lining his pockets with money? Is it not absurd to suggest that a special call is necessary to become a missionary, but no call is required to gratify his own will or personal ambitions?

There is a general obligation resting upon Christians to see that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is preached to the world. You and I need no special call to apply that general call of God to our lives. We do need a special call to exempt us from its application to our lives. In other words, every one of us stands under a presumptive obligation to give his life to the world unless we have some special exemption.

This whole business of asking for special calls to missionary work does violence to the Bible. There is the command, "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." We say, "That means other people."

There is the promise, "Come unto Me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." We say, "That means me." We must have a special divine indication that we fall under the command; we do not ask any special

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 48 divine indication that we fall under the blessing. By what right do we draw this line of distinction between the obligations of Christianity and its privileges? By what right to we accept the privileges as applying to every Christian and relegate its obligations to the conscience of the few?

It does violence to the ordinary canons of common sense and honest judgment. We do not think of ordering other areas of our lives on this basis. I think ex-president Patton of Princeton was representing the situation accurately when he used the following illustration. He said, "Imagine I was employed by the owner of a vineyard to gather grapes in his vineyard. The general instructions were that as many grapes as possible should be gathered. I went down to the gate of the vineyard and found the area around the walls well plucked and the ground covered with pickers. Yet away off in the distance no pickers at all are in sight and the vines are loaded to the ground. Would I need a special visit and order from the owner of the vineyard to instruct me as to my duty?"

If I were standing by the bank of a stream, and some little children were drowning, I would not need any officer of the law to come along and serve on me some legal paper commanding me under such and such a penalty to rescue those children. I should despise myself if I should stand there with the possibility of saving those little lives, waiting until, by some legal proceeding, I was personally designated to rescue them!

Why do we apply, in a matter of infinitely more consequence, principles that we would loathe and abhor if anybody should suggest that we should apply them in the practical affairs of our daily life? Listen for a moment to the wail of the hungry world. Feel for one hour its sufferings. Sympathize for one moment with its woes. And then regard it just as you would regard human want in your neighbor, or the want that you meet as you pass down the street, or anywhere in life.

There is something wonderfully misleading, full of hallucination and delusion in this business of missionary calls. With many of us it is not a missionary call at all that we are looking for; it is a shove. There are a great many of us who would never hear a call if it came. Somebody must come and coerce us before we will go into missionary work.

Every one of us rests under a sort of general obligation to give life and time and possession to the evangelization of the souls everywhere that have never heard of Jesus Christ. And we are bound to go, unless we can offer some sure ground of exemption which we could with a clear conscience present to Jesus Christ and be sure of His approval upon it.

"Well," you ask, "do you mean, then, that I should take my life in my own hands?" No! That is precisely what I am protesting against! That is exactly what we have done. We have taken our lives in our own hands and proposed to go our own way unless God compels us to go some other way. What I ask is that, until God reveals to us some special, individual path on either side, we

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 49 should give our lives over into Jesus' hands to go in that path which He has clearly marked out before His church.

I want to say one last thing.

I think love will hear calls where the loveless heart will not know that they are sounding. If there were a hundred little children crying, a mother would be able to pick out the voices of her own - especially if they were voices of pain and suffering.

There is a mighty keenness in the ears of love, and I wonder, after all, whether that may not explain a great deal that one is perplexed over in this matter of a special missionary call. Is it possible that, in many cases, it is just a matter of a callused heart, a reluctant will, or a sealed mind?

God so loved the world that He gave. It was need in the world plus love in God that constituted a call for Jesus. Do we need more than what sufficed for Him? If they were our own, would we hesitate and hold back?

Let us lay aside all double-dealing, all moral subterfuge, all those shuffling evasions by which the Devil is attempting to persuade us to escape from our duty, and let us get up like men and look at it and do it.

Students are old enough to decide to do their duty. They are old enough to decide to go to college. They are old enough to decide for law and medicine and other professions. They are old enough, too, to decide this question. God forbid that we should try to hide from solemn consideration of our vital duty behind any kind of pretext.

AMY CARMICHAEL'S DREAM The tom-toms thumped straight on all night and the darkness shuddered round me like a living, feeling thing. I could not go to sleep, so I lay awake and looked; and I saw, as it seemed, this: That I stood on a grassy sward, and at my feet a precipice broke sheer down into infinite space. I looked, but saw no bottom; only cloud shapes, black and furiously coiled, and great shadow-shrouded hollows, and unfathomable depths. Back I drew, dizzy at the depth.

Then I saw forms of people moving single file along the grass. They were making for the edge. There was a woman with a baby in her arms and another little child holding on to her dress. She was on the very verge. Then I saw that she was blind. She lifted her foot for the next step . . . it trod air. She was over, and the children over with her. Oh, the cry as they went over!

Then I saw more streams of people flowing from all quarters. All were blind, stone blind; all made straight for the precipice edge. There were shrieks, as they suddenly knew themselves falling, and a tossing up of helpless arms, catching, clutching at empty air. But some went over quietly, and fell without a sound.

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 50 Then I wondered, with a wonder that was simply agony, why no one stopped them at the edge. I could not. I was glued to the ground, and I could only call; though I strained and tried, only whisper would come.

Then I saw that along the edge there were sentries set at intervals. But the intervals were too great; there were wide, unguarded gaps between. And over these gaps the people fell in their blindness, quite unwarned; and the green grass seemed blood-red to me, and the gulf yawned like the mouth of hell.

Then I saw, like a little picture of peace, a group of people under some trees with their backs turned toward the gulf. They were making daisy chains.

Sometimes when a piercing shriek cut the quiet air and reached them, it disturbed them and they thought it a rather vulgar noise. And if one of their number started up and wanted to go and do something to help, then all the others would pull that one down. "Why should you get so excited about it?

You must wait for a definite call to go! You haven't finished your daisy chain yet. It would be really selfish," they said, "to leave us to finish the work alone."

There was another group. It was made up of people whose great desire was to get more sentries out; but they found that very few wanted to go, and sometimes there were no sentries set for miles and miles of the edge.

Once a girl stood alone in her place, waving the people back; but her mother and other relations called and reminded her that her furlough was due; she must not break the rules. And being tired and needing a change, she had to go and rest for awhile; but no one was sent to guard her gap, and over and over the people fell, like a waterfall of souls.

Once a child caught at a tuft of grass that grew at the very brink of the gulf; it clung convulsively, and it called-but nobody seemed to hear. Then the roots of the grass gave way, and with a cry the child went over, its two little hands still holding tight to the torn-off bunch of grass. And the girl who longed to be back in her gap thought she heard the little one cry, and she sprang up and wanted to go; at which they reproved her, reminding her that no one is necessary anywhere; the gap would be well taken care of, they knew. And then they sang a hymn.

Then through the hymn came another sound like the pain of a million broken hearts wrung out in one full drop, one sob. And a horror of great darkness was upon me, for I knew what it was-the Cry of the Blood.

Then thundered a voice, the voice of the Lord. "And He said, 'What hast thou done, The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.'"

The tom-toms still beat heavily, the darkness still shuddered and shivered about me; I heard the yells of the devil-dancers and weird, wild shriek of the devil-possessed just outside the gate.

What does it matter, after all? It has gone on for years; it will go on for years.

Why make such a fuss about it?

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 51 God forgive us! God arouse us! Shame us out of our callousness! Shame us out of our sin!

HOW DO YOU KNOW GOD WANTS YOU IN MISSIONS: AN EMAIL TO A STUDENT

By Sankie Lynch Not to long ago we received an email from a student named Chris. This email was picture perfect because it captured the heart of almost any typical college student's hang-ups - namely, how do I know God's path for me in missions?

This is a response to Chris: Hey Chris, Great to hear back from you! I'm so glad to hear that you are taking some initiative to pursue God's heart for the nations through different agencies' resources. You are asking the right questions and I'm sure that you will find that there are opportunities to use your specific skills overseas. You are right - you can become a World Christian no matter where you are located. That's a great point and I'm encouraged that you realize that. But I do want you to remember that the further out of sight the 10/40 Window gets, or welcoming internationals, or starting prayer groups for the 10/40 and people groups, or Bible Studies on God's heart for all nations, or mobilizing others with information, or reading books about the T.H.U.M.B. (Tribal, Hindu, U=Chinese, Muslim, Buddhist), or educating yourself about God's Word, World, and Work...the further one gets from these, the more prone they are to never get involved. We tell ourselves we have "conviction" about certain things, but I've learned that a "conviction" is something I put action to...not just thought to.

You asked me a very interesting question, "How could I know if God wants me involved in Missions?" That is a great question and we are asked that quite often as we travel. I would like to try my best at answering it for you. Most Christians in college will spend time studying, playing Play Station with his closest friends, eating every meal with the same bunch of guys, going to Christian meetings and small group Bible Studies with only believers around, figuring out his next step...based upon his long-term desires and plans of accomplishment, spending his summers investing in his degree or in acquiring extra money for next semester. That guy would have no way of knowing whether God would want him to do missions stuff because he would never expose himself to anything out of his Christian bubble. So, I wonder what it would look like for God to "get someone's attention." We never actually list that out. We just think he will somehow let us know. How would God, in a very practical way, let someone know of His desire for them to be involved? Now, I'm not talking about a near death experience, a miraculous event, or Gabriel floating into your bedroom at 3:30 AM with a message. These are the things that we typically expect in order to be interrupted, though it is an unconscious expectation. Instead, I wonder if God would write a book to all that follow Him (Bible) and within this book there would be verse after verse talking about His desire to see "every tribe, tongue and nation" come to know Him. Then, after

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 52 seeing this desire His followers could see that beginning with Abraham, God uses people to reach people - even continuing to our generation today. Then, what if God sent people to these followers to educate and equip them with books, magazines, articles, people group profiles, statistics, countries, and most importantly...access to go to 170 different places in the world that do not have the gospel within their language? Can you think of another more practical way that God could use? Could He be more specific than sending people to you to get you more involved? What would that look like? What's interesting is that this would take very strategic and organized plans, actions, and follow-up. And then, after all this, some would still say they don't "feel" God showing them what to do. We do so much in life without having to "feel" God leading us. Sometimes we don't think of how God could lead us in practical ways...we just think, "it will happen," or "I'll know." I think that much of our American culture has come to the conclusion that something is "good" or "God's will" if the outcome looks appealing, envious, or prosperous. I don't know if that's the picture I see from Genesis to Revelation. I hope you'll look to see how God may be leading you in practical ways! Sankie

ARE YOU WILLING?

by Paul Fleming One thing has always amazed me as I have traveled about the United States in missionary meetings. I have talked to thousands of young people about the mission field and countless times I have heard them say, "Well, I am willing to go." It seems strange to me, if there are so many people who are willing, why the Lord doesn't take some of them if He really wants to reach the thousands of heathen folks who are dying without the Gospel. Somehow, there are so many who say they are willing that we must begin to realize if God could only get one-tenth of the "willing" people to actually go, possibly a lot could be done about this great job of reaching men who have never heard the Gospel.

It becomes sort of a comfortable saying – "We are willing." Yes, they are willing, but after a while this begins to sound a little ridiculous. We approach very few things of life in this way. If we are going to go some place, we don't say that we are willing to go. It would sound foolish to stand on your front porch and say that you are willing to go to town. You plan to go, say you're going to go and get there. It seems useless to talk about being willing.

However, there is a certain measure of comfort in saying this about God's great job. It makes it appear as though we are waiting on God; and if He wanted to use us, He could. It can also infer at times that we are completely yielded to the Lord and that He could do anything He wanted to with us.

Are we hiding behind a poor excuse? Are we trying to make it look as though we are waiting on God when, in reality, He is waiting on us? Yes, that is exactly the way it looks.

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 53 Not long ago, I went with a friend to visit his sister who was in nurses' training.

As we sat eating in a Chinese restaurant, I asked the young lady if she had ever thought about giving her life for missionary work.

"No, I hadn't," she replied.

"What would have to happen," I asked, "before you would think seriously about giving your life for missionary work?"

"Well," she replied, "the Lord would have to do something very special, deal with me in an unusual way, before I could feel that missionary work was the job for me." I was curious as to how the Lord had led her into nurse's training, wondering if He had led her in this same special way.

To this question she replied, "No, I thought nurses' training was a good thing to do; so I started in at it."

Finally, I asked her if she was saved and really loved the Lord.

"Certainly," she replied.

"And you also feel that your life is on the altar and that you are willing to do anything that the Lord would want you to do?"

"Yes," she said, "I believe I am willing."

I understood that her nurses' training would soon be finished, so I asked about her plans as to what she would do when she finished.

"Well," she said, "this may seem strange to you, but I am going into farming."

Again I asked her, "Has the Lord dealt with you in a definite way? Has He shown you in some special way that this is what He wants you to do?"

Her reply was the same as before: "No, to be honest with you, I just thought it was a good thing to do."

Then I asked her if it didn't seem rather strange that she could make all these other decisions pertaining to her life without a special leading from the Lord, but when it came to giving her life wholly for the Lord's service – for a job so important to the cause of Christ – she would require a special revelation before she could do anything about it. Then she made the admission that she had never thought of it in that way before, and that she was just living her life the way she thought she ought. Her own desire was more evident than the leading of the Lord.

One night in a young people's meeting I told the above story, and after the meeting a big fellow came up to me and said, "I'm the young man she was going into farming with, but our plans have been changed. I think when she finishes nurses' training she is looking to the mission field."

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 54 Is it true that many people think they are willing? If so, we must ask: how willing are they? If they are really willing, wouldn't God move them out to men who are dying without the Gospel? If they are truly yielded, wouldn't He at least move more of them than He has? Or doesn't He care? If we are going to believe God's Word, we know He cares. Let's not place the blame on God. Let's recognize that we have failed to allow Him to do in our lives that which He wants done.

Many of us are selfish, living for ourselves. We are living for the things we like to do. We like to entertain the thought that we're willing to follow Jesus Christ, but the truth of the matter is that it is only with our lips that we are willing.

"This people draweth nigh unto Me with their mouth and honoureth Me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me" (Matthew 15:8). If one-tenth of the people who were willing had given themselves wholly and completely, I believe the job would have been done long ago. Instead of saying we are willing to go, why not say, "Lord, if You are willing, I am going"?

This article provided by www.heartofgod.com/frontlines

BORN FOR SUCH A TIME

by John Willis Zumwalt Let's imagine for a minute that you were born in Calcutta, India. You would be under the oppression of the worship of the goddess, "Kali." Even today in Calcutta, human sacrifice is demanded to appease "Kali," which is the goddess of destruction, murder and violence. Even in today's "enlightened and educated" environment, that kind of evil continues. Here where Satan's grip is strong, itchy fingers are on nuclear weapons. That is the place. What if you had been born in Calcutta? Wouldn't you be hungry and anxious to see the messenger of the Good News of Jesus Christ? Here in America, we have a land flowing with milk and honey. It is a land flowing with the blessings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and there, they have none. Don't you think they desire the Good News? Don't you think they hunger after Jesus Christ? He is called "The Desire of the Nations."

I remember this thought hitting me: It's not fair that I was born here and they were born there. Why is it, for generations upon generations, they grow up in darkness and die in darkness, and yet I have the blessing of growing up with the Light. I have the Scriptures and a family that loves Jesus. They took care of me and brought me up in the Good News of Jesus Christ in a land with churches all around me. I began asking myself the question, "Why was I born here and not there?" That is a good question, but I want to ask you a different one. Why were you born now? Why were you not born 100 years ago, or tomorrow, or why were you not born today? Why were you born for such a time as this? The good news is that God has chosen you specifically for this time. It is not a mistake.

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 55 Normal Christianity I noticed that we have indications that there may be four Joshua's coming to the next Oak Hill Boot Camp. Who knows if they will all come, but four? What is God saying? I started thinking about this, and I believe that God is saying, "This is the kind of person this is the kind of generation that we are living in a Joshua kind of generation.

You remember Joshua. God said, "He is a man like no other." That means he is not a "normal" man. We need some people who are not "normal." We can look around and see "normal," and there is nothing great about it. "Normal" churches are little more than the Rotary Club. "Normal" Christianity has reduced the life of God in us and through us to a weekend activity right before the football game, hardly distinguishable from any other activity.

We need some Joshuas on planet earth who will hear God say, "I want you to go in and take the land." They will spy it out. They will say, "Yeah, man, there are giants there, but look at the fruit!" They will say, "We can do it, because God says we can." What are the giants? Communism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam. You know, Muslims don't like Christians. They kill them. But do you know what Joshua says? We can do it!!! Why? Because we are mighty? NO!!!

Because God said we could, and He will be with us!

The people of Israel said, "No." They died in the wilderness, but Joshua lived to lead the next generation into the Promised Land. Friends, I believe this is Joshua's Generation the people who will see The "Promised" land. We will go in without fear. We will not be like past generations who dilly-dallied around in their own affairs, their own business, their own pleasures, concerned for their own life! But we will believe God and boldly go where no man has gone before! Go boldly!!! Enter into this promised land!

Generation X I am on the front edge of what is called Generation X. Do you know that half of my generation is dead already? They have been wiped out by abortion.

Half of my generation no longer lives. They were cut off. When you see Satan, on a mass scale, wiping out the babies, you know something's afoot. You know he is trying to stop something that God intends to do. Moses, you remember that? Jesus, remember that? We have another situation on our hands. God is planning something for this generation - to bring Light and Salvation to the ends of the earth, and Satan is doing everything He can to thwart God's plan before it ever has a chance to begin.

This is a crucial generation, this Joshua Generation. It is time to go in and possess the land. We are not responsible for generations that have already died. We cannot do anything about it. Can we? But we are responsible for the generation that is now alive. Old to young, we are responsible for who is alive right now. It is an awesome responsibility. Now is not the time for timidity, for calmness. Some people would like for me to calm down a little bit, but it is not

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 56 the time for kicking back in an easy chair and taking it easy. Now is the time for aggressively going out and doing that to which God has called us.

The spies have gone in. They have seen the land and said, "It is good." God has said, "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded, and lo, I am with you always even to the end of the age." He commanded that. He didn't say, only go if it is safe to go. He didn't say, only go if you can come back. He didn't say, only go if it feels good. He said, GO!!!

We should not be satisfied with just our own salvation and relax in that, but aggressively fight for the salvation of those who have never heard of Jesus even once.

Time for Timidity I have a statistic, which absolutely blew me away. I know statistics are dangerous. People zone out. But when I read this one, I finally understood. I may have read it before, but recently when I read it, I popped up out of bed, threw my bathrobe on, and I started pacing. I couldn't sleep for hours after this. This is the single most exciting statistic I have ever seen. There are 6.2 billion people alive today. Right now, there are more people alive than have ever died in history! Do you understand? Let me explain. Adam and everyone else who has ever died, there are less of them than those who are alive today on Planet Earth! Do you see? We are not just another generation! We hold in our hands the eternal destiny of over half of God's created beings, over half of the people He died for on the Cross. It is not the time for timidity. It is not the time for doing things casually. It is not the time for doing it like our mom and dad did it. It is time for Joshua to go in and take the land; because if we don't, we have lost nearly half of all the people that God has ever made.

I wonder - God must have made a mistake in His planning! It has to be! I know who I am, and you have seen the condition of the local church? What is He thinking? Where is the Apostle Paul when we need him? Where is James Hudson Taylor? Where is Samuel Zwemer? Where's William Carey? Where is Harmon Schmelzenbach when we need him? I am looking at us, and I am saying, "God, are we the ones to do the job? Literally half of all your loved people are alive right now, and you have chosen us to do this? We have minimal zeal for God, minimal love for mankind, minimal commitment it seems. Us? He has chosen to give to us the biggest task of any generation, ever!

The Good News is that God is enough! Remember the story of the feeding of the 5,000? Lest we forget, they did not have any food to give out to 5,000 people. Impossible! And the bread was broken and given. Jesus made it enough. The little bit we have, the little bit of faith, the little bit of love, the little bit of zeal and passion, God will multiply and feed His multitudes that He loves so dearly. He always puts us between the Bread of Life and the masses, and God will continue to multiply as we, in obedience, hand it out.

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 57 He has chosen the weak things of the world - that is an understatement - to do this awesome task, and I have figured out why: because we will not be able to steal His Glory! No one will say, "Look what we did; we were so good."

No! We will throw our crown quickly at Jesus' feet and say, "Look what Jesus did! Worthy is the Lamb who was slain!" He purchased men from every tongue, tribe and nation and formed them into a Holy Priesthood and into a Kingdom. He did it!!! Not you and me, because of our brilliance. Where is Charles Spurgeon when we need him? Where's Moody? Where are these guys? God chose the humble things of the earth to bring Him glory and to confound the wise.

Mission Possible Deuteronomy 32:8 tells us that "He establishes the boundaries of the peoples according to the Sons of Israel." God has chosen to establish the boundaries of the peoples of planet earth according to the number of the Sons of Israel.

This principle was established in Scripture. God's plan was to bless the nations through Israel. There were 70 sons of Israel that went into Egypt, and God established in Genesis 10 and 11 that there were 70 nations. When Jesus sent out the disciples to the Gentile (or nation) villages, he sent out 70.

The principle is this: God is not giving us a job that is too big to be done.

Sometimes, I look at it and think "2.1 billion people that have never had a chance to hear??!!" How are we going to do it with just a handful? How are we going to do it even if 600 people come through our ministry in the next two years? It is still 2.1 billion people. Sons of Israel, daughters of Israel, we are enough, with our Almighty God who can multiply all our activities.

God could have controlled the population growth, couldn't He? Why is it that population kind of sputtered along at almost nothing and then suddenly in our generation, swoosh, six billion? How did that happen? God is in control, and He chose you for this generation. This is a good word! We are not out of our God's ballpark. We are in the ballpark He chose for us. We are exactly in the generation and in the time that He chose for us. He believes in us. He has given us a job and provided everything we need to accomplish it. Airplanes.

Think about it. It doesn't take six months to get to the mission field. E-mail!

You can talk to anybody on the mission field, and they can talk to you. They can say, "Pray, I'm in a world of hurt and trouble." Technologically, we are setup wonderfully.

Financially, we are set-up incredibly. This always becomes an issue. How are we going to use our finances? I got an appeal from a local institute that is building a plaza in the middle of its property, so the students can have a place to get together. It is a nice plaza, and they are putting a nice fountain in the middle. The fountain alone cost $150,000! A $150,000 fountain! Now, before you think I am a raving lunatic, think about this. When the rainbow showed up, God promised not to destroy the earth again by water. He did not say anything about fire. Next time He is going to destroy it by fire. This fountain is a temporal thing. I am not short-sighted about the fact that the next generation will enjoy this fountain with the little investment we are making now, but I am

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 58 talking about a real investment. The only things that last forever are those people that you have rescued from the pit of hell! They have happy Heaven to enjoy, but this fountain is not going to enjoy happy Heaven. That $150,000, and all the other ways the Church of Jesus Christ finds to waste His money, is costing lives on planet earth.

I will tell you what it is like. It is like the fire trucks coming to a five-alarm fire in a 15-story building. Fire is shooting out of the top; people hanging on by their fingernails off the edge. Their death is sure. The fire trucks all come up.

Zoom! They are there. Then the firemen get out and start polishing their shoes. They start making sure the engine looks good. We have a job to do!

We are left on planet earth for one reason! One reason!!! To obey the Great Commission - to see that every tongue, tribe and nation has a witness of who Jesus is! Then, and only then, will He have what He desires: people from every tongue, tribe and nation worshipping Him before the throne forever and ever.

How we spend our money determines how well we are going to do on this job, whether or not we will even get the job done. God's money is reserved for this great moment in time, to save half of the people He ever created. Think about it. Half of all people ever created are alive right now, and this little bit of money we have is meant for that purpose. While people go to Hell, are we concerned over our aesthetic preferences?

It is going to take every one of us, all of us involved in this. He has given us plenty with which to do the job - personnel, strength, technology, money - it is not a problem, but it is going to take us all. How in the world will they believe, unless they hear? How will they hear, unless someone goes to them, and how will someone go to them, unless we send them. We have to march forward with greater aggression than ever before. If you are called to go? Then, GO!!!

Don't wait around. GO!!!

If you are called to stay, then STAY and send - aggressively! I am called to stay. I am called to send. We need lots of help to do this job. A couple of people cannot do it alone. Just look at my ministry alone - this little thing that God has raised up. We need people to layout letters on computers for the missionaries that go out, so people can pray. We need an accountant desperately. We need children's workers and teachers, cooks or food coordinators. We need people to work on the grounds.

Think about it: half of all people on planet earth that have ever lived are alive today in your lifetime. Let us throw off everything that holds us back, the sins that entangle us, the nice things that slow us down. You know what I'm talking about. They are the nice things that are not illegal. The Bible does not say, "Don't do them," but you know what they do. They slow you down from aggressively getting the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Let's throw them off and run this race that He has laid before us. He has chosen you for this time.

This time. For such a time, you were born.

This article provided by www.heartofgod.com/frontlines

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MISSIONARIES AND CIRCUS PERFORMERS

by John Willis Zumwalt I was trying to find insurance for a vehicle I was considering buying. One company had been recommended to me as having the best rates, so naturally I thought I would check them out. Their rates were excellent, and while the saleswoman was taking down all the pertinent information about me, she asked me my occupation. I told her that I was a missionary speaker. She responded, "Oh no. I am so sorry Mr. Zumwalt, but our company does not insure circus performers or missionaries." I did not know how to respond.

What an odd juxtaposition of imagery; those funny people in their spandex pants and missionaries are in the same category. Do I laugh or complain?

She assured me that those were not her own feelings; she admired missionaries. It was just company policy: no circus performers or missionaries. When I think of the circus, I always think of the picture of a smiling guy putting his head into a lion's mouth. In essence, missionaries, when they go to the unreached, are walking into the lion's den, and as it is in the big top, I hear those who are watching whisper to one another, "I would never do that. Would you go in there?" We need a renewed breed of risk takers. For today, when most mission agencies and many missionaries are content to stay where the Gospel has already been proclaimed, God has called us to go still further where the name of Christ has not yet been preached, rather than to continue to work where other men have established a foundation (Rm. 15:20). Frontier missionaries are risk takers going to places that have been locked away from the Gospel for thousands of years. We need apostles who will risk it all, like C.T. Studd, who went to China. Though he was what today would be a millionaire, he sold everything he had and went out with nothing in his pockets, trusting in his God alone. He staked his career and his fortune. In his later years, his health failing, penniless, doctors refusing to permit him to go, his mission agency refusing to send him, yet told

by God to go, C.T.Studd once more staked all on obedience to God. A gambler for God! He joined ranks with the great gamblers of our faith, Abraham and Moses, all the heroes of Hebrews 11. He exemplified the true heart and zeal of Apostolic Christianity: "men that have risked (gambled with) their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 15:26). Studd, with solemn resolution proclaimed, "Gentlemen, God has called me to go, and I will go. I will blaze the trail, though my grave may only become a stepping stone that younger men may follow." The more I think about it, I like being in with the circus. Often missionaries feel like they are on the flying trapeze, throwing themselves across a chasm of faith in finances, hoping there are those who will catch them on the other side. Or like the high wire balancing act where the father ends up carrying his family on his shoulders, missionaries risk everything that is dear and near to them to go where Christ has told them to go. These are not ordinary people. By all worldly standards, they may well be insane. I think that Jesus is asking this generation to be different from normal, to gamble it all, to risk everything. It is not a time to

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 60 hedge our bet; it is a time to lay it all on the altar. "He that shall lose his life for my sake and the Gospel's shall find it." C.T. Studd asked the question, and it still stands, "Are gamblers for gold so many, and gamblers for God so few?"

This article provided by www.heartofgod.com/frontlines WHAT IS A "CONCERT OF PRAYER?" The term "Concerts of Prayer" comes from the early 1700s, and has been used in subsequent generations to describe major prayer movements preceding new global advances of Christ's Kingdom. In The Eager Feet, Dr. J. Edwin Orr writes: "The Concert of Prayer for revival in the 1780s in Great Britain and in the 1790s in the United States, and the renewed Concert of Prayer in both countries…was clearly demonstrated to be the prime factor in motivating and equipping Christians for service in a world-wide movement which totally eclipsed the military might of the nations at the battle of Waterloo. As in the first half of the century (the early 1800s), practically every missionary vision (from 1858 onward) was launched by men revived in the awakenings in the sending churches."

Here's one example. A praying businessman, Jeremiah Lamphier started a noontime prayer meeting in 1857 in the Dutch Reformed Church consistory in Manhatten, New York. In response to his advertisement, only six people out of a population of one million showed up. But they weren't discouraged. The next week there were fourteen and then twenty-three. In a few months there were concerts of prayer in scores of U.S. cities. This was the beginning of a Godgiven prayer movement that became the sustaining foundation for the Great Awakening of the mid-1800's, reviving the Church and resulting in a worldwide missionary advance lasting over 100 years.

Today, God has convinced many that the body of Christ worldwide is on the verge of a wonderful new work of God that will transform their cities, as well as bring the Gospel to some of earth's unreached peoples. Thus, they can do nothing else but pray and call others to join them!

Historically speaking, the primary focus of Concerts has been on two major agendas: Christians prayed for Christ's fullness to be revealed in His Church to empower them to accomplish the task that was before them. They also prayed for the fulfillment of His saving purposes among the nations through an awakened, consecrated Church. The same two-fold agenda prevails today.

And so "Concerts of Prayer" helps describe Christians united on a regular basis to seek fullness and fulfillment. Extraordinary united prayer is not determined so much by how long one prays or how often but rather that Christians do pray, that they pray for those things most on God's heart, and that they do so together - "in concert."

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 61 How Does This Relate to World Evangelization?

Billions still wait to hear the Gospel. Most have no one like them near them to tell them. In addition, the immensity, complexity, and urgency of the challenge can create in many of us a paralysis of faith.

But in spiritual awakening God changes this. He brings us face to face with the Lordship of Christ. The Church rediscovers how fully Christ is Lord of heaven and earth. We also discover in new ways that He is the Lord of history, and that He is able to overcome all barriers to His Kingdom's advance. We view Him as Lord of His Church and Lord through His Church, able to empower us and work through us to fulfill His global cause. And we recognize how fully He is Lord of our own lives, able to work through our lives, without limits, to touch the very ends of the earth.

This discovery brings a decisive devotion to Jesus as Lord that releases us from paralysis of faith and forms the spiritual dynamic behind world evangelization.

At a meeting of world mission leaders, Dr. George Peters appealed, "We have become in missions so wrapped up in technology and methodology that we have forgotten that missions is number one the releasing of divine dynamics.

Reaching the unreached will, first of all, mean for us not only to lay hold of it in faith, but to develop thousands and thousands of prayer cells in America and elsewhere that will commit themselves whole-heartedly to prayer until the victory will be won. We need spiritual mobilization."

What to pray •

For God to be glorified throughout the earth, among all peoples everywhere. Tell Him you want this to happen and tell Him what it will mean to you personally when it does.

•

That God would receive greater praise in the earth for what He is presently doing in the Church, and especially for all he will do through the Church to reach, salvage and fulfill unreached peoples around the world.

•

That Christ's world mission of love and justice will prevail. It is a life or death issue. People without Christ everywhere lack any inheritance in God's kingdom and have no way to receive His salvation.

•

For churches to be planted within every people group on our planet within this generation.

•

For new thrusts in world evangelization through the intentional, sacrificial penetration of major human barriers world-wide.

•

For an awakened spiritual hunger among the billions (such as Muslims, Chinese, Hindus, Buddhists and secularists) who have yet to clearly

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 62 learn of Christ. That they may have a new sense of the reality of God and an unavoidable desire to seek Him. •

For Satan to be bound and fully routed within every nation; that Christ's victory on the cross would break Satan's hold on peoples and cultures.

•

For world leaders and governments, and for the outcome of world events. All of these can directly affect the free course of the Gospel within a nation and within a people group.

•

For major global issues which impinge on a world mission thrust. They are part of the moral darkness, which must be pressed back by the planting of responsible communities of disciples among the billions who have yet to hear. Such issues include: global hunger, nuclear proliferation, political and economic oppression, and terrorism.

•

For God's people everywhere to see those nearby whose ways of living differ from them enough to cut them off from the regular witness of the Gospel; for us to see them and reach out to them.

•

For specific people groups who are beyond the reach of the Gospel.

Ask God to give to churches world-wide the wisdom to know how to reach them.

•

That God would raise up hundreds of thousands of new cross-cultural messengers of the Gospel to be sent out in a variety of roles, by churches around the world.

•

For those peoples and places where the doors are open for hundreds of more laborers to enter right now. That the doors would remain open and that the workers would soon be found to walk through them.

•

For all current efforts to research and formulate mission strategy, so as to effectively train and deploy a new generation of missionaries and self-supporting witnesses.

•

For God to raise up a new movement of "senders" world-wide people who know God has called them to send a new force of cross-cultural witnesses and who embrace that assignment with the same vision and sacrifices as those who go.

Suggested Format For A Two Hour Concert of Prayer Following the pattern of concerts of prayer over the past 250 years, as well as prayer movements emerging nationwide and worldwide today, here is one model of a format for a two-hour Concert of Prayer. The approach provides not only a satisfying experience during a prayer concert, but can be adapted back in the churches, fellowships and ministries from which we come - so that the vision and ministry of united prayer may spread.

Here are title basic components for a Concert of Prayer:

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Celebration

•

Dedication

•

Seeking Fullness

•

Testimonies

•

Preparation

•

Seeking Fulfillment

•

Grand Finale

1. CELEBRATION (10 minutes) o

Praise in hymns and choruses, focused on awakening and mission

o

Reports of God's answers to prayers offered up during previous Concerts

o

Prayers of praise for God's faithfulness, for His Kingdom, for His Son

2. PREPARATION (20 minutes) o

Welcome to the Concert

o

Overview: Why are we here?

o

Biblical perspectives on what we're praying toward (i.e. awakening, mission)

o

Preview of the format

o

Teaming-up in partners and in huddles

3. DEDICATION (5 minutes) o

Commitment: to be servants through prayer and to be used in answer to our prayers

o

Thanksgiving: for the privilege of united prayer and for those with whom we unite

o

Invitation for Christ to lead the Concert and to pray through us

o

Hymn of praise

4. SEEKING FOR FULLNESS / AWAKENING IN THE CHURCH (30 minutes) o

In partners - for personal revival

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In huddles - for awakening in our local churches and ministries

o

As a whole - for awakening in the Church worldwide

o

Pause to listen to our Father

o

Chorus

5. SEEKING FOR FULFILLMENT/MISSION AMONG THE NATIONS (30 minutes) o

In partners - for personal ministries

o

In huddles - for outreach and mission in our city

o

As a whole - for world evangelization

o

Pause to listen to our Father

o

Chorus

6. TESTIMOMES: WHAT HAS GOD SAID TO US HERE? (10 minutes) o

On Fullness (awakening)

o

On Fulfillment (mission)

7. GRAND FINALE (15 minutes) o

Offering ourselves to be answers to our prayers and also to live accordingly

o

Prayer for God's empowerment in our own lives for ministry

o

Prayer for prayer movements locally and worldwide

o

0ffering praise to the Father who will answer our Concert of Prayer

o

Leave to watch and serve "in concert"

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HOW DO I KNOW GOD'S DIRECTION FOR MY LIFE?

by Claude Hickman

Some students won't ever find their way to the right path God has for them, not because of disinterest or disobedience, but because of debilitation: the paralysis caused by too many options. Paul Borthwick calls this the problem of "overchoice." With the whole world before you and a passion to reach it, where do you dive in? Choosing one path seems like leaving behind several other great options. To a generation where keeping your options open is a high priority, fitting yourself somewhere into God's global plans seems like an overwhelming task. I've began to give students this advice, which is more of a principle based approach to finding direction from God on the journey He has for you. The process must follow these decision-steps in the succession they are laid out to ensure meaningful Great Commission decisions and to protect us from selfish distortions. I just call it the telescope.

In this "telescope," the first lens we look through is leading. This is the hardest to describe, but the most confirming in our spirit - because it comes from God. When I say leading I do not mean that you feel "called" to missions and some are not called. Us missions mobilizers get on edge when you start using this kind of language, because we maintain that everyone is called to be on mission with God in reaching the nations. We are all commanded to go leading just tells us where to stop. Two main "leading" demographics to begin with would be 1) a religion group or 2) an area of the world. Do you see yourself working among Muslims, Tribals, or in an area such as China or Africa? Many times this decision lens of leading must be learned by experience. That is why every believer should determine to take at least one meaningful short-term mission trip in their life. Leading comes from experience because God clarifies in the midst of obedience, not beforehand.

The apostle Paul tried to get into six cities before God clarified his Macedonian "leading" to him in a vision (Acts 16:6-10). As Keith Green said, "God can't steer a parked car." The idea is that we need to move forward, the rest of the details will come along the way. "Your ears will hear a word behind you, 'This is the way, walk in it,' whenever you turn to the right or to the left" (Isaiah 30:21) When you are obeying and delighting yourself in the Lord's will, there is a sense in which you can trust the inner leading of your desires - because the Lord will give you those desires. In the Psalms David writes, "Delight yourself

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 66 also in the Lord; and he will give you the desires of your heart" (Psalms 37:4).

The reason God can give David the desires of David's heart is he had delighted in the Lord enough that he had become a man after God's own heart (Acts 13:22, 1 Sam 13:14). They were really God's desires within David.

God is not out to crush your joy in life. If you find yourself desiring to reach a particular area or religious group with the gospel, the chances are that it is God's heart being evidenced through yours. Some people get worried about bad motivations for missions, but Jesus used at least eight motivations for His disciples to get engaged in reaching the world: Love (John 14:21), Guilt (Acts 20:26, Ezek. 33:6), Hell (Luke 12:5, Matt 13:41-42), Obedience (Matt 28:1820), Compassion (Matt 9:36, Mark 1:41), Rewards (Luke 18:29-30), Purpose (Matt 16:26-27, 1 Peter 1:24), and His Glory (John 15:8, John 17:4). When we love God, we begin to love the things that He loves. You may find that God is leading you by the joy you feel in considering a certain path, and joy is not a bad motivation. "‌fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross" (Heb 12:2). This leading is only the first lens and we get clearer direction from the next lens. Being strategic?

The strategic lens is what ensures that we are not "building on another man's foundation" and that we are "finishing the race and completing the task" of reaching the unreached peoples of the world. The strategic lens asks the question, "Where in the area or religion group (first lens) is the most strategic place I can be used." Where is the greatest need for the gospel or greatest opportunity for its spreading? You might feel the Lord "leading" you to Fiji "Yep, I can see myself there." But that might not be the most strategic in reaching the unreached. I may want to work among Muslims but just because there are Muslims in Kansas doesn't mean that is the most strategic place to reach them or that it will impact the unreached peoples of the Muslim world.

Leading is gained mainly by experience, where "strategic" may be gained by education. This is the lens that filters out a wasted life. There are strategic ways to be anywhere in the world. Instead of just defaulting to America, we must move forward in obedience and in that process many may end here for a purpose bigger than Americans, because of strategy.

The next lens I call "gifting." This is the question of, "Can God use my talents, career, degree, or skills to serve in this strategic area where I feel Him leading me?" Right here is where most Christians and students will err, because they want to flip the telescope. They want to look through the lenses backward. I remember Steve Hawthorne, a mission mobilizer, relating a long conversation he had with a young lady about how she could use her Spanish among unreached peoples. After Steve had exhausted all of his knowledge of possible unreached people groups in South America, etc., he finally responded to her saying, "Why don't you stop telling God what you want to do for Him - and begin by asking God what He wants you to do." You can't look through the telescope backwards or you get a very small, narrow, limited view of how God may want to use you. He may want to use your talents, He may not. It is not a bad question to ask - we just need to ask it third and not first.

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 67 Finally, would be the agency lens. What mission agency or sending entity can train and send me to this area, whether using my degree or not. Again we can be tempted to look through the telescope backward if we only know of one mission sending agency, which many only do. It is a good idea to get familiar with several other agencies that work there just so you can allow God to lead you based on choice and not default.

These principles for allowing God to lead you should help you in making a good decision about what to do with your life. Don't give your life to the things that others can and will do, but to the things that others can't and won't do.

The best thing you can do as you begin to work through each of these is pray for God's guidance as you plan. Surround yourself with Godly counsel who share a vision for the world and will be honest with you if you are trying to serve your own agenda. Allow God to make the North Star of reaching people from every tribe and tongue the guiding force for all your decisions. With the end firmly rooted in your heart, and saturated with God's word you can live life by the compass - making His agenda to reach the nations the decisive factor in choosing your steps along the journey.

MISSIONS & DISCIPLESHIP

by Claude Hickman I've noticed something over the past few years as I have labored on a college campus and traveled the U.S. speaking to college students. Everybody has his or her bandwagon. Especially in Christian circles, everyone has one conviction about some issue that they always find a way to bring up, and they are always attempting to persuade others to their way of thinking. It makes them feel spiritual. Most of the time they are right and their convictions are good.

In this student generation, I've seen missions become one of those bandwagons. Of course I'm not opposed to beating the missions drum, the problem is that missions has become the 'quick fix' spirituality that some newly converted, zealous, but unbroken believers have found to be their ticket to the head of the pack. He reads a book, hears one talk, memorizes some statistics and jargon- and next thing you know he is criticizing the pastor and every other ministry because they don't share his world vision. Unfortunately, this disgruntled Christian is mistaken for a leader and given authority to reward his puffed up attitude. What went wrong? Was this the way Jesus designed it?

No. What's missing is discipleship, the process of being mentored and taught the basics of the Christian life by another human being. It is humbling to be taught. One of the first qualities I look for in a believer is teachability. If someone is unteachable, self-reliant, and so independent that they have nothing to learn from anyone, I don't care how much they know or what they

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 68 have done, they are useless. But a lifelong learner is of far greater potential, even if he knows very little now. Unfortunately most of the students I meet have no one discipling them one on one. They may be in a Bible study or cell group that they float into once a week for an hour, but this is not discipleship.

If we look at the life of Jesus we see that he moved his disciples through several phases. The first is Evangelism, bringing them to believe in Him as the Messiah. The next phase is Establishing, grounding them in the basics of the Christian life. After awhile, some followers proved themselves to be faithful men and were selected for special training, or Equipping. Only after this filtering process did he Extend them to the nations on their own. Dr. Bill Jones, Bible professor at Columbia International Seminary, uses the analogy of first, second, third base, and home plate. A team can have more runners on base and lose the game. You must have them all. Discipleship without extending them to the nations is just as empty. You must score. But to score, you have to round all the bases. That was the Lord's method; evangelize, establish, equip, extend.

We also see that the early Church modeled this. Just read through Acts and see the pattern of developing believers, training them and then sending them to the nations.

Acts Evangelizing - Acts 2:38,47 "Repent and be baptized...And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."

Establishing - Acts 2:41,42 "Those who accepted his message were Baptized‌ they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer."

Equipping Leaders - Acts 6:3,7 "Choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them."

Extending - Acts 10:34-48 "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism, but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right."

Evangelizing - Acts 11:20-21 "Some of them went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus‌a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord."

Establishing - Acts 11:22-26 "So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the Church and taught great numbers of people."

Equipping Leaders - Acts 13:1 "In the Church of Antioch there were prophets and teachers (trained men)."

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 69 Extending - Acts 13:3-4 "So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off."

1 Thessalonians Evangelizing - 1 Thess. 1:4-5 "For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power‌" Establishing - 1 Thess 1:6 "‌ you know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord."

Equipping -1 Thess 1:7 "And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia."

Extending - 1 Thess 1:8 "The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia - your faith in God has become known everywhere."

This was the Lord's method, and the early church's method: Evangelize, Establish, Equip, Extend.

A friend from a mission agency told me that at their last candidate training, they were getting ready to show them how to share Christ in a Muslim culture, when one student raised his hand and said, "Uh... I've never shared Christ in my own culture." My friend also told me that they send people home all the time because they are not established or equipped for the work. They have zeal, seminary degrees and knowledge, but lack the real life model. Without this grounding the missionary has nothing to reproduce once he goes overseas except his idea of what a Christian is. He may be able to lead them to Christ, but as far as knowing how to teach them the basics of the Christian life, (how to share their faith, scripture memory, Bible study, prayer, fellowship, accountability), he has no experience to draw from. He has never seen someone trained in his own life. He is unable to reproduce a growing Christian that can help others to grow. Even if he does plant a church, the people will be dependent on him because he lacks the ability to establish and equip them to lead. Or worse, he will teach them that intellectual knowledge is the equivalent of spirituality, and reproduce his own independent spirit into those he desires to train.

The goal of discipleship is to multiply. Jesus could have lead large crusades to win thousands of people to the Kingdom, but He didn't. Instead He chose to invest His life deeply into a few faithful men. He knew the result would be far more impacting for the future if He could train some disciple makers. The missionary Paul caught on to the same vision. In 2 Timothy 2:2, he exhorts Timothy to entrust the things he learned from Paul to, "faithful men, who are able to teach others also." Four generations of discipleship in one verse; Paul to Timothy, to faithful men, to the others they would train. There is power in multiplication. If you lead one person to Christ each day for 33 years, that would be over 12,000 people. But instead, let's say that you lead one person

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 70 to Christ and discipled them in a year so that they could go out and win and train others, and that this process of evangelizing, establishing, equipping, and extending was built into each one. Even if it just started with you, within 33 years you would have reached over 4 billion people. Jesus knew that this was a powerful thing to give His life to. There are very few men and women out there who are reproducing themselves into others. If you find one, latch on to them. Do you want to see missionaries mobilized and sent out to the nations? Begin establishing, equipping and extending those around you. It is your greatest investment.

1. Coleman, Robert. The Master Plan of Evangelism. Fleming Revell, 1994 2. Jones, Dr. Bill. Columbia International University. Class of March 5th 2001.

FASCINATED WITH JESUS

by Wesley L. Duewel The goal of Scripture is an intensely personal love for Jesus possessing your whole being. The goal of redemption is your love-relationship, your love-life with Jesus. Christian living is living in love with Jesus. Prayer communion is looking lovingly into Jesus' eyes, thrilling to Jesus' voice, resting in Jesus' arms.

Christ's passionate lovers have bejeweled the history and heritage of the church. No Christian is greater than his love. Few today realize the intense devotion to Christ in the early church and in our sainted martyrs. The Holy Spirit can develop in us just as ardent devotion as He did in those days.

A. W. Tozer once said, "The great of the kingdom has been those who loved God more than others did." Those who have really looked into the face of Jesus cannot but be captivated by His love. Too often our love for Jesus is sadly impersonal. We believe in His Person, we worship His Person, but we relate to Him far too impersonally. There is too much distance, a tragic remoteness in our fellowship. True, He is our infinitely holy God and we are but sin - deformed creatures before Him. He is our Sovereign King, and we bow before His majesty. But He is also our Savior who loved us with such everlasting love that He forsook heaven's throne to become the incarnate Son of Man, to die for us, to redeem us for Himself and make us the special and eternal object of His love. Indeed, He came to make us collectively His bride and personally His beloved. Let's humble ourselves before Him. Let's confess how cool and casual we too often have been in our expression of love to Him. Let's ask the Holy Spirit to give us a new baptism of love for Jesus. We need the Spirit's help to love, Jesus as we should. Perhaps we have had too little of the Spirit's fullness to enable us to love with the personal ardor Jesus desires.

All other passions build upon or flow from your passion for Jesus. A passion for souls grows out of a passion for Christ. A passion for missions builds upon

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 71 a passion for Christ. When Hudson Taylor was once asked what was the greatest incentive to missionary work, he instantly replied, "Love of Christ."

William Booth's passion for helping the underprivileged, the derelicts of society, and for world evangelization was built upon his passion for Christ.

The most crucial danger to a Christian, whatever his role, is to lack a passion of Christ. The most direct route to personal renewal and new effectiveness is a new all-consuming passion for Jesus. Lord, give us this passion, whatever the cost!

References Used: Ablaze for God by Wesley L. Duewel This article provided by http://www.watchword.org/

THE BATON IS PASSED TO YOU... RUN!

by Steve Shadrach You have a race to run. Which one is it? (Heb. 12:1,2) You might have more than one; but if you are a World Christian you need to have at least one. Here are four opportunities that you can look at, evaluate, and ask God to use you in. Be open to whatever He wants you to do. Be willing to do anything, anytime, anywhere for Him. That is the definition of the Lordship of Christ in our life. Now read and pray and take the baton. It is the race of a lifetime!

1. The GOERS are the front lines warriors In a sense we are all goers all front line warriors, because Jesus gave us the command to "go and make disciples of all nations". Somehow though, God's distribution plan has not worked out so well! It is estimated that up to 95% of the world's trained Christian workers live in .... good ole' U.S.A. Most people would be willing to go ... but are planning on staying. We need folks who are planning on going ... but are willing to stay, if that is the most strategic thing to do for the Kingdom. Most are waiting for the "liver quiver"(i.e. the emotional "calling" from on high telling them to be a missionary). It's amazing though, that is just about the only area of life that we apply this lightning bolt calling concept to! There are about 600 million active Christians in the world today.

150 million of them are between 22-50 years of age. The estimate is that we only need about 20,000 cross-cultural missionaries to finish reaching every unreached people group.

2. The SENDERS are the vicarious rope holders There are people who would like to be overseas, but feel called to stay and hold the ropes for those who do go. Out of the 100,000 students who volunteered for missions from 1890-1930 about 20,000 went and 80,000 stayed at home to help fund them. Think if we could get four laymen to team up and each take 1/4th of missionaries support, we would make a ton of progress! Christians' after-tax income in American is between 800-900 billion

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 72 dollars. We give 2 billion to missions. That's 1/4th of 1 percent. We spend 10 billion on weight reduction programs and more on cosmetics and dog food! To be a financial sender you may have to take a radical look at your lifestyle in order to scale it back and give more to Christ's Global Cause. Senders not only give, but also pray. They can daily shoot prayer arrows around the world asking God to raise up laborers, to empower those that are laboring, and bring about fruit in the unreached areas of the world. You can impact the world right from your living room! Lastly, senders are involved in personal ministry. They can disciple others with a world vision and seek to send them into the harvest field. A World Christian begets World Christians!

3. The WELCOMERS are the ministers of hospitality There are close to 600,000 international students in the U.S. It's like the Lord told us to go to the world and gave us all these resources, but we instead chose to stay and enjoy the comforts of America. "Well", God says, "If you won't go to them, I'll just bring them to you. Is this close enough?" Our country has become an international melting pot and yet we rudely neglect to reach out to these foreigners. Stats show most international students will come here to study for 4-6 years and NEVER enter (or certainly not eat a meal) in an American's home. They want to, but aren't invited. How would you feel if that happened to you in another country? The temptation to get bitter and cynical is great towards this so-called "Christian nation". We can impact the world right here in our backyard because the world sends their best and brightest (the future leaders they are grooming) right to our doorstep. You can adopt one or more while they are here. Pray for them, love on them, share your life and faith with them. Let them see what your life, family, and faith is all about.

See what God will do. Send them back with a vision to reach their own country for Christ.

4. The MOBILIZERS are the strategic motivators These are the ones who are sounding the alarm. Wouldn't it be more effective to go and wake 100 sleeping fireman to come and put out the blazing building than to just stand there alone throwing your buckets of water on it? These are the ones that yearn to be on the field, but have stayed behind to rally the troops. They form mission committees at their churches. They get people praying and giving and going. They organize short and long-term mission teams. They get books and materials into the Christian's hands. They are sometimes called "pests" or "fanatics" behind their backs! Ralph Winter, founder of the U.S. Center for World Missions, says the highest priority within the Body of Christ right now is for more mobilizers. More men and women in every church, every town, every campus who will help open people eyes to what God is doing around the world and helping people plug into their role. A good definition for mobilization is: "Deploying an army of laborers to the front lines where they are ordering their lives around the Great Commission".

These are the ones helping believers find their niche as either goers, senders, welcomers, or mobilizers.

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 73 HARVEST IS PAST, SUMMER IS OVER, AND WE ARE NOT SAVED!

by John Willis Zumwalt "Jessi come here!" It was my fourth time to call her. Still she, though a mere ten feet away, acted as though she heard nothing.

So, I swept her up in my arms and walked to the bedroom to give the customary discipline for disobedience. Jessica was responding with "excuseso-plenty," the leading one being, "I was going to, after I was done . . ."

All of us parents know that delayed obedience is not really obedience at all.

It always amazes me how we try to pull the same number on our Heavenly Father. In a service, several people may feel the undeniable urgings of the Holy Spirit to serve Him among the unreached, and a year later, when I return, they are still in the exact same unmoved position. They have wonderful excuses, but the result is the same: They have not obeyed, and the lost are not saved. Oh sure, they still hold on to a "some day out there" approach to getting to the front, but the urgency is not there. They are barely keeping pace with a stroll through the park, let alone a rescue effort to snatch from the fires of hell men and women from every tongue, tribe and nation.

It doesn't seem to take much to distract them from this calling, a pastor pleading for them to stay and minister to the sheep (as only they can, he assures them), or a financial opportunity arises that shouldn't be missed, or it just gets hard, and no one seems to understand. Though we will universally confess that we live in the last days, we act as though there is an endless tomorrow of opportunity. Do you not hear the cry of scripture? "Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valleyof decision." Joel 3:4 When Jesus saw the multitude, he was moved to compassion and action.

When we see them, we somehow resist the Spirit of compassion, and very few of our numbers ever make it out into the field of action. This delay brings God no pleasure and costs the souls of countless thousands! A curse be on all who withhold from doing the Lord's work (Jer. 48:10) and instead squander their salvation and freedom on themselves.

I once heard from a preacher that God was in no hurry. You might as well say that God doesn't care for those who are daily dying without ever having heard of Jesus once. We know that it is not true. He is not willing that any should perish, and so now He is calling all men everywhere to repentance. I will not rest, nor does the Spirit of Christ rest, until all His precious children are brought in. Does a father sleep when his child is in peril? Can God take it easy when there are billions who have never heard? Can we not be in a hurry when summer's light is ending and the harvest is far from brought in. "He who gathers in summer is a son who acts wisely, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who acts shamefully." Prov. 10:5

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 74 As we survey the world - and indeed, see that the harvest is ready, but oh where are the harvesters - I am chilled by the reality that our incompetence, laziness and disobedience to His Great Commission may cost us some of the harvest. A mental picture I think many of us get in our minds is that tomorrow the world will be in the same condition that it is today. So why rush, why push, why strain ourselves? But God solemnly warns, '"Behold the days are coming,' declares the Lord, 'when the plow man will over take the harvesters and the treader of grapes him who sows seeds.'" Amos 9:13 What am I talking about? Won't time just keep on trucking until we eventually get around to it in our own sweet time? Even in nature a harvest is not harvestable forever. Do you not hear the cry of the lost, "Harvest is past.

Summer is ended, and we are not saved." Jer. 8:20 Do we dare delay? Delayed obedience is really not obedience at all.

This article provided by www.heartofgod.com/frontlines

LOSING OUR HEAVENLY VISION Paul Borthwick We sat in a planning meeting for an upcoming student mobilization conference discussing conference titles. Someone suggested an old theme: "To Know Him and To Make Him Known." We wrote it down for consideration.

Another tried to build on the worship/missions balance by suggesting "From Worship to the World." We added this to the list of possibilities.

A third student jolted us out of our malaise when she suggested something more radical. "If we're trying to mobilize students for the 10/40 Window, why don't we title the conference 'Come Die for Jesus'?"

We had remained pretty neutral at the first two suggestions, but this option demanded response. We know that calling people to the countries of the 10/40 Window may mean calling them to their premature deaths, but should we put this as the title on the conference brochure? After all, it would be consistent with New Testament history. Of Jesus' disciples (the 11 remaining after the resurrection), ten died martyrs' deaths and one died of old age in exile. Should we build our conference on that legacy?

We who mobilize often appeal to people to go in sacrificial service as an imitation of Christ. We challenge people to "complete the task" in the dangerous places of the world. We inspire them with stories of the great sacrifices missionaries in other eras made - missionaries who packed their earthly belongings in caskets because they knew they would never come home from their pioneering destinations. But is our heavenly vision vivid enough to sustain such sacrifice?

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 75 In contrast, we find ourselves preoccupied with a this-life-only world-view.

New recruits (at least from the United States) want commitments for insurance, retirement programs, private schools for their kids and westernstyle living accommodations before signing up to go. Missionaries 50 years ago packed their goods in one or two barrels. Today's missionary requires two 40-foot containers. A Wycliffe veteran in South America summarized it in this way, "When I came 30 years ago, we expected to leave everything to follow Jesus; today's missionaries want to take everything with them."

We have become so materialistic that we seldom think about heaven. We maintain a this-world orientation because we have it so good here on earth. I fear that we have lost the heavenly vision that undertakes challenges and makes sacrifices motivated by visions of the reward beyond the grave.

Bernie May, former U.S. director of Wycliffe Bible Translators (which traditionally attracts the heartiest stock of pioneer missionaries), cites the four main reasons Wycliffe candidates drop out: 1. They don't want to leave family and friends.

2. They don't want to raise money or live with the insecurity of low income.

3. They are concerned for health and safety - for themselves and their families.

4. They don't want to accept the low standard of living associated with missionary work.

All of these are legitimate concerns, but we overcome them with a vision of heaven. A heavenly vision strengthens us to endure hardship. Jesus, "for the joy set before him endured the cross," (Hebrews 12:1-2). A heavenly vision motivates us for great and sacrificial courage. Paul remained faithful during his last days in prison even though everyone had deserted him. Why? "Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day." (II Timothy 4:8). A vision of heaven detaches us from our stuff.

Unless we allow a vision of the eternal finish line to motivate us - that day when Jesus will welcome us into heaven with the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant" (Matthew 25:21) - we'll stay bonded to this life. We'll value health, prosperity and comfort over obedience, sacrifice and suffering so that someone else might hear the gospel for the first time.

At a conference on "Completing the Task," a speaker who worked in the Muslim world stated matter-of-factly, "Perhaps we've had so little success in the Muslim world because we just haven't had enough martyrs." Martin Luther King, Jr. preached that, "No one knows what they're living for until they know what they would die for."

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 76 Maybe we should stick with the "Come and Die for Jesus" conference title. At least we won't get any half-hearted attendees who come only for some great worship.

HELL, IT REALLY IS

by Greg Livingstone If you are a serious Christian, somewhere along the line, you have realized that there is existence after death, "in the presence of the Lord" or "in heaven." But with considerably less comfort, you realize the opposite as well: that there really is existence after this life, separated from God…hell. Maybe you are not quite sure if you believe in hell, or if you do, why, but it's one of those beliefs you secretly hope your non-Christian friends are not aware of.

When I was first challenged with Christ's claims regarding hell, my first reaction was negative. I figured that if God is a good guy, He must like me.

After all, most people like me. What's God's problem if He can't like me, a regular guy? Even after I became convinced that the Scriptures are authentic communication from God, and therefore, not to be trifled with, I had a lot of difficulty swallowing the words "hell fire." Surely God is clever enough to have a plan B. But then I realized how utterly ugly, gross, wicked and manipulative I myself was, and I saw that the real intellectual problem is not so much why "good guys" go to hell, but why anybody deserves to have their slate totally cleansed and be invited to enter the presence of a Holy God. The more I experience mankind with all his self-centeredness, hypocrisy and dark side, the more I realize that the biggest intellectual problem is why everybody isn't banned from the presence of God into everlasting separation.

REAL LIVES HEADED TOWARD HELL Still, this didn't help much when I landed in Bombay, India in my first missionary endeavor and faced multitudes of people scurrying here and there, so thick that I couldn't see the sidewalk. Millions of real people. None of them Christians. "Could all of these people really be headed for a Christless eternity?" I asked myself.

Later, while sharing Christ at the American University of Beirut, I befriended a Muslim from Libya. He came to the brink of the Kingdom. His greatest stumbling block was, "How can I go back to Libya as the only person who is right, the only person who is saved? Could it be that the entire population of Libya is under the wrath of God, headed for 'punishment with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord'?" (II Thess. 1:9).

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 77 FACING HELL'S IMPLICATIONS I know that if God were to invite me to make proposal for a change in His Constitution - if I could change any of these issues of reality, the cardinal doctrines of the Christian faith - I would vote to eliminate hell. I mean, who needs it? Think of the implications of really believing in hell! Before I became a Christian, I was a fairly carefree guy, nobody to worry about except myself.

After I became a Christian, suddenly I had to worry about 2.7 billion people, 11,000 people groups without a church - most of whom don't even have a witnessing Christian in their culture who knows their language and could point them to "the Way, the Truth and the Life." If hell is a reality, multitudes of people are eternally in trouble.

Why did I become a Christian? Because it made me feel good? No, because I believed that I would be an ostrich with my head in the sand if I did not. I could relate to Peter when he said to the Lord Jesus, "To whom else can we go, You have the words of eternal life."

And why did I become a missionary? Because I'm the missionary type? No way! But because Christ's way is true. God is not willing that any should perish and neither am I. PICTURING THE PLAGUE Somehow it's much easier to think in the physical realm. If your city was suffering an enormous plague that left people lying on the streets dying, and you knew of a warehouse that had the very medicine to save them, how much guidance from God would you need to know what to do? You probably wouldn't need to call a conference to decide why these people got the disease. You probably wouldn't debate whether or not they deserved to die, it's not likely that you would ask yourself if you had "the gift" to distribute the medicine. Can you imagine yourself shrugging your shoulders, musing that "dying probably isn't that bad anyway"? Or can you imagine looking out your window at the people writhing in pain on the streets and calmly conclude that what you saw was "God's problem"?

It's quite obvious that any of us would drop what we were doing, grab a bunch of our friends if possible, head for the warehouse, load up with the medicine, and go to work. It may be simplistically put, but why is it so difficult to transfer the picture into the condition of God's beloved creation, mankind?

Still, when we look around us, most of the "good Christians" we know are not conscious of living in the midst of an inestimable tragedy. Few Bible-believing Christians seem to have integrated the reality of hell into their lifestyle. It hardly seems appropriate to wear a sandwich board in the local shopping center emblazened with "Turn or Burn!" in fact, it's even difficult to "feel" that our roommate or our neighbor across the street who is such a nice guy is really destined to a Christless eternity. (This, especially, when you suspect that he manifests more of the fruits of the Spirit than you do!)

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 78 FOLK CHRISTIANITY Finally, you may be among those who've never had a satisfactory answer to the constant jeer, "What about all the people who have never seen a missionary and have never heard about Jesus Christ. Surely God can't be sending them to hell." Some years ago, I began to realize that my belief system was based not so much on the Scriptures as on popular notions which I had imbibed from others in my life. What most of us act upon as our basic beliefs is in fact what the anthropologists would call "folk religion." In the United States, Christianity is divided up into countless versions of "folk Christianity."

The belief systems may range from the haughty, sophisticated New England, "Please, I cannot conceive of a religion that believes in hell," to Hollywood's "Somebody up there likes me," to the born-again Jock," who inadvertently becomes a relativist when he says, "Well, for me when I take Jesus into the huddle, things go better."

The issue, though, is not what we feel comfortable with, but what is reality.

HELL'S REALITY DEMANDS BELIEF So why do I believe in hell? For the same reason I believe in heaven. Our Lord Jesus Christ, who proved that He was indeed the Creator visiting the earth (with full knowledge of reality), confirmed the contemporary Jewish belief that indeed there was life after death, and some would spend it in blessedness, in a place prepared by God for those in right relationship to Himself. But other "you are of your father, the Devil", Christ clearly asserted would live forever separated from God, in a sphere of existence prepared for those who have deserted, either aggressively or passively. They want no part of God interfering with their own will. Hell is an eternal granting of a wish to live without the present pressure or need to worship their Creator.

Is hell then to be our primary motivation in giving our lives in total involvement for the "discipling of the nations"? Perhaps not. The honor of our Lord Jesus Christ is a greater motivation. But if the prospect of bringing glory to God does not propel us toward the great goal of "a church for every people," than THINK about hell!

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 79 ISN'T EVERY CHRISTIAN A MISSIONARY?

by Gordon Olson Frequently one hears it said that every Christian is a missionary - that is, that every Christian ought to be a missionary. The little chorus puts it, "Be a missionary every day!" It sounds good, but this kind of fuzzy thinking only clouds the issue. Every Christian cannot be a missionary, nor should be. But what is wrong is saying that every Christian is to be a missionary? First of all, it is just like saying that every Christian ought to be an evangelist. These statements are so obviously wrong that few Christians would make that mistake; but as pastors and evangelists are specially called by God for a ministry of the word of God, just so with the missionary! A missionary is specially called of God for a distinct ministry. But let us see what the Biblical data indicates before we go any farther. The root of the words 'mission' and 'missionary' is the Latin verb mitto (I send). But since the Bible wasn't written in Latin, but in Greek and Hebrew, we need to find the same concept in the Greek New Testament. The verb apestello has the idea of being sent, and from it comes the word for 'apostle' (apostolos), which means 'sent one'.

The apostles: the first missionaries The Lord Jesus set apart twelve of His disciples as 'apostles' and sent them out to their own people Israel (Mk. 4:12; Matt. 19:1-6). They were sent to announce that Jews should repent since the Messiah-King had come and his kingdom was impending. Later God set apart others like Paul and Barnabas as apostles to the Gentiles as well (Acts 9:19; 13:3; 22:21; Gal. 2:7-9). The idea of 'being sent' is central in both cases. So the apostles were the first 'missionaries' - home and foreign. But what were they sent to do that ordinary Christians were not commissioned to do? First, we find that the twelve apostles had left their secular occupations and devoted themselves full time as disciples of Christ. Some had left their fishnets and boats long after they became believers in Christ. Matthew left his tax-collecting occupation. Now they devoted themselves full time to Christian ministry, as Peter said, "but we will devote ourselves to prayer, and to the ministry of the word" (Acts 6:4). We find that Paul and Barnabas and the other apostles normally did the same when they had financial support from churches. Although Paul worked at tentmaking in Corinth when his money ran out, when Silas and Timothy brought gifts from the Macedonian churches, he devoted himself again completely to the ministry of the word (Acts 18:1-5 NAS) What else distinguished these missionaries to the Gentiles? The witness of Jews to the Gentiles involved crossing a cultural barrier. Not only did the Christians in Antioch begin to cross that barrier (Acts 11:19-20), but Barnabas and Paul seemed especially gifted in cross-cultural witnessing and were sent out as the first missionaries (Acts 13:3). So they were being sent to cross both geographical and cultural boundaries to win Gentiles to Christ (Acts 22:21).

Paul traveled extensively in four Roman provinces during his three missionary journeys. Apparently he crossed other geographical and cultural boundaries in his ministry after Acts was written (as we infer from his letters). Although the oft-repeated saying is true that "crossing the ocean never made a missionary,"

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 80 crossing boundaries is an important part of what makes a missionary distinct.

There is another aspect which especially distinguished Paul's missionary career, which is worth noting. Paul's ambition was to preach Christ where He was unknown so that he might not build upon another man's foundation. "And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, that I might not build upon another mans foundation; but as it is written, "They who had no news of Him shall see, and they who have not heard shall understand'" (Rom. 15:20-21).

A definition Herbert Kane has suggested that although it is not possible to give a flawless, scientific definition of a missionary, the following one should suffice: In the traditional sense the term missionary has been reserved for those who have been called by God to a full-time ministry of the Word and prayer (Acts 6:4), and who have crossed geographical and/or cultural boundaries (Acts 22:21) to preach the gospel in those areas of the world where Jesus Christ is largely, if not entirely unknown (Rom. 15:20). Charles Ryrie has pointed out that we must distinguish between a general practice in the church and a special gift which God gives to some in that area. For example, all Christians are to give financially; only some have the gift of giving. All are to be witnesses; only some have the gift of evangelism and/or apostleship. Many other examples could be given. The point then is that all Christians are to witness for Christ, but not all Christians are called for a full-time, specially gifted ministry of evangelism. All Christians are to be missionary-minded in obedience to the Great Commission, but not all Christians can be missionaries in the proper biblical sense of the word. We cannot all pack up and go! Some must stay behind and stand behind those who do go. Since a missionary is sent by God, it follows that a missionary must go somewhere. This is well illustrated from the events of World War II. All Americans were mobilized for the war effort.

Housewives collected frying-pan oil, metals were collected from cellars and garages, everybody grew 'victory gardens,' housewives went to work in factories for the first time. Everybody was mobilized to win the war against the Axis powers. But not everybody could go into the Armed Services, and not even all of them could go to the front and personally be in the fight. The same kind of distinction should be made in the spiritual warfare in which we are engaged. The total resources of the Christian church should be thrown into the battle for the souls of men on a global scale, and every member of that church should regard himself as being involved in the total mobilization required by such an operation. But not every church member is a missionary.

The devastating consequence What difference does it make after all? Are we merely nitpicking in our definition of a missionary? Look at it this way, if every Christian is already considered a missionary, then all can stay put where they are, and nobody needs to get up and go anywhere to preach the gospel. But if our only concern is to witness where we are, how will people in unevangelized areas ever hear the gospel? The present uneven distribution of Christians and opportunities to hear the gospel of Christ will continue unchanged. It has been said that ninety percent of the Christian workers are ministering to ten percent

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 81 of the world's population and ten percent are working among ninety percent of the people of the world. Many Christian leaders have picked up Ralph Winter's analysis of world need which states that beyond the one-fourth of the world's population which is nominally Christian, only one-fourth of the world's people are being somewhat effectively evangelized by cross cultural contact with Christians. The other half of the world's people are not being reached effectively because they are isolated from any real contact with Christians.

This is hardly fair to those who have never heard! So in reality the idea that every Christian is a missionary is a 'cop out'. It avoids responsibility for the about three billion people who are not being effectively evangelized today. It means direct disobedience to the 'Go' of the Great Commission!

WHAT DO WE MEAN BY 'MISSIONS'?

Missions is the whole task, endeavor, and program of the Church of Jesus Christ to reach out across geographical and/ or cultural boundaries by sending missionaries to evangelize people who have never heard or who have little opportunity to hear the saving gospel.

Copyright by C. Gordon Olson 1988. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

IS JESUS THE ONLY WAY?

By Jack Rose A recent fad in the Church, Evangelicals included, is the advocacy of tolerance. There are those who say, "I thought that all religions accomplish the same purpose?" While others argue, saying, "I'm a believer, but I'm open minded." Others, with more compassion, but still lacking in truth will ask, "How could God send someone to hell without giving them a chance to accept Christ? How is that a demonstration of a loving God?" These are tough questions that have perplexed people for centuries and as they, once again, confront us we should do our best to answer them honestly and biblically. If the Gospel of Christ is not necessary for salvation, we need to know, so we won't waste our time, money and energy propagating it, but if it is necessary, then we must sound the alarm and make ready the Church to carry the "Good News" to the lost at any cost.

As a Christian seeking to find the truth we must turn to the Scriptures to investigate what God says about Himself. Before we do that let us first look at the various religions to see just how different they are from Christianity.

"AREN'T ALL RELIGIONS THE SAME?" The following are brief descriptions of the world's major religions and how they differ from Biblical Christianity.

1. Animism- This belief takes many forms. Some animists worship trees, the sun, a river. Practically all animists live their lives trying to appease different spirits through sacrifices and offerings. A majority of them live in fear that

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 82 some unknown force is going to steal their child or ruin their crop or mysteriously kill their family. There are about 300 million Animists today mostly living in Papua New Guinea and Irian Jyra. The Bible is clear about men who have chosen to worship the creation rather than the Creator. 1 Cor. 10:20 "The sacrifice of pagans are offered to demons, not to God‌" 2. Hinduism- Followers of Hinduism can pick from more than 330,000,000 gods to worship. Still, Hindu believers will usually agree that man's good deeds and bad deeds decide their fate. This balance of our deeds is called karma. If you have good karma at death, you will be reincarnated to a better life. If a Hindu does enough, he can escape the wrath of his gods. Verses such as Jeremiah 10:14-15 clearly demonstrates God's view of idols-"every goldsmith is shamed by his idols. His images are a fraud; they have no breath in them. They are worthless, the objects of mockery; when their judgment comes they will perish." As you read the Old Testament you begin to see God's extreme hatred for idols. Read also: Jeremiah 8, Numbers 25, Ezekiel 8,9.

3. Chinese Beliefs- Many Chinese are atheists because of the Communist takeover, which denies the very existence of God. Others light incense and bring sacrifices to their dead ancestors. They feel that if they please their ancestors enough, then life will go well for them. Again, ancestral worship is choosing to worship creation over the Creator. Rom 1:21-23 "For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles."

4. Islam- According to the Muslim, Christ never died on the cross, which is a direct contradiction to the Bible. Instead of Christ's death as our way to heaven, Muslims follow the Five Pillars of Islam. The Five Pillars are 1.

Reciting the creed (There is only one god, Allah, and Mohammed is his prophet) 2. The giving of alms. 3. The hajj, a pilgrimage made to Mecca once in each person's lifetime if they can afford it. 4. Fasting during the month of Ramadan during sunlight hours. 5. Praying five times a day facing Mecca.

Muslims believe that on one shoulder sits an angel keeping record of our good deeds, and on the other shoulder is another angel keeping record of our bad deeds, and at the end of the world, our deeds will be weighed and if we have done more good than bad, we get to go to heaven. Paul warns in Ephesians 2:8-9 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast."

5. Buddhism- Most Buddhists are atheists. Buddhism is more of a philosophy than a religion. They feel that if we can keep from having desires and emotions, then we will stop suffering. We stop our emotions by following the eight-fold path. Most Buddhists feel that following these 8 guidelines will produce enlightenment. The gospel of Jesus is in direct contrast to this idea

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 83 that man can attain this on his own. Rom 3:10-12 "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one."

In short, all of the above beliefs are different from Christianity in that while Christianity is a faith built on grace, (Eph. 2:8-9) these other faiths are built on works. Christianity says that man could never earn his way to God, no matter how many good deeds he does, because man can never make up for his sin against a holy God. (Titus 3:4-5) It is solely by the grace of God in the form of Christ's payment for our sin on the cross that man is allowed into His presence. The other major religions of the world are built on the foundation that man is in charge of his own destiny by the good works that he does or does not do. They believe that man can earn heaven, or a higher existence, or enlightenment by following a set of guidelines or doing enough good deeds.

"I'M A CHRISTIAN, BUT I'M OPEN MINDED" Throughout the New Testament, we can find no example of a Christian who believed that there was any other way to God than through Christ. No one in the New Testament Church was "open-minded." If anyone came into the churches of that time and taught otherwise, those people were called "false apostles." 2 Peter 2:1 shares with us the consequences of going against the teaching of Christ: "‌there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them-bringing swift destruction on themselves." The Apostles clearly taught that Christ was the only way to salvation. Peter says in Acts 4:12 that "Salvation is found in NO ONE ELSE for there is NO OTHER NAME under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Also, Paul explains in Galatians 1:8 "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!"

Interestingly, this teaching comes not from them but from the very mouth of Jesus Himself, John 14:6 "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me." Biblically we see that Jesus Himself was extremely "close minded." So if you are frustrated by Christians who say that Christ is the only way or if you are having a hard time embracing this doctrine, you should understand the origin from which it comes.

"HOW COULD GOD SEND SOMEONE TO HELL IF THEY HAVEN'T HEARD?" God is love isn't He? Surely He would make a way for every person on the planet to have a chance to go to heaven‌right? Yes, God made a way for all peoples to hear the gospel. He chose man to reach man. Taking the message of the atonement in Christ to the uttermost parts of the earth is God's idea, Matthew 28:18-20 shows His interest in all peoples. "Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 84 This commission is a command. It is for every believer to play a part in reaching all peoples with the message of the cross. If all Christians would decide that this commission is worth giving their lives toward, it could easily be done in one generation. There are approximately 9,000 unreached people groups on that planet which means that if we sent teams of eight to every unreached ethnic group (people group) we would need 72,000 of the well over 2 Billion professing Christians to be long term missionaries. We would need only one dollar per year from each professing believer to finance our expedition. God's commission isn't just a good idea. It is a task that is very accomplishable. Think how fast we could get this message in the hands of everyone if all Christians would decide that this commission is worth giving their lives toward.

If you take the "open-minded" theory to its logical conclusion you might not like what you are saying. If people who never hear of Christ are going to be allowed into Heaven, then God has made a huge mistake in sending His Son. If all religions lead to heaven, then Christ died for nothing. If Buddha or Shiva could get me to heaven then Christ wasted His time and effort coming to earth and actually dying on a cross for no reason whatsoever.

Some people wonder if only people who reject Christ will go to hell. If this is true, then the Great Commission was the cruelest command Christ could have ever given. The safest bet would be not to risk his or her rejection and instead close down every mission agency so that eventually the message would die out and everyone would have access. In John 3:18 Christ says: "Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." Still some may argue that Christ had to die for the sins of the world, but people don't have to "hear about Him or believe in Him and that His blood covers them anyway." Not only does this contradict the many exhortations of the New Testament, which tell us that we must believe to be saved, but Christ Himself said in Matt 7:13-14 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." It seems if the 2 billion who have never heard of Christ have access, the road is not as narrow as Christ thought.

These issues that we have tried to wrestle with are not easy and along with them come some major ramifications. As believers we need to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit to allow us understanding into the mysteries of God. May we not spend our time arguing if another way will do and instead be obedient to what God's word says and what we read.

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 85

KEEP THE FIRES BURNING

By Todd Ahrend My wife and I were driving on the highway doing about 85 miles per hour. All of a sudden I saw break lights ahead and a major traffic jam. As we closed in on the pile up of cars I realized that what I had thought to be a traffic jam was a terrible accident. The timing was dreadful because just as we were able to see what was going on they were pulling a dead body from the wreckage. It was something I will never forget. It impacted me so much that after we made it through the accident, let's just say I wasn't driving 85. I dropped at least 20 miles per hour. I was far more cautious and attentive. Our conversation took on a whole new tone. There was something that I noticed though. The farther removed I got from the lights, the sirens, the bodies, the more I lightened up.

Not only that, I sped up! Why? Maybe my memory is bad. Maybe I was already thinking of something else. Maybe I let the experience slip away!

So what do traffic accidents, high impact conference experiences, and shortterm mission trips all have in common? All are incredible, life changing experiences. But the farther away you get from them, the easier it is to slip back into casual, normal Christian life. Why is this? How can we walk away from some of the most unique times in our Christian journey and within a month only have a photo album to show for it? Well, it is probably true that we all have a little bit of a bad memory and have a little bit more of a busy schedule. May I make a few suggestions that have helped me along the way?

Get Educated: For me, I know I was pretty behind on anything dealing with missions. Even though I had been involved in ministry and had been to my share of conferences, I could not tell you what God was doing in the world, where the least reached people groups were, or even how to find out the answers to those questions. One of the reasons it is so easy to lose sight of things learned at conferences or trips is because we don't have the resources to fuel the passion that is begun there. We have the world at our fingertips!!

We need to start accessing information and becoming professionals at knowing the needs of the world. One of those resources is God's Word. It's the best place to find His heart. Other easily accessed resources include magazines and websites. I know first hand all the things that are competing for your time and energy, but make it a priority to pursue to understand the task remaining. Don't let the needs around us drown what God has begun.

Find Christians who care: You need fellowship. It is almost impossible to come home from your "mountain-top" and survive alone. You may be the only one with new convictions. You may be the only person who cares about the world and about making a change. One of the biggest reasons that you might find yourself cold, is because there are few like minded people to kindle that flame. Your parents have a plan for you, our culture has a plan for you, hey, even your own heart has a tendency to lead you down the selfish path! If you

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 86 don't find accountability in other world Christians, you will find yourself sidelined rather quickly. Maybe you know of a handful, maybe you know of one. Start a small group or prayer group that you would feel comfortable enough to honestly share and pray with. This will help you keep the vision fresh and stirred.

Find Christians who don't care: This one is easy on one hand because they are easy to come by. It is difficult on the other hand because you will be challenged to defend your beliefs. Two things will most likely happen. First, you will become so frustrated with their lack of concern and it will solidify your conviction even more. Second, you will gain renewed compassion as you continue to be forced to look back to God as you seek to explain His heart.

Just as you, through a mission trip, a conference, or a retreat had a vision passed on to you, so it is your turn to pass it on. In the process you will have your heart strengthened in your own vision.

Getting a passionate, excited heart for God and for His mission sounds hard.

Its not. Staying that way, however, is one of the hardest things you will do in your journey in Christ. If you will pursue to know more and to fuel your passion with resources, like-minded people and people you can minister to, Christ will be faithful to conform you into His own image. And His steadfast heart for the world will become your own.

Christ will have won a huge victory, when He has won all of you.

LOVE PERFECTED

by Jessica Ahrend We as Christians have been given very explicit orders as to our relationship with God. The command comes clearly from Matthew 22:37-38. "Jesus replied, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment." Of all that God desires, in fact requires, of us, this command is the most supreme. And why does the heart of God so desire our uttermost affections? We find the answer in 1 John 4:16. God Himself is love. He is the creator, definition and perfect standard of love. His desire is that, with our heart, soul and mind, we reciprocate His love. From the obedience of this one single command will come all the fruits of true spiritual life. But how often do we bypass His order as if the Lord merely suggested that we love Him wholly, while we strive in vain for spiritual fruit? When we do choose to bypass Him in this way it is not long before our driving force is not the compelling love of Christ (1 Cor. 5:14), but the fear of punishment (1 John 4:18). G.D. Watson in his book, "A Pot of Oil" compares this punishment syndrome to the "Jews in the wilderness who were not permitted to go back to Egypt on the one hand, and not able to go up into Canaan on the other, but constantly subjected to marchings and going about, making little progress, and their very religion grows tiresome." Thus we see a clear explanation for all the avid church-goers and Bible studiers who

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 87 bear no fruit of love for Christ or others. Throughout the Old Testament God is inviting His children to forsake their ritual Christianity and have an intimate relationship with Him. "I delight in loyalty more than sacrifice" (Hos 6:6). It is a classic problem that dates back to the days of the patriarchs and is still, so subtly, penetrating Christianity today. It grieves God's heart. "Let us keep in mind that Jesus is very sensitive to any coldness in the hearts of His people.

In as much as His very nature is love, He is keenly alive to any lack of love in us, and anything else which it is possible for us to give can never form a substitute for our warmest affections for Him. God loves to be loved." (G.D. Watson, A Pot of Oil.) Just as He did with the children of Israel, God invites us to forsake our rituals. Let us allow the Lord to change our hearts and give us the enabling power to love Him perfectly (Duet. 30:6). Herein we will find the strength to walk with Him free from the bondage of guilt and fear.

MOBILIZATION THE KEY TO WORLD EVANGELIZATION

by Steve Shadrach Pollster George Gallup projected tens of thousands of U.S. churches would close their doors this decade, not because of low funds or programs, but because of lack of vision. Proverbs 29:18 addresses this: "Where there is no vision, the people perish." Cad Dudley, Christian leader and missions enthusiast, spoke of the need to be strategic: "Congregations that intentionally affect their times have a sense of purpose and a plan; they have a vision of what God is calling them to be and to do. The person who articulates the appropriate vision for the church is both the cause and result of a mobilized church; both the church and the leaders are mutually empowered in the process."

Not only are churches struggling with catching and keeping their vision, so are believers who feel called into missions. Estimates are that from the moment someone first gains a World Christian conviction until the time that person finally ends up on the mission field is, on the average, seven years. If ongoing encouragement and practical World Christian discipleship are not incorporated into people's lives during those seven years, they usually lose their vision and passion for the world. This is why the late Donald MacGavran, founder of Fuller School of World Missions, said in his book, A Giant Step, "Let us furiously organize frontier mission societies in every congregation of every denomination." He was trying to tell us of the absolute necessity of people banding together to create, maintain, and follow through on their mission commitments; and within the Body of Christ, the mobilizer is the one who can help orchestrate it all.

Dave Sherbrooke is an example of a man who has been “orchestrating” for years by starting and developing Perspectives on the World Christian Movement courses throughout Korea—and as a result has seen many missionaries raised up from this now great sending country. While there, he also developed powerful small groups called Pre-Candidate Fellowships in order to coach and mentor the goers, seeking to hand them off to mission agencies in good shape and ready to go. He is now helping us launch such

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 88 fellowships in the U.S. Let us know if you would like to start one!

But in spite of bright spots like Korea, the worldwide fact remains: what Jesus decried in Matthew 9 - "the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few" - is still true today. Dr. Ralph Winter, General Director of the Frontier Mission Fellowship, comments: "Here is a tragic fact: Only about one out of a hundred ‘missionary decisions’ results in actual career mission service. Why? Mainly because parents, friends, even pastors rarely encourage anyone to follow through on that kind of a decision. But what if that number could double to two out of a hundred? The effect would be explosive!" Each year, no less than 200,000 sincere, dedicated people contact one of the hundreds of excellent mission agencies in this country asking for information about possible service with that ministry. But the heartbreaking news is that less than 1,000 of those will ever make it to the field. Why? There is no one to nurture and guide and equip them to complete the process. In other words, the workers are plentiful, but the mobilizers are few!

Phil Parshall, missionary and author, described mobilizers this way: "Someone must sound the rallying call. Those who desire to see others trained, prepared and released to ministry are known as mobilizers. Mobilizers stir other Christians to active concern for reaching the world. They coordinate efforts between senders, the local churches, sending agencies, and missionaries on the field. Mobilizers are essential. To understand the role of mobilizers, think of World War II as a parallel. Only 10% of the American population went to the war. Of those, only 1% were actually on the firing lines.

However, for them to be successful in their mission, the entire country had to be mobilized!"

What if the Body of Christ could be stirred to action in the same way Parshall describes America’s total involvement in World War II? Who is going to "rally the troops" across the planet to understand and engage in the greatest, most significant battle in all of history: the evangelization of the world in this generation? In Numbers 10:1-2, the Lord said to Moses, "Make two silver trumpets for yourself...you shall use them for calling the congregation and for directing the movement of the camps." One trumpet to call and get everyone's attention and the other to direct the troops. A good metaphor depicting the essential role of the mobilizer!

Dr. Winter believes that "the greatest mobilization effort in history is now gaining momentum, moving ahead with a quickening pace, and with more and more goals that are concrete, measurable, and feasible." How can we participate? What are the critical components to get the job done? Winter claims, "The number one priority is for more mission mobilizers. Why do I say this? Because I believe there must be at least 40,000 younger adults who have in the past few years made a missionary decision, but who will never make it to the field - due to ignorance, indifference, school debts, etc... Only crash education can stem the downward spiral. Anyone who can help 100 missionaries to the field is more important than one missionary on the field. In

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 89 fact, mission mobilization activity is more crucial than field missionary activity."

Quite a statement!

Standing before a crowd of college students, Dr. Winter challenged them, saying, "Suppose I had a THOUSAND college seniors in front of me who asked me where they ought to go to make a maximum contribution to Christ's global cause. What would I tell them? I would tell them to stay home and mobilize. ALL of them." How in the world can this former missionary say this with a straight face - trying to talk people into NOT BECOMING MISSIONARIES? Because the need to sound the alarm is so great. Wouldn't it be better to awaken 100 sleeping firemen than to hopelessly throw your own little bucket of water on the huge fire yourself? Yes, some need to go now as pioneer missionaries. Fantastic—but still others need to exercise the even more unusual faith to stay back from the field and assist the entire mobilization process. It is difficult, though, to persuade believers of how essential mobilization is because churches have found it hard to understand the rationale for mission mobilizers and therefore are reluctant to help fund them.

Here’s how Wesley Tullis, formerly a Director of Prayer Mobilization for Youth With A Mission, helps churches and believers understand mobilization: "Essentially mobilization refers to any process by which God's people are awakened and kept moving and growing until they find their place for strategic involvement in the task of completing world evangelization. Mobilizers are those who channel key resources, training, and vision for world evangelization to the Body of Christ. It has been said, that to improperly appreciate and support the role of the mobilizer is to seriously hinder the functions of the goer, sender, and welcomer." So, mobilization is not exclusively focused on just raising up more cross-cultural missionaries. The ultimate objective is to recruit, train, and connect every believer to their most strategic role in fulfilling the Great Commission—whatever role that may be!

A mobilizer in simplest terms is one who multiplies, disciples or mentors in missions. Jesus Christ was a mobilizer. Take a close look at some of the things He did and did not focus on: 1) He didn't focus on planting churches, 2) He didn't focus on evangelism, 3) He didn't focus on theological education.

Instead, He focused His ministry on the big picture more than anyone around Him. His focus was to mobilize others who would carry on beyond Him. While we definitely need to have people who are "on the front lines," we must also have a focus on reproducing our lives and vision into others. If we have the foresight to build a strong core here and now, it will have an exponentially greater impact down the road—launching tens of thousands of prepared missionaries to the ends of the earth.

Greg Parsons, Executive Director of the U.S. Center for World Mission, shares these innovative thoughts: "Missions mobilization is a strategic new category that churches are increasingly recognizing as key to their global outreach. It may not be in your church's missions policy....yet, but it is

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 90 becoming more and more understood by alert missions thinkers and strategizers. We are familiar with church planters, evangelists, student workers, theological educators, but a new, growing category may be the most important of all... the role of the missions mobilizer. It's really not new, though.

The Student Volunteer Movement (SVM) was probably the most effective mobilization effort in church history. Most historians agree that the two most significant people motivating the SVM were John R. Mott and Robert E. Speer, yet neither of them were ever missionaries on the field." Churches are now realizing that if you don't have people who work at spreading vision here, you will probably never have many people who go to the field there! The struggle is that when churches get involved in sending missionaries out, they want them to hold "important roles." They use words like "overseas" as if an ocean makes a difference, or "foreign field" as if it needs to be far away, and "front lines" as if support personnel are not essential. They don’t recognize there must be key people here who will stir the troops, declaring, "This is what is left to be done. Now let’s go do it!" Without them, we lose sight of the big picture and have no idea how to prioritize mission efforts. In some respects, to stay and mobilize requires the most faith and vision! In other words, anyone can count the seeds in an apple. But who can count the apples in just one seed?

As a point of application, let’s look at how to funnel some resources toward this strategic group of people called mobilizers. Most churches’ missions committees are primarily a group of decision makers, trying to evaluate and choose between mission giving opportunities and distributing the funds accordingly. Many committees set up categories to help them make those choices. Usually they will give certain percentages toward local missions, regional missions, national missions and foreign missions. Sometimes student ministries or mission agencies are included in the mix, but many times they are left out. Unfortunately, the group that is almost always uninvited to this dividing of resources is the mobilizers. If mobilizers are "the forgotten key to world evangelization" according to Rick Wood, an editor for Mission Frontiers magazine, "then why is it not the number one giving priority?" He goes on to say that "mobilization is the most critical ministry to completing the task of world evangelization, but it is also the most neglected and misunderstood of all ministries. Without aggressive mobilization we will not see the numbers of missionaries going to the field that are required to reach all of the unreached people." If mobilization really is the key to world evangelization, then why are evangelization efforts there funded at an estimated 20 times higher rate than the supposedly more strategic mobilization efforts here?

May I be so bold as to suggest a more strategic and balanced way to viewing the overall missions funding process that includes ALL the key players? The diagram below might be a way a local church could view and then allocate its mission dollars:

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I am not necessarily recommending that funding should be cut toward the four geographic areas (four columns) that mission dollars are channeled toward.

But the proposal here is to add two categories that are every bit as strategic to the overall process. The first is the mission agencies who provide "on the field" training, supervision, encouragement, and direction to the missionaries.

And finally, an idea whose time has come: mobilization - those individuals and groups who form the foundation and fan the flame for the entire structure.

These are the men and women who focus on deploying the army of laborers to the "front lines" where they are ordering their lives around the Great Commission. Many of us believe these forgotten saints may very well be the key to getting the gospel to the whole world. Let’s empower them to do just that!

Dr. Steve Shadrach has launched the ministries of Student Mobilization, The Traveling Teams and The BodyBuilders and is currently the Director of Mobilization for the U.S. Center for World Mission. He and his team seek to ignite vision and passion for the World Christian movement in churches, campus groups and organizations with their powerful multi-media encounter called NVision. For more information go to: TheBodyBuilders.net

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 92 THE MOST COMMONLY HEARD EXCUSES

by Keith Green The following objections are just a few of the many that Christian groups and missionary societies constantly hear from prospective recruits for the mission field. Although many may merely be excuses, we have heard them spoken so many times as serious statements from well-meaning Christians in response to the question, "Why don't you get trained to go into full-time Christian service in a foreign country?" 1) "But I'm not called." You don't know how many people I've met who have said to me, I agree that more people need to go to the mission field, but I've never heard God tell me to go." Well, the truth is that God has already told you to go in His Word. In fact, He commands you to "Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature." (Mark 16:15) That's right - YOU ARE CALLED! In fact, if you don't go, you need a specific calling from God to stay home. Has God definitely told you not to "go" somewhere outside your country to preach the Gospel? If He hasn't, then you'd better start praying WHERE to go, instead of if you should go-for again, you're already called. 2) "But God needs people to stay here to be a witness to those lost in America. There's enough need right here!" It is true that God has called some people to stay right where they are to be witnesses for Jesus in their daily lives and professions. But again, God is merciful and just. Since America has only about 5% of the world's population, then only about 5% of the believers would really be called to stay in this country as a witness (that's only about l out of 20) while the rest of us should go into the parts of the world where there are almost 0% believers. (In Albania, for instance, there are only "a handful" of known believers in the whole country of 2.7 million people - less than 1/2 of 1/1000th percent!!) 3) "But God needs people to stay home and financially support those ministries and missionaries who are already all over the world. In fact, my church is already supporting some missionaries with my tithes and offerings." You should never have to worry about there not being enough Christians staying home to support missionaries. There will always be enough people around who will not answer the call to go - who will stay home and gladly just send a check (instead of themselves) to reach the lost. After all, nothing is easier to give than money (except nothing). This does not mean that everyone who stays home is selfish and disobedient. As I've already said, there are some who know they are definitely called to stay, and they are doing exactly what God would have them do here, while they greatly support other ministries. I'm just saying that there will always be plenty of people around to financially support the pitifully few who answer the call and obey God. 4) "But my family and friends would frown upon me going." "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me (Matt. 10:57) God is very clear about whose approval we should seek. It's shocking to me how even Christian parents react when their children say that they'd like to go for training as a fulltime Christian worker. "A missionary! Are you crazy?" It's as if they've announced they'd like to be a thief or a prostitute. It is true that God wants us to honor our parents and love our friends, but He has also made it clear in His Word that this honor and love must not exceed our love and obedience to Him

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 93 and His calling on our lives. We should always try our best to explain God's call to our families, lovingly and patiently, but the bottom line must be that we will obey Christ no matter what the cost. We should always try to get our family's understanding and blessing when God makes our ministry clear to us, but we must also always be ready to leave "houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms" for His sake "and for the Gospel's sake."

- (Mark 10:29) 5) "But I need to stay here and lead my relative to the Lord first. If I go somewhere else, how can they get saved?" There once was a man who wanted to follow and obey Jesus, but he said to Him, "Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father." Jesus' answer to him was, "follow me; and allow the dead to bury their own dead." - (Matt 8:21-22) This may sound cruel of Jesus not to allow the man to have a funeral for his dead father-but most likely, the man's father had not died yet. The phrase "wait until I bury my father" was sometimes used to say wait until my father has died." What he was really saying was, "I'd like to follow You now, but You see, my parents wouldn't understand. Please wait until after they've died, and then I'll be more than glad to follow You" Jesus' answer was appropriate "allow the dead to bury their own dead." In other words allow the unbelievers to take care of themselves, and follow Me!" Jesus doesn't want us to throw our usefulness away because our relatives are not yet saved. The greatest witness they can see is you fully obeying the call of God on your life. Jesus didn't want this man's father to be buried-He wanted the young man to follow Him, and then maybe even the man's father would come to know Him too. Obedience is truly greater than sacrifice (I Samuel 15:22)-when we obey God, He takes care of all our other obligations. (Matt 6:33) 6) "But I need to get an education first." I don't believe that God wants every Christian to go to college just because, "Well everyone goes to college now, unless they're too dumb!" You shouldn't go to college unless God has definitely called you to go. Just like everything else in our Christian lives, He's the Master, we're the servants.

He's the General, we're the soldiers. If you're really a Christian, you're at the beck and command of the King. If you're not at His command, then you're really not a Christian. Yes, God does call some people to go to college.

Sometimes it's to get training for a ministry calling He's made clear to them.

For instance, if you know what country you're called to, perhaps God would lead you to learn the language and culture somewhat before you go (although the very best place to learn is within the country itself-it's a definite "crash course"!). Of course, another reason God might lead you to college is to minister to people right there on the campus-as well as to mature emotionally and spiritually. But be careful! Make sure you're there in direct obedience to God, or else you're wasting your time-and His. 7) "But I need to get married first, and then maybe my mate will want to serve God full-time on the field, rather than me going alone." Nothing could be a more foolish reason for putting off obeying God now. God does not want you to look for a husband or wife, He wants you to be married to Him, and trust Him for any mate He may bring into your life. I know of many single Christians serving Jesus overseas who are trusting Him for everything. And some of the most beautiful stories of God's grace I've ever heard are told by couples who went to the mission field single, and then God led them to marry another whose heart was

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 94 also fully devoted to serving Him there. Remember, "Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him." (Matt. 6:8) Trust Him! 8) "But I have a family to support. God doesn't want me to neglect them, does He?" The Word of God says, "Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you. "(Matt. 6:33) If you can trust God for your needs, you can certainly trust Him for your family's needs. You would never be foolishly "neglecting" your family's needs by obeying God's call to go. God will show you the way. I know of so many families-some with many children-who are on the field right now, trusting God for their needs while they minister in His name. I have never heard of ONE occurrence where God didn't meet the needs of one of His servants and their families. As King David said... "I have been young, and now I am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, or his descendants begging bread. All day long he is gracious and lends; and his descendants are a blessing." (Psalm 37:2~26) 9) But the mission field is dangerous. God would not have me put myself or my family in danger of disease or native hostilities, would He?" "Why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become plunder; would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?" (Numbers 14:3) It is all a matter of our priorities-do we look at the temporary or the eternal in making our choices? It's true that you will probably be in more physical danger on the mission field than you would be in the suburbs of America, but that is part of the cost that we need to count when it comes to serving God. The question should not be, "Will I be kept safe wherever I go?" but rather, "What is on the Lord's heart for me to do?" If Jesus decided to go the way of least pain, He would have never gone to the cross. There is no place of greater blessing for you than in the center of God's will. You must stop to count the cost, but remember one thing - the privilege of serving God always outweighs the price. "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake and the Gospel's shall save it." (Mark 8:34-35) 10) "Although in the past most countries freely allowed foreign missionaries to come, most people in other lands now resent them. Why should I go where I'm not welcomed?" Did you welcome the Gospel before you were saved? The Word says that we should save some, "snatching them out of the fire." (Jude 23) Some people just don't want to be saved! That's exactly why we need to go to them. The more unwelcomed, the better. If they resent Americans, then you have an opportunity to show them that Christian Americans can be humble with the love of Jesus in their hearts. For the Word says, "He who is wise wins souls. (Proverbs 11:30) 11) "But I could not afford to get the training, and raise the necessary finances to place myself (or my family) on the field." Don't worry, God will help raise the money you need. Wherever God guides, He supplies-even if it means helping you get a job! Problems and worries about finances are usually only a surface excuse when it comes to obeying God to go. In your heart you know He'll make a way for you! 12) "But I don't have any special talents or abilities that would qualify me to be a missionary." Then you're just the person God is looking for! Sure God can use nurses, teachers, accountants, and mechanics on the field, but it always blesses God to greatly use the one who

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 95 seemingly has nothing to offer. It is this person who has the opportunity of purely representing Jesus in the endless "common" tasks that are part of the daily life of a missionary. "When I am weak, then I am strong." (II Cor 12:10; also see I Cor 1:26-31) 13) "But how could I commit myself for years and years to go to the field without having a chance to see what it would be like?" It is true that in past generations a foreign missionary had to make almost a lifetime commitment before he could go to the field. Then in most cases, he had to go to college for at least four years, and then seminary for two to four years before he could even begin his missions training and service. But today there are missionary organizations that have short-term programs for people who want to receive training and find out what serving God in other countries is like. These programs last from a few weeks to a few years in length. So now there is an opportunity to "take a bow" before making a much longer commitment. 14) "But God wants me to stay in this country and prosper. The reason the rest of the world is so poor and unconverted is because their heathen religions and idolatry have caused them to live in ignorance and poverty, without God's blessing."

This has to be THE most selfish reasoning I've ever heard for not going-and I've heard it! Of course they live in ignorance and poverty, that's just the very reason you should go-to bring the enlightenment that comes from knowing the truth about Jesus, and to bring them the true riches of knowing Christ. If you don't believe that the reason God has blessed you with abundance in this country is so you can be a blessing to others-then you have never understood the Gospel of Jesus Christ! "Freely you received, freely give. (Matt 10:8) 15) "I'm just not ready to make that kind of a sacrifice and commitment." Ah! That's just the point. That's probably the underlying reason for almost every one of the above objections. In fact, you might just as well have said, "I'm not willing." You need to decide whether or not you are a disciple of Jesus-that is the question. If you are His disciple, then you are not your own...you have been bought with a price." (I Cor 6:19-20) And if you truly love Him, then you will not feel bondage, you will feel incredible excitement at being chosen to represent Him in the world! To be a servant of Jesus Christ, an ambassador, a missionary, is the highest calling a man or woman can attain to! Now what are you waiting for??

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 96 ONE THING ONLY

by Oswald J. Smith When Jesus left His disciples, nearly two thousand years ago now, He gave them but one task: namely, world evangelization. I can imagine Him talking to them something like this: "I am going to leave you and I will be gone for a long time. While I am absent, I want you to do just one thing: give this Gospel of Mine to the entire world; see that every nation, tongue and tribe hears it."

Those were His instructions. That was the one thing He told them to do, and they understood Him perfectly. But what has the Church done during the years He has been absent? Have we carried out His orders? Have we obeyed Him? As a matter of fact, we have done everything else except the one and only thing He told us to do. Jesus never told us to build colleges, universities and seminaries, but we have done it. He never told us to erect hospitals and asylums and homes for the aged. He never told us to build churches or to organize Sunday School, but we have done it. And we ought to have done it, for it is all important and worthwhile. But the one and only thing that He did tell us to do, is the one and only thing that we have left undone. We have not given His Gospel to the entire world. We have not carried out His orders.

What would a man say who had called a plumber to fix his water taps, if he should come home and find him painting the side of his house? What could he say? Would he not expect him to do what he had told him to do? Could the man satisfy him by stating that he thought the house needed painting? Of course not. Orders must be obeyed. More than nineteen hundred years ago the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to His Father's throne and sat down at His right hand. But He has a throne of His own, the throne of His father David, and He is the legal successor. Whoever heard of a king, who had a throne of his own, who would be satisfied to occupy another king's throne? Christ wants to return. He longs to reign. It is His right. Then why does He wait? He is waiting for you and me to complete the task. He is waiting for us to do what He has told us to do. Many a time He must say to Himself as He sits there, "How long, I wonder, are they going to keep Me waiting? When will they let Me come back? How soon can I return to earth to sit on My throne and reign?" Here is an estate. The master tells his servants that he is leaving, but that he will be returning. And while he is gone, they are to bring the entire estate under cultivation. They begin working around the house. They beautify the gardens and flower-beds. Next year the weeds grow and again they go to work, keeping the lawns in perfect condition. Presently one of them remembers his master's orders. "I must go," he explains. "Our master told us to bring the entire estate under cultivation." And he prepares to leave. "But," they cry, "we cannot spare you. See how fast the weeds grow. We need you here." In spite of their protest, however, he leaves and begins working in a far corner of the estate. Later on, two others remember their lord's orders and in spite of objections they, too, go and cultivate another part of the estate. At last their master returns. He is pleased as he looks at the flower-beds, gardens and lawns around his house. But before rewarding his servants, he decides to explore the rest of the estate and, as he does so, his heart sinks for he sees nothing but wilderness and marsh. He realizes that there has not even been

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 97 an attempt made to cultivate it. Finally he comes to the one man working all by himself in a distant part of the estate and he rewards him richly. He discovers the two in still another part and likewise rewards them. Then he returns to headquarters where his servants are waiting and expecting a reward: but his face indicates displeasure. "Have we not been faithful?" they exclaim. "Look at these flower-beds and gardens. Look at these lawns. Are they not beautiful? And have we not worked hard?" "Yes," he replies, "you have done your best. You have been faithful. You have labored diligently."

"Well then," they cry, "why are you disappointed? Are we not entitled to a reward?" "There is one thing you have forgotten," he replies, "you have forgotten my orders. I did not tell you to work the same gardens and lawns again and again, year after year. I told you to bring the entire estate under cultivation, to cultivate it at least once. This you did not do, in fact, you did not even attempt to cultivate it, and when your companions insisted upon going and doing their part, you objected. No, there is no reward." Many a one, I am afraid, will be disappointed. You may be that one. You may have won many souls in your town. You may have been most faithful to your church, but what have you done for those in heathen darkness? Did you ever think of going yourself? Have you ever given your money that someone might go? Have you prayed? What part have you had in the evangelization of the world? Have you obeyed orders? Have you done what you could to bring the entire estate under cultivation? Or have you been satisfied to work in you own community and let the rest of the world perish? If you want to hear Him say, "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of the Lord," and if you want to receive the promised reward, the diadem or the crown, you had better get busy and do what you can to publish His Gospel among all nations, or you will be a missing Christian in the day of rewards. Go then and do your part. There is something that you can do, and the time is short. It was the whole estate that had to be cultivated, and it is the whole world that must be evangelized.

"Go ye therefore into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature."

For remember, "The gospel must first be preached among all nations, and then shall the end come." This then is His answer to their question. "What shall be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" That was what they wanted to know - the sign preceding and indicating the end. His answer to their question in Matthew 24:3 is found in Matthew 24:14. Here it is: "This gospel shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations: and then shall the end come." All His other predictions indicate the approaching end, this one, the end. Hence the word "first" in Mark 13:10. It is God's program: first world evangelization, then the reign of Christ. He will return to establish His kingdom when all nations have heard the Gospel. Let us, then, do our task: and may we never rest until our work is done.

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PASSION FOR SOULS

by Oswald J. Smith Let us turn to the Gospel according to Matthew, chapter nine, verses thirtyfive to thirty-eight: "And Jesus went about all the cities and villages..." Note, if you will, that He went about all the cities and villages. He did not settle down in any one community. Jesus never became a pastor. He was continually on the go. "Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

"But when he saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion..." What about us? What happens when we see the multitudes? Are we, too, moved with compassion? "He was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd."

"Then saith He unto His disciples, the harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few." This, then, is the problem. And the problem of His day is the problem of our day - a plenteous harvest, few labourers. More heathen babies are being born than ever before. Now for the solution to the problem: "Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth labourers into His harvest."

COULD I STAY IN CANADA? Years ago, I went through the Bible to see if I could stay in Canada and still obey God. Would it be possible, I asked myself, for me to enjoy a comfortable pastorate; never cross the boundaries of my country and still carry out my Lord's commands? Would God be satisfied?

And as I studied the Bible, I found such expressions as these: "All nations, all the world, every creature, every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; the uttermost part of the earth." In other words, the Gospel, I discovered, was to be given to the entire world. Every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, must hear it.

When I saw that, this then was the question I asked: Do all nations live in Canada? If they do, and if there are no nations living beyond the boundaries of the Dominion, then I can stay in my own country, preach the Gospel here and never once cross the borders; but, if one nation lives beyond the boundaries of Canada, then I am in duty bound to leave my country, cross the boundaries and go to that nation. And if I cannot, then I must find substitutes and send them as my representatives. And if I do neither, I will be a missing Christian in the day of rewards.

"The field is the world." The United States of America is not the world. Great Britain is not the world. The field is the whole world. You never in your life heard of a farmer working in one little corner of his field. The farmer works the

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org 99 whole field. The United States is but one corner; Canada is but a little corner.

The world, the whole world, must be evangelized. And since "the field is the world," we have no choice but to go to every part of it. The work is one, and it must be done, not corner by corner, but as a whole.

The tobacco firms have their agents in the most distant places. Millions of cigarettes are given away to create new appetites. Do you mean to say that the reason for it is because there is no longer any demand at home? Of course not. The demand here - especially since women have stepped down from the high pedestal upon which they once stood and have taken to cigarette smoking - is greater than ever. Yet the tobacco firms are already sending their missionaries into foreign lands. They want new markets. They are wiser than we are, for that, after all, is God's plan, and we would do well to emulate them. It has never been God's will that we should remain at home until the work here is finished. He wants us to go to the entire world, to work the whole field simultaneously.

My friend, what about you? You know that the Gospel must be given to all nations, to all the world, to every kindred and tongue and people, to the uttermost part of the earth. What are you doing about it? What are you going to do? Either you must go yourself or else you must send someone in your place, and woe to you, if you do nothing. God's orders must be obeyed, His commands carried out, and there is no way to evade the issue.

THE BACK ROWS Do you remember when the Lord Jesus Christ fed the five thousand? Do you recall how He had them sit down, row upon row, on the green grass? Then do you remember how He took the loaves and fishes and blessed them and then broke them and gave them to His disciples? And do you remember how the disciples started at one end of the front row and went right along that front row giving everyone a helping? Then do you recall how they turned right around and started back along that front row again, asking everyone to take a second helping? Do you remember?

No? A thousand times no! Had they done that, those in the back rows would have been rising up and protesting most vigorously. "Here," they would have been saying, "Come back here. Give us a helping. We have not had any yet.

We are starving; it isn't right; it isn't fair. Why should those people in the front rows have a second helping before we have had a first?"

And they would have been right. We talk about the second blessing. They haven't had the first blessing yet. We talk about the second coming of Christ.

They haven't heard about the first coming yet. It just isn't fair. "Why should anyone hear the Gospel twice before everyone has heard it once?" You know as well as I do, that not one individual in that entire company of five thousand men, besides women and children, got a second helping until everyone had a first helping.

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org100 I have never known a minister to have any trouble with the back rows. All his trouble comes from the front rows. Those in the front rows are over-fed, and they develop spiritual indigestion. They tell him how much to feed them; when to feed them; when to stop feeding them; how long to feed them; what kind of food to give them, etc. etc., and if he doesn't do it, they complain and find fault. If a minister had any sense, he would leave the front rows for a while and let them get hungry for once in their lives and go to the back rows, and then when he returned they would be ready to accept his ministry, and there would be no murmuring or complaining.

My friends, I have been with the back rows. I have seen the countless millions in those back rows famishing for the Bread of Life. Is it right? Should we be concentrating on the front rows? Ought we not rather to be training the front rows to share what they have with the back rows, and thus reach them with the Gospel, those for whom nothing has been prepared?

Do you know that the greatest thing a church can do for itself is to send its pastor to one of the foreign mission fields of earth? There is no vacation like it.

He will come back a new man; for no one can see the need with his own eyes and ever be the same again. It will do something to him. He will have something to talk about. He will be worth infinitely more to the church than he ever was before. I suggest it because I know what it did for me, and I would recommend that churches everywhere realize its importance and do it. Let him see the back rows. Let him see them for himself. Let him see them waiting in darkness and midnight gloom for the Gospel.

DR. DUFF'S APPEAL Dr. Alexander Duff, that great veteran missionary to India, returned to Scotland to die, and as he stood before the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, he made his appeal, but there was no response. In the midst of his appeal he fainted and was carried off the platform. The doctor bent over him and examined his heart. Presently he opened his eyes.

"Where am I?" he cried. "Where am I?" "Lie still," said the doctor. "Your heart is very weak."

"But," exclaimed the old warrior, "I must finish my appeal. Take me back.

Take me back. I haven't finished my appeal yet."

"Lie still," said the doctor again, "You are too weak to go back."

But the aged missionary struggled to his feet, his determination overcoming his weakness; and with the doctor on one side and the moderator on the other side, the old white-haired warrior was led again to the platform, and as he mounted the pulpit steps, the entire Assembly rose to do him honor. Then he continued his appeal.

"When Queen Victoria calls for volunteers for India," he exclaimed, "hundreds of young men respond; but when King Jesus calls, no one goes." Then he paused. Again he spoke. "Is it true," he asked, "that Scotland has no more

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org101 sons to give for India?" Again he paused. "Very well," he concluded, "if Scotland has no more young men to send to India, then, old and decrepit though I am, I will go back, and even though I cannot preach, I can lie down on the shores of the Ganges and die, in order to let the peoples of India know that there is at least one man in Scotland who cares enough for their souls to give his life for them."

In a moment young men, all over the assembly, sprang to their feet, crying out, "I'll go! I'll go! I'll go!" And after the famous missionary had passed on, many of those same young men found their way to India, there to invest their lives as missionaries, as a result of the appeal God had made through Dr. Duff.

My friend, will you go? Has God spoken to you? Have you heard His call? Will you not answer, "Lord, here am I, send me?" And if you cannot go, will you send a substitute? It is for you to decide.

Why should anyone hear the Gospel twice before everyone has heard it once?

This article provided by www.heartofgod.com/frontline

APART FROM PRAYER WE CAN DO NOTHING

by David Smithers The Law of Asking and Receiving Did you know that the Kingdom of God will not come apart from PRAYER? The unreached will never hear the sweet name of Jesus without the labor of someone's Spirit-led prayers. Regardless of how things may appear on the surface, nothing of eternal value is ever released without somebody, somewhere PRAYING. Because prayer by its nature is often a HIDDEN work, being done in the SECRET closet, many come to false conclusions. Often credit is given to the more obvious and outward ministries of preaching or administration for what has actually been accomplished through prayer.

In spite of appearances, prayer is one of God's primary means of GRACE to achieve the desires of His heart. Our Lord has sovereignly chosen to govern His Kingdom by the simple law of asking and receiving. Prayer is not some human contrivance or scheme, it is the anointed strategy of God. King Jesus bids us, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives" (Matt. 7:7-8).

Today the Church and the world are both sin-sick and suffering because those who call themselves believers have not taken these promises seriously.

"We have not because we ask not" (James 4:2). Hell is larger today than it was yesterday, because many of us have not prayed.

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org102 God has ordained that ALL believers everywhere should expand His Kingdom through the WORK of prayer and intercession. Jesus has emphatically instructed us ALL to pray for His Kingdom to come (Matt. 6:10). We may not all be called to go to the ends of the earth and preach, but every one of us have been called to GO to the closet and PRAY! Prayer that Makes a Difference Yet what kind of prayer does God require from us? Are all prayers as equally effective? Does a mechanical two minute prayer truly usher in the Kingdom of God? The Epistle of James teaches us exactly what an effective, Kingdom prayer looks like. James writes, "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit" (James 5:16-18). Effectual prayer claims the promises of God by FAITH with FERVENT and UNRELENTING passion.

James 5:18 says that Elijah prayed again and the heavens gave rain. That has to be one of the biggest understatements in the whole Bible. I Kings 18:41-45 tells us that Elijah prayed not once, not twice, but seven times before the fruitful rains of revival came. Prayer that truly affects the world around us is extremely intense and persistent. Like everything that God requires of His children, prayer must be done with ALL of our heart, ALL of our soul and ALL of our strength (Deut. 4:29, Deut. 6:5).

The Prayer life of Jesus Lest some should think that such prayer is only for the faithless or legalistic, let me remind you that Jesus also gave us an example of this kind of intense and fervent prayer. In Hebrews 5:7, the scriptures tell us that, "During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears‌" Jesus consistently gave Himself to the practice of agonizing and fervent prayer. Did Jesus weep and pray with such an intense fervency because of a lack of faith or because He was experiencing condemnation?

Certainly Jesus had nothing about which to be condemned. Unlike us, He spent hours in prayer every day and never used any of that time to mourn over sin or a lack of faith.

Without question, Jesus prayed as no one else has ever prayed. The fervent prayer life of Jesus was driven by His unlimited vision of ETERNITY (Prov.

15:11). Jesus was consumed with the sight of multitudes of lost souls, past, present and future, all rushing into the ever growing mouth of HELL (Is. 5:14).

I believe that it was this vision that gripped His heart as He knelt and prayed with broken cries and hot tears streaming down His face. Is there any other kind of prayer consistent with such an overwhelming view of eternity? Our lack of fervent prayer is the direct result of our blindness to the realities of an eternal HEAVEN and an everlasting HELL. Many of us are still motivated far too much by the temporal and sensual realm, the things we can personally

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org103 see, taste and touch. "Where there is no vision, the people perish" (Prov 29:18). Where there is no vision of ETERNITY, there is no prayer for the PERISHING. Embracing the Broken Heart of Jesus Prayer opens prison doors and preaching doors. Prayer binds the enemy and opens the heavens. Prayer is the plow that breaks up the fallow ground for the Gospel seed. Prayer ushers in the manifest glory of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. Therefore, is there really any such thing as a Christian who genuinely LOVES the souls of men who fails to passionately pray for them? Can anyone truly preach about the world's unreached millions and then fail to fervently pray for them? NO, of course they can't, but I am afraid that's exactly what MANY are doing. Many, out of a false sense of accomplishment are talking and writing and preaching, while never FERVENTLY praying!

Today God the Father will witness the death of every lost man, woman and child as they slip into a burning HELL. He will observe every brutal act of child molestation, incest, murder and rape. Today His heart will be broken and tormented by every vile act of sin that happens on the face of the earth. Yet does He turn His head or hide His eyes? No, He purposely sees it all and WEEPS and grieves.

Today the heartbroken cries of Jesus are echoing throughout the heavens.

Have you ever heard that haunting cry? Do you ever embrace the broken heart of Jesus? He longs for His Bride to enter into His BROKENNESS through fervent and loving prayer. The Spirit of God is crying out to each of us today, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore PRAY‌" (Matt. 9:37,38).

This article provided by http://www.watchword.org/ David Smithers. This article reprinted and used by permission

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THE PUZZLE AND THE COMPASS

by Claude Hickman Students want to live for the most awesome thing that is out there. Most of us do. We want to count. We want to leave our mark on history. Students have within them the relentless potential to become world changers, but all this ability and ambition is actually paralyzing. This generation's worst fear is that they will choose the wrong path and miss their destiny. They can do everything, therefore nothing is supreme. Everything is valued, and therefore, nothing is really valued. They are like the lion and the stool. The reason a lion trainer uses a stool is that the lion tries to focus on all four legs at once. He can't do it and assumes he is outnumbered. Eventually, he will back himself into a corner, helpless against this strange fierce wooden opponent. To try to fight every leg is, in the end, to fight none of them. This is where most people go into default mode. At times, when picking a life pursuit, it is easier to just adopt the first great sounding plan that comes along, or what we have seen others around us do. When this happens, our old ambitions to impact the world gets nixed and later played off as silly daydreaming.

Now we have a map. The problem is that many students find themselves so bombarded with the world's road map to success and happiness that it begins to sound really rewarding. And as they look around to their Christian friends and family, it seems that the maps that they have for their lives look curiously similar to the maps the world is selling. The conclusion: All the Christian life involves is getting a degree, a mate, a career, a Pottery-Barn house, play golf on the weekends, and, of course, being a good church goer, tithing, and tossing God a "thank you, Lord, for my 4-Runner" on Sunday. But that is about it. Missing God's destiny for your life doesn't happen overnight. The roots grow slowly and deeply into our own plans. So deeply it takes a major tragedy to even cause us to question what we are investing our lives in. It is the millions of small decisions that are not centered around God's global purpose that produce millions of small Christians who are not living for God's global purpose.

College students don't need a map for their lives, they need a compass. They need a God-centered, eternal, fixed, North Star that they can navigate their life by and toward. A person lost in the forest doesn't need a map he needs a compass. If only college students knew of a supreme, single, noble endeavor that arose above all the others and illumined so brightly that all other pursuits began to dim in their hearts, something that they could give all their passions and talents and energies toward: a mission. This is where God's agenda to glorify Himself among every people group and nation on the planet holds its deepest significance. Joining Him in His plan of world-wide redemption is where we find our deepest desires and the world's greatest need met in one pursuit. John Ortberg says, "The secret of life is pursuing one thing." Our maps in life will change from season to season, but the compass helps us

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org105 discern whether our lives are headed toward the right destination. We may be climbing the ladder, but is the ladder against the right wall? Our lives can be a means to the end only when we live by the compass that keeps the right end in mind. With this North Star guiding our agendas, we actually become free.

The compass enables the person lost in the forest to run more confidently and swiftly and directly toward his destination, with all hope and perseverance and abandon. Now with the big picture of God's purpose for us on the earth in front of us, we are free to operate in our gifts and careers as we see how they serve the greater cause, and we are gripped with hope enabling us to relentlessly pursue His lost world.

Each of our lives is like a unique puzzle piece that God has shaped and painted a beautiful design and color. We have a specific place in the big picture of His kingdom work, a destiny that we were meant to fill. Only when we see the big picture of what God is doing, and place our lives obediently into submission to the cause, do we begin to find the most delight in who we are in our unique, colorful, and specially designed piece. We fit. Pursuing happiness and world missions are unified in the one. It is truly more blessed to give than to receive, and only when we become active in giving away this gospel to the ends of the earth do we experience the greatest rewards of joy in this life. The secret of life and happiness and destiny and purpose is really pursuing one thing.

John Piper put it like this, "You don't have to know a lot of things for your life to make a lasting difference in the world. But you do have to know the few great things that matter, and then be willing to live for them and die for them.

The people that make a durable difference in the world are not the people who have mastered many things, but who have been mastered by a few great things. If you want your life to count, if you want the ripple effect of the pebbles you drop to become waves that reach the ends of the earth and roll on for centuries and into eternity, you don't have to have a high IQ or EQ; you don't have to have to have good looks or riches; you don't have to come from a fine family or a fine school. You have to know a few great, majestic, unchanging, obvious, simple, glorious things, and be set on fire by them."

J.C. White said, "Most men are not satisfied with the permanent output of their lives. Nothing can wholly satisfy the life of Christ within his followers except the adoption of Christ's purpose toward the world he came to redeem. Fame, pleasure and riches are but husks and ashes in contrast with the boundless and abiding joy of working with God for the fulfillment of his eternal plans. The men who are putting everything into Christ's undertaking are getting out of life its sweetest and most priceless rewards."

Jesus put it like this, "The son can do nothing of Himself, but He can only do what He sees the Father doing."

And to Martha He said, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed."

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org106 The fact is that we have one life, one chapter in this unfolding drama, and there is only time in life for one passion, one destiny. Choose this day your passion.

RESCUE STATION AT THE GATES OF HELL

by C. T. Studd C.T. Studd gave up fame and fortune to follow Jesus to the unreached peoples of China and later Africa. These quotes are taken from several of his sermons.

"We shall go crusading for Christ. We have the men, the means, and the ways - steam and electricity and iron have leveled the lands and bridged the seas.

The doors of the world have opened wide for us by our God. We pray and preach; we bow the knee; we receive; we administer the Holy Communion of the Passion of Christ; we recite the Creed triumphantly; we are optimists everyone; we shout Onward Christian soldiers, marching on to war, and then? . . . and then? . . . we whisper, I pray Thee have me excused!!! What glorious humbugs we are!"

"Follow Me, says Jesus. I will, we reply, yet somehow forget that Christ pleased not Himself, deliberately made Himself poor to save others and became the first foreign missionary. We all pray to be like Jesus, yet refuse to pay the price."

"Five hundred million heathen have not yet been evangelized, so it is computed! Yet our great Missionary Societies have reached high water-mark, and if they have not already begun to retrench they are seriously thinking of doing so. Meanwhile, the heart of Asia, the heart of Africa, and well nigh the whole continent of South America, are untouched with the Gospel of Christ."

"Last June at the mouth of the Congo, there awaited a thousand prospectors, traders, merchants and gold seekers, waiting to rush into these regions as soon as the government opened the door to them, for rumor declared that there is an abundance of gold. If such men hear so loudly the call of gold and obey it, can it be that the ears of Christs soldiers are deaf to the call of God, and the cries of the dying souls of men? Are gamblers for gold so many, and gamblers for God so few?"

"My Montenegrins, said King Nicholas, will henceforth spill their blood for their persecuted compatriots. When shall God be able to say to the devil, Hast thou seen My Christians of today? No longer do they seek for gold or pleasure, for honors or ease. From henceforth My Christians will spill their blood for the love and cause of My beloved Son and the salvation of the neediest of men."

"There are more than twice as many Christian officers at home among peaceful Britains 40 million evangelized inhabitants, than the whole number of

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org107 Christs forces fighting at the front among 1,200 million heathen! And yet such call themselves soldiers of Christ."

"Yes, when? When indeed shall we see a real Church Militant here upon the earth? Christs call is to feed the hungry, not the full; to save the lost, not the stiff-necked; not to call the scoffers, but sinners to repentance; not to build and furnish comfortable chapels, churches, and cathedrals at home in which to rock Christian professors to sleep by means of clever essays, stereotyped prayers and artistic musical performances, but to raise living churches of souls among the destitute, to capture men from the devils clutches and snatch them from the very jaws of hell, to enlist and train them for Jesus, and make them into an Almighty Army of God. But this can only be accomplished by a red-hot, unconventional, unfettered Holy Ghost religion, where neither Church nor State, neither man nor traditions are worshipped or preached, but only Christ and Him crucified. Not to confess Christ by fancy collars, church steeples or rich embroidered altar-cloths, but by reckless sacrifice and heroism in the foremost trenches..."

"I am more than ever determined that no ring or limit shall be placed around us, other than that of our Lord Himself, To the uttermost parts, To every creature. I belong and will ever belong to The Great God party. I will have nought to do with The Little God party..."

"Nail the colors to the mast! That is the right thing to do, and, therefore, that is what we must do, and do it now. What colors? The colors of Christ, the work He has given us to do - the evangelization of all the unevangelized. Christ wants not nibblers of the possible, but grabbers of the impossible, by faith in the omnipotence, fidelity and wisdom of the Almighty Savior Who gave the command. Is there a wall in our path? By our God we will leap over it! Are there lions and scorpions in our way! We will trample them under our feet!

Does a mountain bar our progress? Saying, Be thou removed and cast into the sea, we will march on. Soldiers of Jesus! Never surrender! Nail the colors to the mast!"

"The difficulty is to believe that He can deign to use such scallywags as us, but of course He wants Faith and Fools rather than talents and culture. All God wants is a heart, any old turnip will do for a head; so long as we are empty, all is well, for then He fills with the Holy Ghost. The fiery baptism of the Holy Ghost will change soft, sleek Christians into hot, lively heroes for Christ, who will advance and fight and die, but not mark time."

"Believing that further delay would be sinful, some of Gods insignificants and nobodies in particular, but trusting in our Omnipotent God, have decided on certain simple lines, according to the Book of God, to make a definite attempt to render the evangelization of the world an accomplished fact. For this purpose we have banded ourselves together under the name of Christs Etceteras, and invite others of Gods people to join us in this glorious enterprise. We are merely Christs nobodies, otherwise Christs Etceteras. We rejoice in and thank God for the good work being carried on in the already

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org108 occupied lands by Gods Regular Forces. We seek to attack and win to Christ only those parts of the devils empire which are beyond the extremest outposts of the regular army of God . . . Our method is to search and find out what parts of the world at present remain unevangelized, and then by faith in Christ, by prayer to God, by obedience to the Holy Ghost, by courage, determination, and supreme sacrifice, to accomplish their evangelization with the utmost despatch."

"Too long have we been waiting for one another to begin! The time for waiting is past! The hour of God has struck! War is declared! In Gods Holy Name let us arise and build! The God of Heaven, He will fight for us, as we for Him. We will not build on the sand, but on the bedrock of the sayings of Christ, and the gates and minions of hell shall not prevail against us. Should such men as we fear? Before the whole world, aye, before the sleepy, lukewarm, faithless, namby-pamby Christian world, we will dare to trust our God; we will venture our all for Him; we will live, and we will die for Him, and we will do it with His joy unspeakable singing aloud in our hearts. We will a thousand times sooner die trusting only in our God, than live trusting in man. And when we come to this position, the battle is already won, and the end of the glorious campaign in sight. We will have the real Holiness of God, not the sickly stuff of talk and dainty words and pretty thoughts; we will have a Masculine Holiness, one of daring faith and works for Jesus Christ."

This article provided by www.heartofgod.com/frontlines

HERE AM I, SEND MY SISTER

By Paul W. Fleming We're startled when we realize that many more women than men are applying for missionary work in foreign fields. While Bible schools and seminaries are turning out more men than ever in their histories, men seem to be crowding to the pulpits while the women are doing the men's job out on the tough pioneer mission fields of the world.

There is not much you can say for the multiplied hundreds of young men who continue to flood into the ministry and take refuge behind the pulpit while we continue to let the women in increasing numbers do the toughest job assigned to Christian soldiers.

What is it that attracts the women in the mission field in such great numbers, compared to men? What is it that attracts so many men to the ministry in their home land compared to those who go to the mission field?

Today, we have prepared men to be brilliant, capable, and eloquent and have emphasized their personalities. Such preparation hardly prepares a man for the jungles. The little brown or black tribesman is hardly capable of appreciating such a one's true earthly value.

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org109 So it seems that the man, who has worked hard to become what he is, is evidently too good to be wasted on the heathen and should stay where he is appreciated. Surely God isn't continually calling 95 percent of the Christian men to stay while 5 percent pursue the world objective which we, as Christians, have received from the Lord Himself.

The Church's need is not necessarily more preachers but more obedience to God's Word. God could surely do something about the ills of our nation if He found us willing to practice what we preach. Men of such shortsightedness and with the desire to remain in comfort while leaving others to do the dangerous job of preaching the Gospel will never challenge lives.

While we thank God for every woman who has made an effort toward reaching the untouched, we realize it is a MAN'S job. The leveling off' process must begin.

Either the Church must give more men for front line evangelism on the far flung battlefields of the world, or we will have a horde of shriveled up pastors and laymen who are beating the air and dying because they have no vision that is big enough and positive enough to demand all that they are for God's front line job.

We men! We are the stronger sex It has always been so! We send our gifts to mission fields To which the women go. While up the steepest jungle paths A woman bravely treads, We men, who are the stronger sex, Do pray beside our beds. When women leave to go abroad The heathen souls to reach, We men, who are the stronger sex, Do stay at home to preach. While women, in some far off shack Do brave the flies and heat, We men, who are the stronger sex In cool and comfort eat. Fatigued and weary, needing rest, The women battle on. We men, who are the stronger sex, Do write to cheer them on! O valiant men!-come-let us sleep And rest our weary heads. We shall not be the stronger sex If we neglect our beds!

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SHOULD WE STOP SENDING MISSIONARIES? Principles for avoiding the corrupting power of money

by Robertson McQuilkin "Thank You For Not Coming" read the banner headline in a full-page ad in Christianity Today. It was a promotional piece urging us to send money, not missionaries. The rationale is clear: In most cases, sending just a portion of our surplus $50-$100 each month will provide support for one full-time national worker. The typical cost to send an American missionary family overseas is over $50,000 a year the same cost as supporting 50 or more national workers. Think of what that money could do for the Kingdom of God! Admittedly, this rationale is appealing. Nationals have the language and the culture and they cost so much less. More than 140 organizations are now built on the premise of gathering and sending money, not people. One of the largest of the money-gathering agencies reports that it now supports 3,300 full-time workers in over 50 countries.

But what about the dark half of the world where there are no "nationals," no witnessing church? At least a billion of the lost live among a people where there is no evangelizing church movement, often no witness at all. For these, by definition, someone must leave home to reach them. If a foreigner doesn't go in from the outside they'll never hear the Gospel. The fundamental premise of the "send money, not people" movement is misguided because there are no nationals to reach these billion people even if money were sent.

We're told that the Third World missionary movement can handle the rest of the job since God seems to be bypassing the North American church. We exult in the move of the Spirit to mobilize a here-to-fore untapped resource, even if only a fraction of those thousands of Third World missionaries are going to the unreached peoples. The problem is, though they now account for half the worldwide missionary task force, the numbers from all sources combined are wholly inadequate to finish the task. If present growth rates are sustained by the "new breed" it will take them at least a half century to complete the Great Commission. More likely, a full century.

It's not just that North American missionaries are still needed to complete the task, however, the North American church needs to send its own for the sake of itself, its own spiritual health. The sin of disobedience to the heavenly vision can't be atoned for with dollars, and the spiritual loss is highly visible in a selfcentered, materialistically-minded people. The original mandate has never been rescinded. The Pauline role of pioneering is still the primary mission of the church toward the world. Biblically, no church anywhere can claim

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org111 exemption from the mandate until every person has heard with understanding the way to life in Christ and a church has been established in every community. Perhaps the solution is to send both our sons and daughters and our money. True, but we're going to have to rethink how we send money because sending money to support the ministry of others is very hazardous for the receiving church. Jerry Rankin, president of the International Mission Board, Southern Baptist Convention, puts it this way: ... it is a mistake to try to accelerate growth by an infusion of financial aid to build churches and support pastors. One thing inevitably occurs when North Americans subsidize the work of churches and pastors on the mission field: potential growth is stalled because of a mind-set that it can't be done unless an overseas benefactor provides the funds.

Jealousy often develops among the pastors and churches who don't receive assistance toward those who develop a pipeline of support from the United States. In the long-term, support breeds resentment, especially if the support is not sustained indefinitely, because it creates a patronizing dependency. People are deprived of growing in faith, learning to depend on God and discovering that He is sufficient for all their needs.

The church or church leaders that secure a financial pipeline to the USA soon become mired in an ecclesiastical welfare state, because the send-money approach, rather than strengthening the souls of national churches, keeps congregations from becoming "self-governing" and "self-supporting." The recipients of these funds often suffer the following maladies.

•

Believers learn to depend neither on God nor on themselves. Because they have no need to give sacrificially of their own resources (however meager they may be), they never gain a sense of ownership. This postpones the day of true indigenization.

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Leaders become preoccupied with raising North American funds. On a trip I took to India I was overwhelmed by the many who "worked" me for a dollar connection. Such a ministry orientation inevitably weakens faith, corrupts pure motives and compromises leadership integrity.

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Those leaders who can't get to the "pipeline" become demoralized.

They come to believe that the work can't be done without outside assistance, so why try?

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Believers sue believers. In India, I was astounded to find few churches or ministries that weren't in the courts at war over property purchased using American dollars.

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An independent and unaccountable higher class of Christian workers arises whose stylish life-styles are envied by "unconnected believers."

It is little surprise that the motivation for "spiritual growth" is soon driven by something less than a hunger after righteousness. Should the donor seek to hold the recipient accountable for the use of funds to prevent

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org112 such problems, the donor would be accused of reverting to the old paternalistic pattern and roundly condemned. •

Recipients become ungrateful. The ingratitude can take a number of forms: "Sure, you gave us something, but look how much you still have;" or, "It's not yours anyway; you owe it to us." When I was president of Columbia International University, I knew something was bothering some of the African pastors studying with us. We discovered it was money. Though none could have been there without great generosity on the part of some sponsoring mission and the school, several recounted how they were owed so much more. One pastor said, "Actually, you should not only fully support us now, you should support us for the first 5 or 10 years after our return since you have disfitted us for ministry in our homelands."Perhaps the missiologist most knowledgeable about the hazards of the just-support-nationals movement is Glenn Schwartz, founding director of World Mission Associates. In an interview with Mission Frontiers (January-February, 1997) he says: We believe that churches in the non-Western world can do what God is calling them to do with the resources which He has put within their reach. ... I don't think anyone would support that approach ("just support nationals") if they had gone out as a missionary to plant churches cross-culturally according to healthy principles of self-support and then had someone come along and entice away their best leaders with foreign money.

That is what I call "shepherd stealing." The "just support nationals" people are doing it shamelessly and on a very large scale.

The editor of Missions Frontiers, Rick Wood, puts it even more strongly: Many churches in the U.S. have bought into this scheme as a way of getting more "bang for their missions buck." But what they don't realize is that this "bargain basement" approach to missions is going to blow up in their faces creating a dependency on the mission field to foreign funds that is deadly to the vibrant, reproducing church planting movements that we want to see within every people. Every church and every people has the God-given privilege and responsibility of supporting its own ministry and cross-cultural outreach. Foreign money robs these peoples of the incentive to give of their lives and resources to support the ministries of their own churches.

Remember that your giving should always encourage "psychological ownership"... never do for others what they can do for themselves. Avoid dependency like the plague that it is.

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org113 A number of non-Western church leaders quoted in the same issue of Mission Frontiers agree with Schwartz and Wood. Bishop Zablon Nthamburi of the Methodist Church of Kenya said, "The African Church will not grow into maturity if it continues to be fed by Western partners.

It will ever remain an infant who has not learned to walk on his or her own feet".

One leader in the Friends Missionary Prayer Band, a leading Indian mission, said, "It's sad to say that foreign money has caused more harm than good in Indian missions. The result is culturally irrelevant, pseudo-Christian leaders and organizations that have long forgotten their roots".

Atul Aghamkar, an Indian specialist in urban ministries, said, "Western money continues to make the national church dependent on the West.

It creates a sense of rivalry, greed and competition. It often robs the national church of its natural potential. When the easy money from the West is available, very few want to explore indigenous ways of fund raising".

There are, then, great hazards in giving and receiving. We have not yet discovered how to use North American funds to assist non-North American ministry without negative spiritual fallout. For years I have resisted addressing the issue because I haven't had a clear-cut solution to offer. But searching for the key to unlock this, the greatest puzzle in the current missions enterprise, I have become convinced that the approach needs to be measured against the following four Biblically-based principles concerning giving and receiving.

Does the giving win the lost?

Paul was willing to become anything to anyone for his single-minded objective: to win the lost, to win as many as possible, as widely as possible. Everything he did even to risk-taking and imprisonment was measured in Great Commission terms. So today, one test for any missions approach should be its evangelistic effectiveness. Does money invested promote or retard long-term church growth and evangelism?

The incredible story of the church in South Korea is instructive. From the outset, it was the showcase for the Nevius method of establishing self-governing, self-supporting, self-propagating churches. That may have meant slow growth at first, but today a third of South Koreans name Christ as Lord and the church has sent out a missionary task force of thousands! There are other factors in the growth of the Korean church, of course, but the foundation of independent dependence on God is cited by many as the chief factor.

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org114 Does the giving encourage true discipleship?

While evangelization is the controlling objective of the missionary enterprise, it is useless if it doesn't produce Christ-like character in both the giver and the receiver.

So we must ask if the giving arrangement nurtures generosity, humility, unity, and compassion on the part of the giver. Is the church being truly generous if it is willing to send money, but not its own sons and daughters to the mission field? Like Jesus coming to earth, does the giver feel a solidarity with, a responsibility for the brother in need, as Jesus did? Are gifts given from the stance of a benefactor, or of a servant? "I am among you as one who serves," said Jesus.

I know an American missionary who, burdened by the corrupting power of the American dollar on giver and receiver, has chosen to live among the poor of Calcutta, along with his Indian colleague, on $50 a month for livelihood and for ministry. The balance of any gift income (unsolicited, by the way) is invested in a poverty-chained people. That isn't the only legitimate approach, of course, but it is an approach that models our God's incarnational, personal giving in Christ.

The same question of discipleship must be asked of the receiving church. Do giving arrangements produce in the receiving church a spirit of sacrificial giving, of responsible ownership of the ministry, including the cause of world evangelism, a greater reliance on God, and an attitude of genuine gratitude among the recipients? If these are not the results, the money is actually more a taking than a giving.

Does the giver honor the role of the local church?

The New Testament pattern of giving was church-centered, whether sending people or funds. People gave to their churches from which Paul received the offering (II Cor 8,9). When these funds were for the poor, not for the support of his own missionary team, he then delivered the offering to the church for distribution. The authority Christ invested in the church is lost when giving or receiving bypasses the church. The traditional independent mission or the contemporary money-gathering agency needs to exercise great care, especially when investing in something other than its own missionary team, not to bypass the supervisory authority of the church at both ends.

Does the giving nurture generous givers?

God's people are to give compassionately, generously, sacrificially, joyfully (see II Cor. 8 and 9). Because this spirit of generosity serves as a fundamental test of the quality of spiritual life, Paul's admonition to "excel in the grace of giving" is not for the wealthy alone. There is a special obligation of the wealthy to give (I Tim 6:17-19), but Paul commends the poor of Philippi for having given generously for the

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org115 needs of the poor in Jerusalem. Though this generosity principle should govern giving, I list it last because the other three are much more dominant in the commands and examples of Scripture. And yet many "send money, not missionaries" advocates are, I believe, in danger of operating from this principle alone to the exclusion of the other three principles. The primary commands and examples for giving money in the New Testament center in one group: the poor. The astounding offerings of propertied people in the church of Jerusalem were to aid the poor (Acts 4:34-35), and the offerings Paul gathered from the "missionary churches" were also for the poor in Jerusalem, the home church. There is a reference to giving to support Paul's missionary team on the part of the "younger church" at Philippi (Phil.

4:10-19), and there is the incident of Paul asking for financial assistance for another missionary (I Cor 16:11). But I can find no instance, let alone any command, to give toward the ministry of another church. One reason for this is evident. There were no church buildings or institutions like hospitals or schools, and local ministers were bivocational. If the early church is any model, it seems that paid ministry, buildings, and institutions emerged only as the church was able to afford them. From the beginning the small groups were self-supporting, self-governing, and self-propagating. Apparently the spiritual strength derived from this independent reliance on God was more important, in the mind of the Apostle, than was any kind of external subsidy to move things along more rapidly. Scripture is clear, then, that those who have material resources are to share with those who lack them. In the New Testament this was providing the physical needs of the impoverished, what today might be called "relief" or "development" projects. But when we take the principle to mean assisting others in their spiritual ministry, we have no Biblical command or precedent. If we justify the practice on the fourth principle of the need to exercise generosity, we have yet to find a practical way to do so without spiritual damage to giver and receiver. Money is power, it is said, and power corrupts. These Biblical principles should prove a helpful antidote to that corruption. Note the order of importance. If we begin and end, as many seem to do, with the single principle that the haves are to provide for the have-nots, we shall inevitably be corrupted. At the least we will slow the progress of the Gospel to the unreached. But we shouldn't be surprised. The church has been through this before. The church at Jerusalem focused on its own needs so much that God had to bypass them for Antioch as the missionary sending church. The dark ages were dark at least partially because the church was introverted. The Reformation wasn't mission minded and never created sending structures. But most instructive, following Edinburgh 1910 the missions juggernaut of the nineteenth century was sidetracked into focusing on ecumenical unity. The mainline historic church began to concentrate its attention on interdenominational and cross-racial unification with financial assistance from North America, and the evangelistic mission shriveled, in at least one major denomination to nothing at all. If we shift the

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org116 missions focus from reaching the unreached to demonstrating the unity of the body with financial aid, how do we differ from the ecumenical mission of the twentieth century? So, do we send money or people?

Certainly we send people and keep on sending them to cross the frontiers till the task of proclaiming the Gospel to every person within every people is completed. And we send money to assist the poor and disenfranchised in our worldwide family. Beyond that New Testament pattern, I not only find no justification for supporting the ministry of other churches but also great hazards in doing so. Sharing financial resources in a way that is spiritually empowering and Great Commission-completing for both donor and recipient remains our greatest unsolved problem.

Robertson McQuilkin served as president of Columbia International University in South Carolina for 22 years, was executive director of the Evangelical Missiological Society from 1994 to 1997 and is author of The Great Omission.

This article provided by Mission Frontiers magazine. Used by permission.

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SOJOURNER OR SETTLER? Sojourning - Learning to live in the epic of God's Story.

By Hatley Hambrice

From the beginning of time, starting with Adam & Eve, mankind has desired to be a settler. In Genesis 1:28, God's first command to mankind, He says "be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth. In Genesis 9:1, as Noah and his family get off the Ark, God tells them "be fruitful, multiply and fill the earth." It is clear that our Creator's desire is to fill the earth with worshippers of Him. As you continue in God's Story, you find the descendents of Noah, all living together in one city with one common language, saying in Genesis 11:4 "Let us build for ourselves a city with a tower, that reaches to the heavens, so that we can make a name for ourselves, and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth." It was also clear to the descendents of Noah, what God's plans and purposes were.

They were to be sojourners and not settlers, yet they chose to directly disobey God's desire. In Genesis 11:8 we see that God gets what He desires, whether men obey or not. For in an instant God scattered these people over all the earth, confused their language, and they stopped building the city. We see that it is God himself not man that created the world's nations, the diversity of cultures, languages, and peoples.

The more we get know God and His Story, we learn that God's Story is an epic. An epic is a story big enough to live in. Sojourning and being a sojourner is all about learning to live in the context of God's Story, not trying to make our own little story. Mankind's search and strive for independence of its Creator God is evident through the stories of the Bible and even today in America.

The search and pursuit of the American Dream is what life in the United States is all about, and we are modeling it for the entire world to see. In the Tower of Babel the people wanted prestige, power, and to settle in one place.

The exact opposite of their Creator God's plan. The American Dream offers the building of one's own wealth, so that they do not depend on anyone or anything for the rest of their life. The ability to own land and our own home is

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org118 the dream of all people. It is the mentality of the American Dream that keep us from seeing God work around us.

A Sojourner is a stranger and alien to this world. In Hebrews 11, the faith chapter shares the stories of the great sojourners of faith who followed God in their life and in their death. Hebrews 11:13 "In faith died all these, not having received the promises, but from afar having seen them, and having been persuaded, and having saluted them, and having confessed that strangers and sojourners they are upon the earth." All these men of faith modeled a lifestyle that showed that they understood that they were just temporary dwellers on this earth. They understood that they were not to setup home on this earth. These men of faith knew that they were just passing through as followers of Christ, who is preparing them a permanent residence in Heaven.

These men made decisions that cost them their lives, but used that cost to invest in their Creator's eternal Kingdom. Jesus prays for his disciples as aliens and sojourners on the earth "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one, they are not of this world, even as I am not of it."(John 17:15-16) Jesus was not praying for his disciples to be taken out of danger, but to protect them in the presence of danger. Jesus did not pray that they would all live together in a safe place, but to stay in the dangerous places to build relationships with the unreached. A sojourner is a resident that chooses to live as an alien, because he knows that his real home is in heaven with his creator. Their lifestyle reflects that they are one who abides, a stranger in a foreign land, one who stays for a while, always moving forward, always growing. A Sojourner is constantly changing, pioneering, initiating, and trail blazing as a part of Christ's revolution. A Sojourner is one who sojourns, which means to abide, to live, to dwell, and live as an alien. Sojourning means to be on pilgrimage, one who views life not as a destination but as a process, a continuous journey.

In the story of Abram, the power of the story is not about the great things that Abram did. Abram, was a descendent of one of the seventy nations God created at the Tower of Babel. When you compare what the people wanted at the Tower of Babel, to what God promised Abram they are the same. In Genesis 12:1-3 "The Lord said to Abram leave your country, your people, and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all the peoples of the earth will be blessed through you." The power behind the story of Abraham is that through Abraham's faith to obey God kept His promise to make Abraham's name great, Abraham's family into a great nation, and to bless all the peoples of the earth for all generations through him. The story of Abraham is not about him getting to the promise land, it is about Abraham being dependent on his Creator God. It was God that changed his name to Abraham, which means father of many nations. The story is about Abraham leaving all that he knew to follow a God he did not know, to a place that God had not even told him. Do you feel the extreme dependence that Abraham must have felt? Abraham was a sojourner, a Gentile, a man from the nations, who was wealthy, and a prominent member

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org119 of his community. God asked Abraham to leave all this stability behind to follow Him. God is asking us to follow this great example of pilgrimage ourselves, today in this modern age. The American Dream says we are to settle, stay close to family, make lots of money, take care of our family, and have a nice home, with as much security and stability as possible.

From the beginning of time, mankind has been fighting this battle to settle and not be scattered over the face of the earth.

Are you going to sojourn or settle?

SUPPORT RAISING

by Steve Shadrach I want to serve God and be obedient to His leading in my life, but I don't want to....RAISE SUPPORT! If you have said or thought these words, you are not alone. In fact, most people living a donor-supported lifestyle will admit that at one time they probably had feelings much like this. Although this lifestyle is not a popular one in North America where independence is a high value, it is an essential part of working for many Christian ministries and mission agencies. For those who are surrendered to the will of God in their life, it is not a question of whether you will raise support, but of whether you will be obedient. When that question is answered, support raising just becomes one aspect of the job that God is calling you to.

Although it is a huge obstacle to overcome, many people have come to see it as a blessing. Even though there are stresses and pressures involved in raising and maintaining a personal support team, I would not want to live any other way. The bonds that I have formed over the years with our supporters are priceless. The stories of God building my faith during difficult times could fill a book. And most of all, when I report to that ministry assignment, there is a sense of destiny and authority there. There are 50+ others that have paid a dear price to have me ministering there. I had better take it seriously and give it my all. That's what I call accountability.

You might be deciding the best way to fund your ministry. Should you be a "tentmaker" and work a job while ministering or should you raise part or all of your personal support? Both are biblical, but if you're going to raise support you will probably have some doubts, fears and questions. YOU ARE NORMAL! I still get the stomach butterflies each time I pick up that phone to make a support appointment. If you want to be successful you are going to need some guidance. I have listed several resources at the end of this article that would be good for you to purchase and study. But just to hold you over until you can get to the bookstore I have listed here five keys to raising your personal support team. This is one of the most exciting adventures (i.e. roller coaster rides!) that I have ever experienced. So hold on tight and here we go:

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org120 The Five Keys to Raising Your Personal Support 1. Understand the Biblical Basis Take some time to study the Scriptures for yourself so you will know exactly what God thinks about asking others to give to you and to your ministry. Some choose to just pray and trust God to bring the funds in.

The great George Mueller did this to support his orphanages in 19th century London. But it is just as Biblical and requires as much or more faith to personally invite others to invest. Either way, we have to understand that God is the source of our funds, not the donors, our plans or hard work. Scott Morton of The Navigators in his excellent book Funding Your Ministry Whether You're Gifted or Not highlights five examples and teachings from the Old and New Testaments about the validity of God's ministers being supported by others: A. The example of the Levites (Numbers 18:24)- The Jews gave their tithe to the priests for support.

B. The example of Jesus (Luke 8:2,3)- Many people supported Jesus and the disciples.

C. The teaching of Jesus (Mt. 10:9,10)- A Kingdom worker is worthy of his support.

D. The example of Paul (Acts 18:4,5)- He stopped tentmaking to preach full time on support.

E. The teaching of Paul (1 Cor. 9:1-18)- He had the right to be supported by the churches.

Once you have a biblical perspective on this topic of asking for and living on the support of others, evaluate one more thing: Evaluate your own giving! Before you can ask anyone else to give you have to be committed to sacrificially investing in Kingdom work on a regular basis.

Let's practice what we preach!

2. Kill the Giants in Your Own Mind Remember the twelve Hebrew spies who went into the Promised Land to take a look before the whole nation was to enter and claim what God had given them? Only Joshua and Caleb came back ready to invade.

The other ten spies were so terrified of the giants they saw in the land that they confessed, "we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight." (Exodus 13:33). Instead of trusting God and moving out with courage, they let fear paralyze them. How they viewed themselves affected how the giants viewed them. It is the same way in support raising. The confidence level that we have in our God, our vision, and ourselves can make us....or break us! All of us have different "giants" in our own minds that will keep us from beginning and

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org121 persevering in the process of assembling a full support team. These are some common "giants" we must conquer: A. You or your parents might think support raising is really just begging.

B. You might think you are not a worthy investment.

C. You might think that support raising is just a "necessary evil" that must be endured.

D. You might think that people are rejecting you or your ministry if they say "no".

You must kill these giants one at a time as you fill your mind with the Scriptures and believe what God has said about you and your calling.

Then you can courageously march in and take the land! Just as God had prepared the land for the people to simply go in and take it, we need to believe that God has prepared the hearts of the donors and we need to walk boldly in faith to find those givers and ask them to join us in our vision.

3. Pray and Plan Pray!

Author S.D. Gordon said it well, "Prayer is the real work of the ministry.

Service is just gathering in the results of prayer." We need to bathe ourselves and our donors in prayer before, during, and after this process. God will go before you. He will also build a love for your donors as you pray for them individually.

Create Your Budget!

Include everything you need for your personal needs, giving, saving and ministry expenses. Seek to balance a lifestyle that will allow you to maximize your effectiveness with the group you're reaching, but also be above reproach from your donors on the stewardship of your finances. If you happen to have school debt, simply include the required monthly amount owed and keep going. Your donors will admire you for keeping your promise to pay it back. Plan on and commit to raising 100% before you report to your assignment. Have a "when I raise my support attitude", not an "if I raise my support."

Namestorm!

Now that you have turned the whole process over to God you are ready to begin your planning. Write down every person that you have ever known during your lifetime. Don't play Holy Spirit by saying, "Oh, that person would never give." You will be surprised by a few that will give and... by a few that don't! Also, think of people that have a heart

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org122 for student work, missions or whatever group or area you are targeting.

List churches, Sunday School classes, foundations, and corporations.

The bulk of your support, though, will come from the individuals with whom you meet.

Map Out a Plan!

Divide up all the names according to the cities they live in. Then label each name "hot", "cold", or "medium" depending upon whether they probably will give, probably won't give, or that they might give. Next, pray and seek to attach an amount that you would like to ask them to give. Don't use a one size fits all plan; instead, base the amount on what you perceive they are able and willing to give along with the kind of relationship you have with them. You might feel more comfortable suggesting a range of giving rather than a specific amount. Either way, know that the tendency for most people is to ask for too little...not too much! Remember, there is no cash flow problem in heaven. Americans alone give over 100 billion dollars to charity each year. God has instilled in every person a desire to give and you are helping them to invest in the eternal and thus build up their treasure in heaven. Go for it!

Plan Out a Map! Figure out what city you will go to first, second, etc...Schedule it out on your calendar. If you want to send a letter in advance telling them what you are doing and that you will be calling, do it. But the key is to call each person in advance of the trip in order to get the appointment.

Don't let them say yes or no to the giving; your only objective is to get an appointment with them. Seek to line up all of your "hot" prospects first, then your "medium" prospects next, and finally (if you have time) the "cold" prospects.

4. Ask them face to face This is the key. Jesus says "we have not because we ask not." The word "ask" is used in the gospels 113 times. God wants to teach us about asking: Him and others. I have looked at surveys as to why people give and the number one reason is always because someone asked them! It is not unspiritual or fleshly to ask. It is biblical, spiritual, and faithbuilding to ask. Let's not hide behind our fears. Let's walk toward them and render them powerless! The worst thing that they could say is, "No". If you just send a letter out or make a group presentation you might have a 10% response rate. If you send a letter and then call to ask you might get 25% of people to say yes. But, if you are willing to sit down eyeball to eyeball with others and lay out the incredible ministry vision God has called you to, usually well over half of the folks are pulling their checkbooks out! I've had some tell me they have never been turned down in an individual support raising appointment! My research shows that ministries that train their staff to

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org123 ask for the gift raise their full budget in less than half the time of groups that simply share the need, but don't ask. We have not....because we ask not. Sound familiar?

5. Cultivate the Relationship Here are the ABC's for having a long and fruitful relationship with your supporters: A. Remember it's not fundraising, but "friendraising." You can have an incredible ministry in their life and you might be their only connection to Jesus Christ or the Great Commission.

B. Consider tithing your ministry time to your support team: prayer, writing, calling, ministering.

C. Thank before you bank (when a new person or new gift comes in). Be prompt and professional in all of your correspondence and record keeping.

D. Regularly send them well-written newsletters. Share how their investments are paying off along with some specific prayer requests. Occasional postcards, phone calls, and visits are great too. Beware: The main reason people drop off of support teams is that they do not hear from their missionary.

E. Win, Keep, Lift. When you win a donor they are now on your team. Keep them on the team by caring for and cultivating them.

Periodically, ask them to consider lifting (increasing) their monthly or annual gift to you. Campus Crusade had a campaign where they were asking people to give 1 million dollars to their ministry. Almost 250 people said "yes"! Research showed, though, that the very first gift that each had made to this ministry years earlier had been on an average....a mere $10! Someone had taken the time to win, keep, and (over the years) to lift!

People will stick with you for life if you will appreciate them and keep them informed. View them as vital partners in your ministry and you will gain not only life long supporters, but friends too! One day you will turn around and realize how blessed you have been and that you would not want to live any other way! Trust God and begin this exciting adventure today. You will never regret it!

Resources: 1. Funding Your Ministry Whether You're Gifted or Not by Scott Morton, Dawson Media 2. People Raising by William P. Dillon, Moody Press 3. Getting Sent by Pete Sommer, Intervarsity Press 4. Friend Raising by Betty Barnett, Youth With A Mission Publishing

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org124 Steve Shadrach is the Founder of Student Mobilization. He and his wife, Carol, and their five children have enjoyed living and ministering on support since 1986. He takes great pleasure in traveling to different ministries around the world to lead them through his Personal Support Raising Boot Camps. If you are interested in a Boot Camp for your church or ministry check out www.thebodybuilders.net -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GETTING STARTED IN RAISING SUPPORT

by Rebecca Hickman Five steps for raising support: 1. Biblical Basis 2. Philosophy 3. Tools 4. Getting Started 5. Method Biblical Basis: Is support raising biblical? Look up these verses to gain a proper perspective: Num. 18:24, Deut. 12:19, Neh. 13:10-12, Matt. 10:10, Luke 8:3, Acts 20:3335, Rom. 15:24, Rom. 16:1-2, 1 Cor. 9:3-15, 2 Cor. 11:8-9, 1 Tim. 5:18, 3 John 5-8 (Paul was a tentmaker among the Corinthians because they had immature views about supporting missionaries.)

Philosophy: 1. There may still be some doubt in your mind about raising support.

Think through how you would answer these questions. o

View of GOD: How big is your God? Is he able to provide for all your needs? Is he able to raise up people to join your support team? Can God fail you?

o

View of SELF: How capable are you? Can God use you? Why would God want to use you? Are you a worthy investment for your supporters?

2. Read this paragraph and record your thoughts.

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org125 Why does support raising seem so awkward? Is support raising unbiblical or is it just un-American? Jay Gary says, in his article "Support Raising," that as Americans, "We are supposed to be 'rugged individualists' who refuse handouts and stand on our own two feet.

Financial independence is the goal. Some people's problem with raising support, then, is not that its at odds with any practice in the Bible. Maybe their problem with raising support has more to do with it being counter to the American way of life."

Tools: I.

Record progress: Use a spreadsheet to keep track of your progress.

Record who has been sent a letter, who you have called, who has given you an appointment, and who has received a thank you note.

Use this to stay organized. Be accountable to someone.

II.

Portfolio: Create a thin folder that visually explains your ministry and needs.

III.

Prayer: Pray before every support call and appointment. Pray for God's help and provision. He is faithful to those who humble themselves and depend on Him.

IV.

Newsletter: Write a two-page newsletter about yourself to keep people informed in a casual way about your ministry and life, and send it to everyone on your list of possible supporters. Be sure to send another one to all of your supporters during and/or after your ministry trip.

V.

Books: Books that can help you with the concept of support raising are Friend Raising by Betty Barnett, The Support-Raising Handbook: a Guide for Christian Workers by Brian Rust and Barry McLeish, and People Raising by William Dillon.

Getting Started: 1. Brainstorm a list of names: Think of 50-100 people you can ask for support. This includes family, friends, church members, and anyone else you know. Write a detailed list that includes phone numbers and addresses.

2. Make practice phone calls: Tell a friend to let you practice on them and pretend it is a support call. Act like you are trying to land an appointment.

3. Plan first few waves of people: Think through the next few weeks and plan which people to ask first. Have about 7-10 people per wave so you don't get too overwhelmed.

4. Make a newsletter: Write out some stories about your life, such as what you are learning from the Word, or what your plans are for the summer, or how school is going this semester - anything that has to do with your

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org126 life and catches people up on what you are doing. Send it to everyone on your list.

Method: 1. Schedule: Here is a possible schedule pattern of how to begin your support trail. o

Week 1: Send letters to top ten people on your list of possible supporters.

o

Week 2: Call top ten people and schedule support appointments for next week. Send letters to next ten people on your list.

o

Week 3: Have support appointments with top ten people. Call people from week 2 and schedule appointments. Send support letters to next ten people on your list. Call week 1 people to find out if they have decided to join your team.

o

Week 4: Write thank-you letters for each appointment with week 1 people. Have appointments with week 2 people. Call people from week 3 and schedule appointments for next week. Send support letters to next 10 people on your list.

o

Week 5: Keep going through the process of waves until you have full support.

2. Referrals: A referral is a name who your contact thinks would be interested in hearing about your ministry. Ask friends for referrals to continue your support trail. This is an important part of the process, because you never run out of possible supporters on your list.

Example: At the end of a support appointment, say: "There is one other way that you could help me. Could you make a list of 5-10 people you know who might be interested in hearing about my ministry?

3. Set Goals: Plan to make about 10 phone calls and send 10 letters a week, so that you don't get behind on your schedule.

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org127 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. We have our "marching orders," as the Iron Duke {Arthur Wesley, Duke of Wellington} said, and because our Commander-in-Chief is not absent, but with us, the impossible becomes not only practical but imperative. Charles Spurgeon, preaching from the text, "All power is given unto Me. Lo I am with you always," used these words: "You have a factor here that is absolutely infinite, and what does it matter as to what other factors may be. "I will do as much as I can, says one. Any fool can do that. He that believes in Christ does what he can not do, attempts the impossible and performs it."

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. Raymond Lull, the first missionary to the Moslem world, expressed the same thought in medieval language when he wrote: "As a hungry man makes dispatch and takes large morsels on account of his great hunger, so Thy servant feels a great desire to die that he may glorify Thee. He hurries day and night to complete his work in order that he may give up his blood and his tears to be shed for Thee."

"An Inverted Homesickness" 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" (John 20:21). He came into the world, and it was a great unoccupied mission field.

"He came unto His own, and His own received Him not" (John 1:11). 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. For the people of Tibet or Somaliland, Mongolia or

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org128 Afghanistan, Arabia or Nepal, the Sudan or Abyssinia, he may be called to say with Paul, "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you and fill to the brim the penury of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for His body's sake which is the Church" (Greek text, Col. 1:24; cf. Luke 21:4 and Mark 12:44). What is it 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.

Although the road be rough and steep, I go to the desert to find my sheep.

"There is nothing finer nor more pathetic to me," says Dr. Forsyth, "than the way in which missionaries unlearn the love of the old home, die to their native land, and wed their hearts to the people they have served and won; so that they cannot rest in England but must return to lay their bones where they spent their hearts for Christ. How vulgar the common patriotisms seem beside this inverted home-sickness, this passion of a kingdom which has no frontiers and no favored race, the passion of a homeless Christ!"

James Gilmour in Mongolia, David Livingstone in Central Africa, Grenfell on the Congo, Keith Falconer in Arabia, Dr. Rijnhart and Miss Annie Taylor in Tibet, Chalmers in New Guinea, Morrison in China, Henry Martyn in Persia, and all the others like them had this "inverted home-sickness," this passion to call that country their home which was most in need of the Gospel. In this passion all other passions died; before this vision all other visions faded; this call drowned all other voices. They were the pioneers of the Kingdom, the forelopers of God, eager to cross the border-marches and discover new lands or win new empires.

The Pioneer Spirit These forelopers of God went 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, "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."

Thomas Valpy French, Bishop of Lahore, whom Dr. Eugene Stock called "the most distinguished of all Church Missionary Society missionaries," had the real pioneer spirit and knew the glory of the impossible. After forty years of labors abundant and fruitful in India, he resigned his bishopric and planned to reach the interior of Arabia with the Gospel. He was an intellectual and spiritual giant. "To live with him was to drink in an atmosphere that was spiritually bracing. As the air of the Engadine (a favorite tourist ground in Switzerland) is to the body, so was his intimacy to the soul. It was an

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org129 education to be with him. There was nothing that he thought a man should not yield - home or wife or health if God's call was apparent. But then every one knew that he only asked of them what he himself had done and was always doing." And when Mackay, of Uganda, in his remarkable plea for a mission to the Arabs of Oman called for "half a dozen young men, the pick of the English universities, to make the venture in faith," this lion-hearted veteran of sixty-six years responded alone. It was the glory of the impossible. Yet from Muscat he wrote shortly before his death: "If I can get no faithful servant and guide for the journey into the interior, well versed in dealing with Arabs and getting needful common supplies (I want but little), I may try Bahrein, or Hodeidah and Sana, and if that fails, the north of Africa again, in some highland; for without a house of our own the climate would be insufferable for me - at least during the very hot months - and one's work would be at a standstill. But I shall not give up, please God, even temporarily, my plans for the interior, unless, all avenues being closed, it would be sheer madness to attempt to carry them out."

"I shall not give up" - and he did not till he died. Nor will the Church of Christ give up the work for which he and others like him laid down their lives in Oman. It goes on.

The Apostolic Ambition The unoccupied provinces of Arabia and the Sudan await men with the spirit of Bishop French. For the ambition to reach out from centers already occupied to regions beyond, even when those very centers are undermanned and in need of reinforcement, is not Quixotic or fantastic, but truly apostolic. "Yes, so have I been ambitious," said Paul, "to preach the Gospel not where Christ was already named, lest I should build on another man's foundation; but as it is written, they shall see to whom no tidings of Him came, and they who have not heard shall understand" (Romans 15:20-21). He wrote this when leaving a city as important as Corinth, and goes on to state that this is the reason why he did not yet visit Rome, but that he hopes to do so on his way to Spain! If the uttermost confines of the Roman Empire were part of his 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."

"There is no instance of an Apostle being driven abroad under the compulsion of a bald command. Each one went as a lover to his betrothed on his appointed errand. It was all instinctive and natural. They were equally controlled by the common vision, but they had severally personal visions which drew them whither they were needed. 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

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org130 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. "I am happy," wrote Neesima of Japan, "in a meditation on the marvelous growth of Christianity in the world, and believe that if it finds any obstacles it will advance still faster and swifter even as the stream runs faster when it finds any hindrances on its course."

Hope and Patience 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 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.

Challenge of the Closed Door 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?

"The evangelization of the world in this generation is no play-word," says Robert E. Speer. "It is no motto to be bandied about carelessly. The evangelization of the world in this generation is the summons of Jesus Christ to every one of the disciples to lay himself upon a cross, himself to walk in the footsteps of Him who, though He was rich, for our sakes became poor, that we through His poverty might be rich, himself to count his life as of no account, that he may spend it as Christ spent His for the redemption of the world." Who will do this for the unoccupied fields?

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org131 The student volunteers of today must not rest satisfied until the watchword, peculiarly their own, finds practical application for the most neglected and difficult fields, as well as the countries where the harvest is ripe and the call is for reapers in ever increasing numbers. The plea of destitution is even stronger than that of opportunity. Opportunism is not the last word in missions.

The open door beckons; the closed door challenges him who has a right to enter. The unoccupied fields of the world have, therefore, a claim of peculiar weight and urgency. "In this twentieth century of Christian history there should be no unoccupied fields. The Church is bound to remedy the lamentable condition with the least possible delay."

Make a Life, Not a Living The unoccupied fields, therefore, are a challenge to all whose lives are unoccupied by that which is highest and best; whose lives are occupied only with the weak things or the base things that do not count. There are eyes that have never been illumined by a great vision, minds that have never been gripped by an unselfish thought, hearts that have never thrilled with passion for another's wrong, and hands that have never grown weary or strong in lifting a great burden. To such the knowledge of these Christless millions in lands yet unoccupied should come like a new call from Macedonia, and a startling vision of God's will for them. As Bishop Brent remarks, "We never know what measure of moral capacity is at our disposal until we try to express it in action. An adventure of some proportions is not uncommonly all that a young man needs to determine and fix his manhood's powers." 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.

Face to face with these millions in darkness and degradation, knowing the condition of their lives on the unimpeachable testimony of those who have

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org132 visited these countries, this great unfinished task, this unattempted task, calls today for those who are willing to endure and suffer in accomplishing it.

No Sacrifice, But a Privilege When David Livingstone visited Cambridge University, on December 4, 1857, he made an earnest appeal for that continent, 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.

I beg to direct your attention to Africa. I know that in a few years I shall be cut off in that country, which is now open; do not let it be shut again! I go back to Africa to try to make an open path for commerce and Christianity; do you carry out the work which I have begun? I leave it with you."

When a visiting missions speaker challenged Samuel Zwemer to advance the Gospel, he and his younger brother both organized a mission to Arabia with other students at the college they were attending. They left with very slim chances of survival in the harsh conditions of Arabia, and even slimmer chances of success among the resistant Muslims. After a few short years of ministry Peter, his younger brother, died. His first two girls also died in the harsh, diseased conditions of Arabia, and on their tomb stones Zwemer wrote, "Worthy is the Lamb to receive riches." After 23 years with the Arabian Mission in Basrah, Bahrain, Muscat, and Kuwait, and service as the first candidate secretary of the Student Volunteer Movement, Zwemer began a career of speaking and writing that radiated out to the Muslim world from an interdenominational study center in Cairo. A prolific and gifted author, Zwemer wrote books and articles to challenge the church in Muslim evangelism, provided scholarly studies on historical and popular Islam, and produced writings and tracts in Arabic for Muslims and Christians in the Middle East. For 36 years he edited "The Muslim World," an English quarterly review of current events in the Muslim world and a forum for missionary strategy among Muslims, complementing this service with personal evangelism among the students and faculty of Al-Azhar, Cairo's famous training center for Muslim missionaries. Among his good friends was Oswald Chambers, who died while serving God there in Cairo. James Hunt observed of this statesman, "He may be said to have been a man of one idea. While his interests and knowledge

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org133 were wide, I never talked with him ten minutes that the conversation did not veer to Islam..." "The Glory of the Impossible" is taken from His book, The Unoccupied Mission Fields of Africa and Asia, Published in 1911.

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THE GOAL...AND GETTING THERE

by Todd Ahrend The goal. What is the goal of mobilization? I have been asking this question a lot lately; especially since we have just ended our first year of traveling. Most of us are familiar with the end goal: reaching every tongue, tribe, and nation.

But how do we get there from here? As mobilizers, what is it that we want students to do? Cross an ocean? Reach out to internationals? Pray for the world? These all are great things, however, we do not want to mobilize students to a single activity. If we do, they go back to life as usual once the activity is completed. Instead, we should mobilize them to a change in perspective. So that no matter where they are or what they are doing they are now World Christians. When they come home from the summer missions trip they know they are not done. It's not a geographical issue, but a heart issue.

A World Christian understands that God's heart is for the world and no matter where they find themselves on the planet they are furthering His kingdom.

The vision that they took hold of has now taken hold of them. Because it is the World Christians who will make a difference in reaching every tongue, tribe, and nation we as mobilizers must see it as our goal to raise them up.

So how do you raise up World Christians? There are three things needed in order to do this. They must be given motivation, information, and a lot of attention.

Motivation. Millions of Christian students pass casually through four of the most important years of their life. Many of whom are involved in college ministries, and yet the uttermost remains the uttermost. Why? "Without vision the people perish" (Prov. 29:18). We must understand that very few students have been introduced to the fact that 3 billion souls are without Christ. Even fewer students realize that their lives can be used to impact the eternal destiny of these people. Everything in our culture says, "Get what you can, then can what you get." "Look out for number one!" Students lack vision and they need people to speak it into their lives. We need to be people who can motivate students by sounding the trumpet that life is about more than just themselves. Whether it is through a speaker at a campus meeting or conference, through a discipler or friends, the student is exposed to God's heart for the world. Motivation is always the first step of mobilization.

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org134 We cannot stop there. Without information, motivation has a tendency to be just a good talk from a speaker with a neat personality. If all we give the students is motivation without information, we run the risk of creating "zeal without knowledge"(Prov. 19:2). I myself am a product of a good speaker that left me with no tools. If only he had given me a small amount of follow up, it would have saved years of struggle! As I travel from campus to campus, I see this same problem recurring. If we can follow students up with information regarding mission agencies, prayer resources, magazines, definitions for terms like "welcomer," "goer" or "mobilizer," etc., then they will be equipped to start taking steps. The information is already out there, let's put it in their hands.

Even after information is given, we still may see very few World Christians raised up. There are plenty of case studies of students who have motivation and information yet they still do nothing. Why is this? Because everything around them is pulling for their passion, time, and resources. I am amazed, personally, at how much I can forget in just one night of sleep. Students are no different. They desperately need personal attention. The best person to give personal attention is the one discipling them. Unfortunately, many students are not being discipled so it falls on us as mobilizers to provide some of the needed attention through establishing relationships and various channels of communication. As difficult as it is to pull this task off, there will never be a substitute for providing attention to college students after the motivation and information has been delivered.

So what is the goal? Ultimately, the goal is to see the Lord praised in every nation. However, to get there we need to raise up and equip World Christians through motivation, information, and attention. If that goal is met effectively, we will see a mighty movement of ready laborers to finish the Great Commission in our generation.

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org135 BITING THE HAND THAT FEEDS ME

by John Willis Zumwalt There are many who don't like to hear preachers or missionaries talk about money. I am one of those. If you're like me, then you may want to skip reading this, because it isn't going to be pretty.

Don't worry, you're not alone, Jesus even turned some people off when He started talking about money. Remember that really rich, young lawyer?

It is always dangerous for people in missions to speak of money. It is far safer to stay with other issues. But frankly I can't, for in our giving, the gap between New Testament Christianity and our American model is exaggerated. Let's look at some examples . . .

Mission agencies do their best to devise schemes and programs that will not challenge our worship of mammon. How many fundraising plans have been launched that convince you that giving can be painless and easy? "A dime a day keeps John in Paraguay," the poster reads. "With our spare change we will win the world to Jesus." If we in the missions relm avoid offense and make it easy for people to give, we will get more nickel and diming the world to Christ than if we challenge people to dig deep and give, even though it hurts.

Biblical giving isn't painless and discretionary. It is sacrificial. It costs us something. Yet most of our giving is from our excess. It costs us nothing. The IRS even rewards us for our charitable giving, allowing us to pay less taxes up to a certain amount. I am always amazed that people are rarely generous beyond what they can deduct. I recently heard of a church that can automatically withdraw your offering from your account, without having to bother you at all. It doesn't get much more painless than that.

Must giving hurt? Yes. It must cost us something; it must be a sacrifice. Hear the words of David in I Samuel 24:24, "I will not burn offerings to the Lord my God which cost me nothing." And neither should we.

Another disturbing trend is the idea that after I am dead and gone, then I will be really generous and give everything to some great mission agency. God asks us to be generous now with what we have now. It's as though we're saying, "Lord, I have taken the talent you gave me and intend upon my death to will it to the needy." We are really saying, "When I have no more need of it, then sure, I will let it be used for Christ and His Kingdom." That is the ultimate painless gift.

You are not responsible for the lost of prior generations who did not hear of Jesus, nor are you responsible for those who are yet to come. We are each responsible for the billions who today have no way of hearing about Jesus without some radical intervention of Christ's servants. When we refuse to acknowledge the need of the unreached and leave it for after our death, we

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org136 condemn our generation to hell. Your saving of your treasure for tomorrow's generation sends this living generation to eternity without Jesus.

I made a jump. Is the proclamation of the gospel among the unreached dependent upon your dollars? Not entirely. But to act like there is no connection is wishfully ignorant. "How will they hear unless there is a preacher, and how will they preach unless they are sent?" And how will they be sent without your dollars? Our lack of sacrificial giving is one of the key reasons that untold millions remain untold.

The task to which Jesus calls us is not going to be finished through painless giving. So long as we are not sacrificial in our giving, not willing to become poor that they might become rich, they will never know Jesus. The gap between the primitive church and our "enlightened" age has never been more extreme.

Jesus is clear. He says, "Do not store up treasures for yourself on earth" (Mt. 6:9, Lk 12:20-21).

Somehow I think Jesus is still in His temple watching the offering plate. I wonder if He would categorize our giving as the widow's mite, given in poverty, yet given as a joyful sacrifice or like the rich people's offerings, given painlessly. And if He asked us to sell it all and give the money away, would we, like the rich young ruler, turn and walk away?

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org137 LOCAL CHURCH: FRIEND, FOE, OR FAILURE IN THE GREAT COMMISSION

by Paul Borthwick Dick wants to go into cross-cultural ministry, to go to a Muslim country in North Africa in a tentmaking capacity. We were catching up on the events of the past few months since he graduated from college.

In the course of the conversation, I asked what I thought was a fair question: "Dick, if you desire to go overseas as one of our missionaries, why haven't you been involved in some aspect of the ministry?"

I expected comments about his being newly graduated or not knowing where to help or being too busy. I got something else.

"Well," Dick replied, his eyes widening as he got agitated, "this church and all the churches that I know of don't care about the Great Commission. All I see are people who are self-centered and preoccupied with their own pet peeves like the time of the services, whether or not there is child care, and improving the church grounds, with very little interest in winning the world for Christ."

Dick's countenance changed from anger to shame. He had spoken his mind, but had forgotten that he was talking to the minister of missions, who represented both the "self-centered" people and the funding that he needed to go overseas. I think he expected me to defend my case.

Instead, I simply replied, "Dick, I cannot disagree with your observations, although I think you have overlooked some fine people and churches. But this is exactly why I asked for your involvement. We need people like you to be catalysts towards greater missions involvement while you are here. You see, Dick, whether we like to admit it or not, the local church is primary in God's worldwide purposes.

In my conversation with Dick, I pointed out the primacy of the local church in the Great Commission by highlighting four truths.

Truth #1: The Local Church is Primary in World Missions Because Jesus Said it is.

The promise of Jesus to Peter (Mt. 16:18) states that He will build His church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. The image is one of a forceful organization of believers representing one Kingdom on the march against another. When the gates of that second kingdom - hell - are attacked, they will fall.

Who is supposed to be on this attack? Jesus says it's His Church. For each of us, this manifests itself in the local assembly of believers. The church fails in its task when it loses the mentality of advancement.

The local church that is a foe to world missions or a failure in doing its part in the Great Commission has usually degenerated from being a "Kingdom-

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org138 advancer" to a "fortress-builder." Rather than taking new ground for Christ, we spend our time protecting the ground we have.

The missions-minded person who sees this happening in his or her local church should get involved and try to influence church thinking. Without our involvement, the local church will plunge deeper into a fortress-mentality, the missions-minded will become more cynical about the local church, and we all will move further from Jesus' promise that his Church will defeat the gates of hell.

The Association of Church Missions Committees (ACMC) publishes a book entitled The Local Church Can Change the World. The title is not some vain wish, but rather a statement in keeping with the vision that Jesus has for his Church.

Truth #2: The Local Church is Primary Because the Body of Christ is there.

Peer groups and campus fellowships can be wonderful stimuli towards discipleship and missions but they do not present the whole cross-section of the body of Christ.

Dick was correct in his evaluation of some Christians as being petty in their self-centeredness and being opposed to the Great Commission. But these are still members of Christ's body, the Church. If we are to be faithful to him, we must be faithful to them by seeking to love and serve them in our desire to help them expand their worldviews.

The fuller representation of the body of Christ we call the local church also puts us in the presence of older believers whose accumulated wisdom will be our training ground for realistic ministry - in this culture or another.

Truth #3: The Local Church is Primary Because It Affords Us Training and Care.

Do you have the patience needed to persevere for years in a Muslim culture without seeing anyone become a Christian? No one really knows, but ministry to the junior highers at the local church can certainly help develop patience.

And will you desire to lead people in another culture to Christ, disciple them, and encourage them to be "world Christians?" If you plan to do this, you should take every opportunity to test your skills, methods, and relational abilities right in your own church.

Local church training may be formal-missions candidate programs, evangelism training, or teacher training. But the more valuable training may be the informal character training that comes from loving the unlovely people at church, persevering with those that are belligerently anti-missions, or listening to the rebukes from elders at the church.

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org139 The prefield formal and informal training is essential in helping potential missionaries get sent to the field by local churches, but the ongoing care that a local church can give will help keep the missionary on the field.

Every missionary suffers at times from the "Does anyone know I'm here?" syndrome. Missionaries who receive letters, packages, or calls from a caring home church are glad for the relationships established in the sending church before they left.

Truth #4: The Local Church is Primary Because It is Both the Beginning and the End of Missions.

In his book, A People for His Name, Dr. Paul Beals identifies a three-part cycle in the book of Acts regarding the missions effort: 1. Evangelizing non-believers.

2. Edifying the saints.

3. Establishing churches.

As soon as a church was established, the cycle resumed: evangelizingedifying-establishing. The problem of the established church is that we perceive ourselves as being the end of the cycle, but not as the beginning of a new cycle, i.e. the fortress mentality again.

Some, like my friend Dick, want to circumvent the church and be involved only at another part of the cycle (evangelizing or edifying), but they fail to see the fact that evangelizing should emanate from the church and edifying should lead to the establishment of churches.

Another way to put this same truth: one of the basic purposes of any missionary endeavor is to establish local, indigenous congregations of believers. These new congregations like the ones out of which we come may also suffer from self-centeredness, erroneous priorities, or a fortress mentality for although the cultural forms may differ, people are sinners in every culture!

The best way to combat these errors in the future is to get experience combating them in our present local church.

FRIEND, FOE, OR FAILURE? The local church is it friend, foe, or failure in world missions? Preparing missionaries will see it as a foe if the spirit of criticism or negativism prevails.

There are plenty of problems in the local church, but it doesn't give any of us the freedom to avoid the local church to do our own thing.

Preparing missionaries, members of mission organizations, or college fellowships may see the local church as a failure in world missions, but this should call us to action, not avoidance. We should get involved and try to make the church a success in fulfilling its Christ-ordained calling.

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org140 The local church is the missionary's friend...a true partner in the sending process. Jesus established it. We are part of the body of Christ, expressed in local congregations. We need the training and discipline of life in the local church because it is local churches that we go to plant.

Rise up, people of God, The church for you doth wait. Her strength unequal to the task- Rise up and make her great!

This article reprinted and used by permission.

THE RIGHT MOTIVE

by David Adeney If we believe that God looks on the heart rather than on the outward appearance, it is vitally important that our service should be inspired by right motives. The wealthy donors in the temple treasury with their apparently generous gifts excited the interest of the onlookers. But the Lord Jesus was not impressed by the men of wealth, for he was watching a poor widow whose two cents meant infinitely more to God than the ostentatious giving of the Pharisees. It was not the size of the gift that counted, but rather the attitude of love which inspired it. Crossing the ocean to take the gospel to other lands does not automatically indicate a life that is wholly consecrated and pleasing to God. There may indeed be many different considerations which have prompted such action. Only God who examines the innermost thoughts knows whether or not the service springs from pure motives. What then is the supreme motive that should move Christians to give their lives to preach the gospel?< /p> All for the glory of God To discover the answer we must turn to the One of whom the Father said, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." It was His last night on earth and as He prayed with His disciples He laid bare the deepest desires of His heart: "I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do" (John 17:4). In these words our Lord revealed the passions of His life: that God might be glorified. How He hated the hypocrisy of those who piously expressed concern for God's glory even to the extent of traveling over "sea and land to make one proselyte," (Matt 23:15) when in reality they sought only to enhance their own reputation! Again and again He spoke to His disciples of the Father's glory. "Let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven" (Matt 5:16). "This is to my Father's glory that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples" (John 15:8). It was this same burning desire that God should be exalted and given His rightful place among His people that prompted the Lord Jesus to drive out the money changers and merchants who were desecrating the House of Prayer with their fraudulent business. His disciples watched in awe and were reminded of the psalm, "Zeal for you house consumes me" (Psalm 69:9). As Paul waited at Athens his spirit was stirred when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. "Although they knew God, they neither glorified

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org141 Him as God nor gave thanks to Him...They...worshipped and served created things more than the Creator" (Romans 1:21,25). Many missionaries have felt like Paul as they have watched the devotees of some heathen religion prostrate themselves before idols. Other missionaries are just as outraged as they mingle with those who have cast God out of their thinking and worship only human achievement. A supreme desire for the exaltation of Christ manifested itself in all the preaching of the early disciples. They rejoiced exceedingly in the knowledge that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, the Son of God and the Savior of all mankind. The majority of the people, however, only knew Him as the man of Galilee who had been despised and rejected, and crucified in weakness as a sinner. The disciples longed to defend His honor and vindicate His claims. And so with every opportunity they proclaimed the fact that "God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ" (Acts 2:36). Today we "see Jesus, crowned with glory." But by the multitudes whose minds have been blinded by the god of this world, Christ is still hated, despised or ignored. If our spirits are not stirred like Paul's with the passion that Christ be exalted, it is surely because of a lack of true spiritual loyalty on our part. It is tragically true that the consideration of the unevangelized millions does not create a sense of shame in the hearts of Christians today.

Christ is not exalted in the dark places of the earth because we have failed to make Him known. If Christians throughout the world would say from the depths of their hearts, "be thou exalted," and then go forth with the good tidings, the task of world evangelization would soon be completed.

Our motive is love Closely allied to this desire to see our Lord honored and glorified throughout the world is the motive of love. The first great commandment is that we should love the Lord our God with all our heart and mind. This does not refer to a purely sentimental type of love; rather it refers to a willingness to give ourselves entirely to the One who "loved me and gave Himself for me." It involves a great desire to do His will and to satisfy Him. Such a love naturally leads to a consideration of His commandments and a set purpose to obey.

F.B. Meyer tells of a conversation with C.T. Studd who went to China with the Cambridge Seven, that group of men whose departure for the mission field created such a stir at the end of the nineteenth century throughout England.

One day before breakfast Meyer entered Studd's room and found Studd reading his Bible with the candles burning low the following conversation took place: "You have been up early, " I said to Charley Studd. "Yes," said he, "I got up at four o'clock this morning. Christ always knows when I have had sleep enough, and He wakes me to have a good time with Him." I asked him what he had been doing that morning and he replied, "You know the Lord says, 'If you love me, keep my commandments,' and I was just looking through all the commandments that I could find that the Lord gave and putting a tick against them if I had kept them, because I do love Him." Obedience is always the evidence of true love for God. This is clearly seen in the life of our Lord. He prayed, "not my will, but yours, be done." And He was obedient to death, "even death on a cross." What made Paul a missionary? Years after his conversion, he described how God had commanded him to go to the Gentiles; then he added, "I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision." The

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org142 Acts of the Apostles is one long record of obedient witness. What caused Philip to leave the successful work in Samaria? "An angel of the Lord said to Philip, 'Go' and he went." How was Peter persuaded to overcome his Jewish prejudices and go to the home of a Gentile? "The Spirit said unto him, 'Behold, three men seek thee. Arise and go with them.'" And he went. Thus we see that the primary motive in missionary service is not a consciousness of a great need, but rather a sense of commision- Love manifesting itself through practical obedience.

The Urgency of Love The second great commandment involves loving our neighbor as ourselves.

How conscious we are of failure in this respect! If a neighbor has an accident we do not hesitate to go to help him. But when we realize that spiritually he is in danger of eternal death, we hesitate to point the way to eternal life. If we feel little concern for those who live on the mission field all around us, it is not surprising that the vision of millions perishing without Christ in other lands is dim and unreal. Once the issue was plain and simple. It was also extremely urgent. Every minute saw thousands slipping out into a Christless eternity.

They had never heard the gospel; no one had shown them the way of life. But today the emphasis has changed. Old urgencies are denied or at least ignored. The Jerusalem Conference of the International Missionary Council stated: "Our fathers were impressed with the horror that men should die without Christ; we are equally impressed with the horror that they should live without Christ." This new attitude was not a complete denial of eternal values but it did indicate a definite shift from the incentive to preach a Gospel which saves from sin and eternal separation from God to an emphasis upon transforming present day society through the abundant life of Christ. This aspect of the truth must not be lost sight of, but the abundant life is only for those who recognize that all without Christ are dead in trespasses and sins.

To many it would seem out of date to talk about the multitudes without Christ as those who are perishing and desperately need the message of salvation.

Even among Christians who are strongly evangelical in their belief, there are those who no longer believe that the Christless multitudes are eternally lost.

Perhaps unconsciously they have been influenced by the materialistic thinking and easy tolerance of the present generation. Too often it has led them to drift away from the confusion that caused the apostle Paul to say, "If our gospel be hid, it is hid from them that are perishing." Much confused thinking is caused by a failure to understand the teaching of Scripture on this subject. Some have thought that this doctrine suggests that a God of love would condemn a man because, through no fault of his own, he has never heard the good news of salvation through Christ. This, of course, is not what the Bible teaches. God never condemns a man for a crime he has not committed or holds him guilty for the breaking of a law which he has never heard. No man will ever be able to charge God with being unjust. The clearest statement of the principle of God's judgment is contained in John 3:19 "This it the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light."

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org143 None left without light No man is left without a single glimmer of light. "God has not left Himself without witness," says the apostle Paul. "The heavens declare the glory of God." The physical universe all around indicates the existence of a Creator.

"For ever since the creation of the world, God's invisible characteristics - His eternal power and divine nature have been made intelligible and clearly visible

by His words so they are without excuse because, although they once knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give Him thanks, but became silly in their senseless speculations and so their insensible hearts have been shrouded in darkness" (Romans 1:18-21). This means that judgment will be passed upon all men because they have not lived up to the light that they received. They are not condemned because they have not heard about Christ but because they have sinned against a Holy God. On the other hand we may well be judged for not taking the gospel to them. This is not to suggest that non-Christians could save themselves by an effort to keep the law. It only shows that God is not unjust in pronouncing them guilty. It is indeed true that the Lord is "not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." His love embraces the whole of mankind and His forgiveness is free to all. If, through the negligence of those who are commanded to take the glad tidings of salvation to them, they still remain in ignorance and darkness, the responsibility for their sad plight cannot rest with a loving God but with those who have refuse to obey His command.

The real question: Our responsibility We don't know how God meets every sincere seeker. There is much that is not revealed in Scripture and much that we cannot understand about God's dealing with man. Certain basic truths cannot be denied, and we dare not change them in order to provide a doctrine which will be more acceptable to human reason. Any doubt concerning God's love and righteousness makes us guilty of the sin of unbelief. Any suggestion that men and women may be saved apart from faith in Christ constitutes a denial of the divine necessity of efficacy of Christ's death. We must take our stand with the apostles who said, "And salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4: 12). And indeed our Savior stated this fact most clearly in the world, "No one comes to the Father except through me." We may well say that it is not fair that some people should have every opportunity to hear the good new while others are deprived of the light-giving message. But let us not blame God for this situation. Instead of endless discussion concerning what happens to the heathen who have never heard, it would be better to discuss what happens to the Christian who is unfaithful and does not discharge his responsibility to witness. "When I say to a wicked man, 'you will surely die,' and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood" (Ezekiel 3:18). Paul was deeply conscious of this fact and sought so to labor that no one could charge him with having withheld the Gospel. "I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God" (Acts 20:26-27). May we be able to stand as innocent

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org144 as Paul, having done all we can to be a part of God's rescue operation. Our action should spring from our love for Christ, a growing jealousy for His name among the nations, and an enormous compassion for those outside the saving grace of that Name above all others. In the very last picture of Paul given us by Luke at the end of Acts we see him as a prisoner preaching the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus. Until the end of his life he was proclaiming the gospel of the Kingdom which Christ had commanded his disciples to preach "in the whole world as a testimony to all nations." This concern for the coming of God's Kingdom is the basic motivation for all missionary service.

WHAT ABOUT THOSE WHO HAVEN'T HEARD?

By Jack Rose This is a good question for Christians to ask. When we ask this question, it means that we actually care about the eternity of others. Of course, some will ask it because they think that it is close-minded of Christians to say that Jesus is the only way to receive salvation. But, because we believe the Bible to be the Word of God, then we trust that Jesus is the only means of salvation because the Bible says it is thus. (John 14:6, Acts 4:12, Romans 10:13-15) Therefore, the topic of whether or not Jesus is the only to salvation will not be dealt with here. * Instead, we will ask this question: "Since Jesus is the only means of salvation for ALL of mankind, what happens to those who have never heard?"

How can people who have never heard of Jesus be saved? The Bible says that they can not. Does that mean that the only people who can be saved are those living in Christian nations? No! God has made a way. I must caution us at this point because it is clear from the Word of God that Jesus is "THE way, THE truth, and THE life, and that no one comes to the Father but by me.

(Jesus)" So, Jesus is the only one who can save. That is clear, but God has made a way for people to get to Jesus or for Jesus to get to them even though they may be in the middle of a jungle somewhere. God will make it possible for them to have faith in His Son. Let's begin to look at the Word of God and see how this works. How can God get salvation to those who are not in range of the Gospel? It will probably, and often does, take a miracle.

Acts 14:17 and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.

We see first that God has never left Himself without a witness on the earth to all men. All men have seen seasons and rain. All men have tasted food and been glad. These are witnesses to the fact that there is indeed a God according to the Bible.

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org145 Rom 1:20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

We see, also, that men should be able to look at creation and understand the "eternal power and divine nature" of God. That is almost shocking, isn't it?

That God, in creation, has made it so clear to ALL men that He exists that they are "without excuse" for not submitting to Him. As we realize that all men have enough revelation from God to begin to respond to Him, we should begin to feel hope. God is merciful. That doesn't mean that is going to open wide the gates of heaven and let all unrighteous inside, but it means, in this case, that if someone is responding to the revelation that God has given, then God will give a greater revelation of Himself. Psalm 19:1 reads that "The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands." Two thousand years ago, if you were living in Asia, you would have looked up and saw a new star shining. The heavens declare the glory of the Lord, and this new star was placed there by Him. If, in your wisdom, you began to travel towards the star, eventually you would have come to Israel, to the region of Judah, and finally to a little town called Bethlehem. Just as the Lord used general revelation, such as this star, to guide the Wise Men to the baby Jesus, so He has continued to guide those that respond to the revelation of God to deeper and deeper understanding, eventually leading them to the ultimate revelation of Jesus Christ our savior and the savior of the world. As men and women throughout the world respond in obedience to what they know of the one true God, He will reveal Himself in greater ways. Let's look at how this happens in scripture. Pay close attention to what great lengths the Lord will go to just to reach one person.

Read the following passages and answer the questions that follow: Acts 8:26-40 • How did Phillip end up meeting the Ethiopian?

• What revelation of God did the Ethiopian already have?

• Who was the Ethiopian reading about? (Isaiah 53) • If the Ethiopian was already worshipping God (v.27), why did he have to know about Jesus?

• How did the Ethiopian respond to this new revelation?

• What all did God do to get the Gospel of Jesus to this one man?Acts 10 • How did Peter meet Cornelius and his family?

• What revelation did Cornelius already have of God? • How was Cornelius responding to that revelation?

• If Cornelius was a "God fearing man," why did he need to hear about Jesus?

• What further revelation did Peter reveal to this family?

• What all did God do to get the Gospel of Jesus to this one family?Acts 16:615

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org146 • Where did Paul try to go in verses 6 and 7?

• Who stopped Paul from going?

• How did Paul finally find out where he should go?

• What city in Macedonia did Paul eventually arrive at? Who did he meet there?

• How was Lydia described in verse 14?

• How did Lydia respond to the preaching of Paul?

• What extremes did the Lord go to in order to get the Gospel to Lydia and her family?

Wow, what a God we serve who will reroute missionaries, send dreams, and even rebuke Peter to get the good news of Jesus to those who are responding in obedience to Him. All of our examples here are described as worshippers and God fearers. Yet, they didn't know about Jesus, so what did God do? He changed the course of history to get the Gospel to them. Ever since God redirected Paul away from Asia to Macedonia, the Gospel has gone west. It moved from Jerusalem throughout the Roman Empire and Europe, down to Africa, across the ocean to the Americas, and now is moving across the Pacific Ocean to Asia. Many leading missions teachers believe that the Gospel will continue this course of spreading until it gets back to where it started...Jerusalem, and then the whole earth will have the good news of Christ, and it all started with Paul being led by the Spirit of God to Lydia.

Rejoice, for our God is one who is merciful to the seeker...those who are humbly responding to revelation. So, how is this still happening today?Listen to what is being reported about God's miraculous outreaches to those who can't hear of Him without it: "More than one-third of the converts to Christianity in Turkey say they came to Christ because He appeared to them in a dream...a team from Fuller Seminary in California documented 600 cases in which Muslims found new life in Jesus because of dreams or visions." Stories of not only Muslim men and women, but many other lost souls, finding Jesus through miraculous means are flooding in off the mission field. Many have shared that a man in a white robe with a beard and scars in his hands has appeared to them and given them an address or directions of where they can find the TRUTH. When they arrive at the specified address, they meet a missionary who gives them a Bible and shares Christ with them. They immediately remember the scars in the strange visitor's hands when they hear of His crucifixion. God is going out of His way to get the truth that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world to those who may not ever hear otherwise. Our God is so merciful. Jesus is the only way. God will not make another way besides Christ, but God will make ways for the lost to meet this Shepherd King. Remember, God isn't going to decide one day to just allow every nonbeliever into Heaven, but to those that are responding to the light that they have, He is giving more light. In order to be saved, they need the light of Christ to shine on them. Let us pray that like the wise men of old, the lost of the world would follow the light of God to Jesus, and let us think of how we might get the good news to those who have not heard.

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org147 Let Isaiah, 9:2 be our prayer: "The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them."

SHALL I GO? THOUGHTS FOR GIRLS

By Miss Grace E. Wilder (1887, 5th edition) The bible teaches women's duty and privilege in Christian work. Women are included in the admonitions, warnings, and commands given to the children of Israel. In the service of song they had a large share. All the women went out after Miriam when she exclaimed: "Sing ye to the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously." (Ex. 15:21). "When David was returned form the slaughter of the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing."

(I Sam. 18:6). Women had an active part in the equipment of the Tabernacle: "And all the women that were wise hearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun." (Ex. 35:25).

In the prophets we see them as mourners; in the psalms, as preachers "The Lord giveth the word; the women that publish tidings are a great host." (Ps. 68:11). The Old Testament records signal services rendered by women; nor does it close without a prophetic glance at the future enlargement of their work; "Your sons and your daughters shall prophecy. Upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit." (Joel 2:28-29). Add to this the works of Christ, and women's Christian privileges and responsibilities cannot be doubted. But just what is our great work as women of this nineteenth century?

Our Savior has died and risen. The door of heaven is open to every poor sinner. "Whosever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Yet millions of women know not this wonderful truth. And why not? Christian women have not told them.

In the selection of His disciples our Savior makes prominent a single requisite; And Jesus said unto them, "Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. And straightway they forsook their nets and followed him.'

Prompt obedience was repeatedly the condition of signal blessings. Mary showed her knowledge of Christ when she said, whatsoever he saith unto you, do it."

The most vital questions for every Christian women to-day are: â&#x20AC;˘ What would he have me do? Am I doing it?

As to the first, we have a distinct answer in the first chapter of Acts. At the ascension, as the group of disciples gathered around Jesus, with longings inexpressible, they must have desired to show their love to Him. The Savior knows it, and in the solemn moment of parting he confides his one great desire to those whom he deems worthy to fulfill the sacred trust. "Ye shall be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." Before the clouds received Him out of their sight His last words were, "uttermost part of the earth." What greater legacy

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org148 could He have left? Such a trust shows His confidence in our love and faithfulness. "Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these, you have done it unto me." As these first missionaries walked back to Jerusalem did they discuss what constitutes a call? Is each one of us included? Or, where is the money to come from? Ah no; these hearts were intent on their Master's orders. Obedience was simply a question of supreme love to Jesus.

When Garibaldi had been defeated at Rome, he issued his immortal appeal: "Soldiers, I have nothing to offer you but cold, and huger, and rags and hardship. Let him who loves his country follow me." Thousands of the youths of Italy sprang to their feet. Girls, if we see our work laid upon us with all the emphasis of a Savior's last wish; if we are honestly asking, Shall I carry the message of salvation to heathen women? Let the answer be prompted by pure love and gratitude to Jesus. He knew us when He gave love as our motive for work. Nothing short of it will keep us faithful and strong. ## Do you say, â&#x20AC;˘ I want the assurance that I am personally called? "Let him that heareth say, come." Thank God, this means me just as truly as "Whosever will, let him come." Our government in dire extremity calls for recruits between the ages of twenty-five and fifty: what would you say of one who, refusing to go, would give the excuse that he had not receive a personal call? Living face to face with the fact that 800,000,000 are without knowledge of Christ, can we ask Have I a call to tell them of Jesus?

What mean the cries for desolate heathen homes, from hundreds of children carrying deep gashes and brands made on the tender flesh to bring out an evil spirit, or the still deeper heart burnings, which come with every added year of life? What means the mute appeal from India's 21,000,000 widows, 1,500,000 under twenty-four and 10,000 under ten years of age? Girls, is there not hear a personal call to "carry good tidings, to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound"? It was a call, which reached to heavens and brought down the Savior. Can it do less in a human heart? â&#x20AC;˘ But I have not a Missionary Spirit. God forbid that we should undertake this work without the true spirit. Let us not lower our standard; but remember, "the preparation of the heart is form the Lord." Jesus emphasized the essential requirement, and "commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father." Of the disciples it is written: "These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brethren." (Acts 1:14).

"Thus saith the Lord God: I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them." We who are young, and tremble in the presence of soul-work, can rest on Zech. 4:6. How earnestly we would seek the missionary spirit if we remembered that it is our badge of discipleship. "If you love me, keep my commandments." "ye are my friends, if ye do what I command you."

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org149 • I fear I have not all the qualifications needful? I Cor. 1:18-31 mentions five things which God uses: The weak, foolish, base, and despised things, and things that are not. Why "That no one may glory in his own strength, wisdom, or power. Moses made excuses until he learned, it was not the rod, not Moses, but the Lord that was the deliverer. Samson with his jawbone of an ass, Gideon's armament of empty pitchers, David and his sling, Shamgar with his oxgoad, Elisha and his staff, Dorcas with her needle, and Mary with her alabaster box of ointment, are each a standing rebuke to every faint hearted Christian. Our only fear need be that we are not offering to God the very best we have.

If we cannot give our thousands, We can give the widow's mite.

But let us remember the widow's mite was all she had.

One who has been a missionary a quarter of a century sends us girls this message: "if you have given yourselves a living sacrifice unto God, fear not the foreign field." "Go ye therefore, because all power is given unto Me." Do you say, • I can work at home? We certainly would not be missionary candidates if not Christian workers. But consider "The good is a great enemy of the best."

Are we working for souls entirely dependent on us for a knowledge of Christ?

Could we not do more for our college, our literary circle, our sewing school, our church, and our home, by enlisting it to support us with its contributions and prayers, by sending back letters and thus bringing it into closer sympathy with Christ and his work?

Pastor Harms, instead of getting men from the learned universities, urged upon his own people- farmers, artisans, and mechanics - the duty of carrying the gospel to Africa. A ship was built for the purpose, and the first band of missionaries reached Zululand in 1854. During the following seventeen years Pastor Harm's parish in Hanover enjoyed on uninterrupted revival in which 10,000 souls were hopefully converted.

As to • Ties of Friendship, Let us prayerfully read Matt. 10:37. As co-partners in the work of redeeming our world to Christ, we are to know the "fellowship of His sufferings." Oh to rise to the holy enthusiasm born of a desire to have the sufferings of Christ abound in us. Paul viewed souls from the standpoint of the cross, and so exclaims: "Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church" We need this enthusiasm. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to make us realize the value of one immortal soul. We need Him to open our eyes and hearts to the fact that one thousand years have passed since the command to disciple all nation was given and three-fourths of our race are still without hope, without Christ, without God in the world. We need His help to realize our relation to the worlds redemption; to the fact that while the church has

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org150 been gaining some 3,000,000 converts from heathendom, the natural increase of heathen has been 200,000,000. Praise God, His Spirit is carrying home these acts, and leading man to say, "Here am I, send me."

Since the last edition of the pamphlet, the missionary awaking among students has continued, and the movement has grown rapidly. During the college years of 1888 and 1889, Mr. R.P. Wilder has been again visiting the colleges, and the list of Missionary Volunteers has grown to 3,847, representing 240 different institutions, in which were 139 Young Men's Christian Associations and 78 Young Women's Christian Associations.

Of this number, nearly two hundred young men and women have already gone to China, Japan, India, and other countries.

Though, out of the 100,000 in schools for the higher education of women in this country, nearly 50,000 are Christian girls, scarcely 700 of the missionary volunteers are women, and this when so many fields await the touch of "consecrated Christian womanhood." Has not the Y.W.C.A. "come to the kingdom for such a time as this"? Can we not enlist every one of the 600 schools were young women are educated so that unitedly we may undertake our work, that of carrying the gospel into every zenana and harem? "It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe"; and it pleased Him to make woman the first herald of resurrection news. Our Savior has not left us in doubt as to what He would have us do. â&#x20AC;˘ Are we doing it? The following statistics, though incomplete will help us in answering this question.

Estimating the heathen population at 850,000,000 at least 425,000,000 are women and girls. According to the latest statistics the living communicants in the churches of all Christendom number 31,500,000. 15,000,000 or less than one-half this total, will not be too large an estimate for lady communicants. We 15,000,000 Christian women ought to carry the gospel to 425,000,000 heathen women.

The 2,163 lady missionaries we are now supporting, both by women's societies by the General Boards, gives us only one missionary to 700 lady communicants. If equally distributed, these missionaries would each have a parish of 196,949 souls; that is, we are providing but a single missionary for nearly 200,000 heathen women and girls.

In the annual reports of the women's societies no fact is more impressive and ominous than the inadequate supply of workers. One society has been looking over a year for a lady physician; another reports but a single new worker sent during the year. During our late war 500,000 lives were sacrificed to save the Union: to save the heathen world the whole church of Christ is not giving 7,000 men and women. Christian mothers, will you not give us up in such a crisis? Instead of sending us to a studio or a conservatory will you not support us in harems and zenanas, that we may gather jewels, even King's daughters, form the ends of the earth?

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org151 Do we not need more united effort in this work of reaching 425,000,000 women and girls? Would we not do it faster if English and American girls exchange thoughts on the subject? If, as has been suggested, we hold a missionary convention at least once every year? If those of us who are in schools and colleges petition for a new study, that of missions? And, above all, if each one of us seeks a baptism of the Holy Spirit, even the power to lead souls to Jesus? Shall we not all remember the noon hour of prayer, when all the young people who are interested in the saving of the unsaved millions abroad, are daily uniting in asking for the evangelization of the world in our generation?

The president of Smith College writes us, that since the opening of that college some 250 have graduated; but, so far as he knows only two of these are in the foreign missionary work. Of Vassar graduates, 695, about a dozen names could be given as foreign missionaries. Here no record is kept of those who go. From Wellesley College twenty-one names are given. Even Mt. Holyoke Seminary, which has celebrated her fiftieth anniversary, can claim but 150 foreign missionaries during her entire history. The crisis in most lives comes during college days. Many a student, like Margaret Campbell, has heard the call to the heathen while still within seminary walls. Is not God speaking to us, girls, in the present missionary revival among our colleges?

If each lady communicant had one to represent her in the foreign field we should have 15,000,000 instead of 886 missionaries. History shows that God has signally blessed woman's work. Many, like Mrs. McFarland, of Alaska, Miss Rankin, in Mexico, and Miss Sharp, in Africa, have been pioneers. Many others, as Mrs. Mumford, in Bulgaria, Miss Bella Nassau, on the Ogove, and Miss Anstey, in India, are standing alone conducting the whole work for a mission. The number of missionaries sent by the American Board during its 75 years is 786 men and 1,080 women.

In one prominent college there are now one hndred missionary volunteers who have taken the pledge: "We are willing and desirous, God permitting, to be foreign missionaries." Seven of their number are already in foreign fields, and fourteen more are about to sail. Other colleges can report similar bands of earnest prayerful candidates for the foreign field.

The statistics of the Woman's Foreign Missionary Societies show that eight societies have given $22,024.31 less in 1887 than in 1886. The total income gives an average of less than $67 for each auxiliary- the average gain of the year being $13.75 for each auxiliary. For American societies the average gain is $9.40.

This is our advance under the banner of Jesus. What is the advance in Satan's host? Careful statistics tell us that here are some 200,000,000 more heathen in the world to-day than when Carey went to India. With these facts must be remembered also another: the majority of church communicant are doing nothing. The Ladies' Association of Scotland is not alone in lamenting that two-thirds of the parishes are records as non-contributing to its funds.

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org152 Where is the church in England or America in which one-third of the ladies are obeying Christ's command?

If but 10,000,000 out of our 15,000,000 lady communicants would so work that during the next fourteen years each would reach one hundred souls, the whole unevangelized world would hear of Christ before 1900.

In answering the question, Shall I go? Let us remember, dear girls, that failure to realize or acknowledge responsibility does not diminish it; that woman was made the first herald of resurrection news. Above all, let us remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, "Whosever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother and my sister and mother."

TODAY Will you not offer yourself today To the service of the King?

Yourself, redeemed by the Savior's blood, To the feet of the Savior bring?

Will you not offer yourself today, While your body and soul are strong?

You know not that God will spare your life; And He may not spare it long.

Will you not offer yourself today, While it costs you something to give?

A priceless gift may never be yours To offer again while you live.

Will you not offer yourself today, While the Savior needs your life?

It may be that when you would join the ranks 'Twill be the end of the strife.

Will you not offer yourself today, Today while there is yet light?

For when you would gladly give up all, It may be eternal night.

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org153 -G.M.P. Famine Children Grace E. Wilder We told you of our Famine Of India's urgent need Our words not unheeded In vain we did not plead.

Your giving was unstinted E'en thus we spent your store We rescued hungry children, And these brought many more.

We wish that you might see them, To weak one growing strong: Sad faces bright with laughter While yet not with us long.

Some can now tell of Jesus: Their wee lips lisp His praise.

And older ones learn daily To know and love His ways.

But friends - these make us mindful That love is not mere thought Not just a passing impulse: God's love through action wrought.

Are we to keep these children?

Is asked of us today.

Surely God's love has brought them Can we - can you - say nay?

A little of Earth's comfort Brings heaven's blessings down,

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org154 As we amid this number Find gems for Jesus' crown We ask that naught may hinder The joy Christ bids you share.

Soon these will be His glory Whom now He makes your care.

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A WORLD CHRISTIAN

by David Bryant What, then, shall we call this discovery that can change us so radically and yet make us so healthy? And, what shall we call those who have experienced it?

By now it should be obvious that all Christians are born again into the Gap between God's world-wide purpose and the fulfillment of it. But there's more than one kind of response to that Gap. Some are asleep, some are on retreat, and some are determined to stand in the Gap particularly at it's widest end where billions await the opportunity to hear of Christ for the first time. Some are heading into the "sunrise of missions" while others huddle in the shadows. Many move along at a sluggish pace, changing little in the Gap because of their own internal gap-of-unbelief.

Others run the race before them setting no limits on how, where, or among whom God will use them.

Some are trapped in boxes or pea-sized Christianity full of myths about missions that rob them of incentive to care about the unreached. Others have broken through into cause-Christianity, ready to reach out with God's love to the ends of the earth. They are determined to make Christ's global cause the unifying focus - the context - for all they are and do in the Gap. Yielded to the mediator, they are willing to be broken and remolded to fit in the Gap wherever they can make the most strategic impact. In turn they're growing to know Christ, obey him, and glorify him as the mediator.

So, what shall we call the discovery that redirects Christians toward the needs of the Gap? And how shall we distinguish those who have made it?

Some Christians in the Gap are stunted by selfishness and petty preoccupations or by a cautious obedience and love reserved for the closest and easiest to care about. How shall we distinguish the others in the Gap whose growth in discipleship is unmistakable, with a vitality that comes only to those who help bring lost sinners from many nations home?

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org155 What shall we call this distinct group of Christians who have taken a stand that says: We want to accept personal responsibility for reaching some of earth's unreached, especially from among the billions at the widest end of the Gap who can only be reached through major new efforts by God's people. Among every people-group where there is no vital, evangelizing Christian community there should be one, there must be one, there shall be one. Together we want to help make this happen.

For a moment, let's call them WORLD CHRISTIANS. Of course, any new term might be misunderstood. For example some might think I said "worldly" Christians, not World Christians. By now we know, however, if you are one you can't be the other. If you are one you don't want to be the other.

No, the term is not in your Bible concordance. Don't worry. It isn't another cliche like the words of the bumper sticker that reads "Honk-if-the-Rapture starts." Nor is it an attempt to label some new spiritual elite who have a corner on a super-secret blessing. Rather, the term describes what all of us are meant to be and what some of us have started to become.

The term "World Christian" may have been coined first by Daniel Fleming in a 1920 YMCA book entitled Marks of a World Christian. More recently the term has appeared in publications of such groups as the WorldTeam missions, Conservation Baptist Foreign Missionary Society, United Presbyterian Center for Mission Studies, the Mission Renewal Teams, Inc., and the Fellowship of World Christians, as well as Campus Crusade for Christ and Inter-varsity Christian Fellowship.

A World Christian isn't better than other Christians. But by God's grace, he has made a discovery so important that life can never be the same again. He has discovered the truth about the Gap, the fact that he is already in it, and the call of Christ to believe, think, plan, and act accordingly. By faith he has chosen to stand in the Gap as a result.

Some World Christians are missionaries who stand in the Gap by physically crossing major human barriers (cultural, political, etc.) to bring the Gospel to those who can hear no other way. But every Christian is meant to be a World Christian, whether you physically "go", or stay at home to provide the sacrificial love, prayers, training, money, and quality of corporate life that backs the witness of those who "go".

World Christians are day-to-day disciples for whom Christ's global cause has become the integrating, overriding priority for all that life is for them. Like disciples should, they actively investigate all that their Master's Great Commission means. Then they act on what they learn.

World Christians are Christians whose life directions have been solidly transformed by a world vision. This is not a term for frustrated Christians who feel trapped into the world missionary movement and sporadically push a few

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org156 buttons and say they've done their part. Having caught a vision World Christians want to keep that vision and obey it unhesitatingly.

World Christians are (in Corrie Ten Boom's phrase) "tramps for the Lord" who have left their hiding places to roam the Gap with the Savior. They are heaven's expatriates, camping where the kingdom is best served. They are earth's dispossessed, who've journeyed forth to give a dying world not only the Gospel but their own souls as well. They are members of God's global dispersion down through history and out through the nations, reaching the unreached and blessing the families of earth.

By taking three steps we become World Christians. First, World Christians catch a world vision. They see the cause the way God sees it. They see the full scope of the Gap. Next, World Christians keep that world vision. They put the cause at the heart of their life in Christ. They put their life at the heart of the Gap. Then World Christians obey their world vision. Together they develop a strategy that makes a lasting impact on the cause, particularly at the widest end of the Gap. Many years ago a World Christian named John R. Mott, leader of the Student Volunteer Movement that sent out 20,000 new missionaries, outlined similar steps.

An enterprise which aims at the evangelization of the whole world in a generation, and contemplates the ultimate establishment of the Kingdom of Christ, requires that its leaders be Christian statesmen with far-seeing views, with comprehensive plans, with the power of initiative, and with victorious faith.

Catch! Keep! Obey! - these are the three steps to becoming a World Christian.

WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOD DOING?

by Bill Stearns A GLOBAL GLIMPSE OF GOD'S HARVEST TODAY If there's anything we've learned from the past few years of globe-watching, it's that the near future holds anything but the expected. Our era on this planet will not be "business as usual" politically, economically, socially, or personally.

The prophet Habakkuk put it this way: Look at the nations and watch and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told. Hab. 1:5 If the Lord gives it to us by delaying His return, the twenty-first century is going to be a wild time of spiritual significance. Today He is calling unprecedented numbers of people to Himself. Suddenly He is packing into one place, at one time, more valuable human souls than at any other time in history.

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org157 There is something infinitely significant about the time in which we live, so we'd best keep tuned to the big picture of what God is doing. We can catch a glimpse of that big picture by keeping up with the latest global trends in the harvest force and the harvest fields.

The Harvest Force Here's what's happening in the harvest force: â&#x20AC;˘ Two-Thirds World missions is on the rise. The Two-Thirds World comprises two-thirds of the world population who also live on two-thirds of the world's land surface.About one-third of the entire cross-cultural harvest force is now from the Two-Thirds World. That segment will increase to more than half of the harvest force by the year 2000. Non-Western missionaries are increasing at a rate of about 13 percent a year, while Western missionaries are increasing by about 4 percent.Western Christians are now only one fourth of the worldwide Body of Christ. Of this number; North Americans constitute perhaps 10-15 percent of the worldwide committed church. If we think we're the end-all and be-all of God's global activity, we're missing at least 85 percent of what God is really doing. â&#x20AC;˘ Short-term missions continues to blossom. In the United States alone, mission agencies sent out more than 31,000 short-term missionaries in 1988 (the last year of reliable data). This was up from about 21,000 just three years before. The ratio today is even more amazing: Short-termers make up about 50 percent of the North American missions force. It's critical, particularly in the West, that churches fit short-term outreach into their strategic missions plans rather than sending out groups and individuals randomly "for the experience."

Unprepared short-term teams are dangerous on the mission field.For example, a short-term group blitzing through Central Asia was unaware of local laws. In one country's capital they showed an evangelistic film without authorization. As a result, the government banned all public Christian film showings for years to come. â&#x20AC;˘ Non-traditional missionaries are showing God's creativity in bringing the gospel to every people. Just a few years ago the major requirements for becoming a missionary were youth, an academic education, and a virtually perfect past. Yet other cultures often had trouble identifying with these, the brightest and best the West had to offer.Today is the day of the non-traditional missionary - the divorcee, the mechanic without a seminary degree, the retiree, the short-term team of high-schoolers and college students. What transcends cultural barriers is not imposing credentials but sharing experience and pain. So missions tacticians are now also looking for single-mother's grandmas, recovering alcoholics, Christians who grew up on the streets all kinds of workers who can cross cultural barriers. God is also sending out teams, which has always been the New Testament model. And He's wise enough to send teams of friends groups that have already worked through the frictions and differing visions that so often plague mission coworkers on the field.What are these nontraditional missionaries doing? They are empowering churches in other cultures and planting churches in unreached cultures through

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org158 English teaching Water reclamation engineering Film ministries Relief ministries Import-export businesses Joining community groups such as traditional dance groups or football leagues • Cultural exchange festivals • Amusement park design teams • Art exhibits • Legal consultation services • Cartooning • Quilt-making • Water well drilling • Hundreds of other activities, as well as the tried-and-true mission ministries of personal and open-air evangelism, literature distribution, medical assistance, and radio ministries.

Whoever you are and whatever skills and gifts God has given you, there's a place for you in cross-cultural ministry.

• New training models are being developed worldwide to meet the crisis of ministering to a Church that is growing like gangbusters. (For every seminarytrained pastor across the continent of Africa, for example, there are six hundred congregations.) Church leaders and missionaries worldwide need theological grounding and training in interpersonal and ministry skills.The West's preoccupation with classroom academics is changing to more on-thejob training in ministry. In the Evangelical Theological Seminary of Indonesia, for example, students must complete academic requirements, plant at least one church, and introduce at least fifteen Muslims to Jesus Christ in order to graduate. The students of that school in the past six years alone have planted more than six hundred churches and brought more than forty thousand Muslims to faith in Christ!Schools are going mobile. The old procedure of pulling potential leaders out of their communities and cultures to get Westernstyle schooling at a seminary is fast being replaced by taking the teaching to the leaders in their own environments. Theological Education by Extension is successful worldwide, and Biblical Education by Extension is working particularly well in the former Soviet Union.

• Functional unity is a biblical principle whose time has finally come. The Body of Christ is coming together as never before. This surge of unity isn't the old ecumenical mistake of joining together by dissolving all our doctrinal convictions and distinctive traditions. It's a unity in diversity maintaining our denominational and doctrinal distinctives while coordinating our ministries so that the right hand knows what the left hand is doing. What a concept: the Body with all its various parts and functions working together in the Father's business.*Technology isn't just for business or education anymore; it's for the Kingdom. Christians now own more than 54 million computers. Electronic mail and fifty-six global computer networks now link the Body of Christ on nearly every continent. Frontiers mission agency, for instance, maintains constant

• • • • • •

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org159 contact with its hundreds of missionaries across the world. Messages to or from the teams are instantly linked by satellite with Frontier's international headquarters in London.Wycliffe Bible Translators, with the help of computerization, is now starting a new translation every fourteen days, accomplishing in months translation tasks that used to take years. HCJB Radio Ministries have developed a "radio station in a suitcase" to broadcast the gospel message within a forty-mile radius at minimal cost. Today we can be anywhere in the world within twenty-four hours. We now have tools such as Campus Crusade's Jesus film. This film has been viewed by nearly half a billion people resulting in more than 32 million brought to faith in Christ.

The Harvest Fields Looking at the harvest force is one thing. But what's happening in the harvest fields? Here are some of the major trends: â&#x20AC;˘ It's a mobile mission field. One hundred million people will migrate across national borders this year alone, double the number of 1989. The isolated Kurds - that unreached people of Iraq, Turkey, and Azerbaijan - can now be more easily reached in their enclaves in Berlin, Nashville, Dallas, and Los Angeles. In Europe, refugee immigration is expected to top 50 million refugees, many of whom are from unreached peoples in North African countries that are "closed" to the gospel. Some estimate that Australia will be a truly Eurasian country by the year 2000. In spite of tightening quotas, about a million immigrants stream into North America every year. â&#x20AC;˘ It's a world of cities. By A.D. 2000, 80 percent of the world's population will live in cities. These newcomers to the cities are often more open to the gospel than they were in their rural homeland, and it is tactically simpler to reach them. â&#x20AC;˘ We're clarifying the task. The worldwide task of the Great Commission is getting clearer. We now know more than ever before about the world's harvest fields. And we're getting more careful about biblical strategies in reaching that world. For example, the missions community is quickly returning to the biblical concept of "people-group thinking" and is moving away from the traditional view of the world only in terms of political countries. We're seeing the task more as proclaiming a whole-person gospel. It's a blood-sweat-and tears battle in the spiritual dimension of "the heavenlies" -a job for the whole Church, not just a few missions fanatics.

Your World view When one teen from a Christian high school (class of '94) was asked what he plans to do with his life, he replied, "Uh, I'm going to get through college, get a good job, make good money, have a good life, and I guess just hope America survives. This young man doesn't understand what God is doing in the world today. God is bringing millions and millions of men, women, and children to Himself from every people, tribe, tongue, and nation (Rev. 5:9). He is challenging churches to revive, evangelize, and bless their own cultures. He is linking up global partnerships between cultures and established churches.

And He is planting churches in every remaining unreached people group on

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org160 earth. He is building His Church globally, and the gates of hell are not prevailing against it.

In comparison to what God is doing, what are many of us doing? We are living our lives with the same world view as the young man who talks about living a good life and hoping America survives. The Living Bible paraphrases a proverb that reflects this view of life: "What a shame. Yes, how stupid to decide before knowing the facts!" (Prov. 18:13). When we know His Word, His world, and His work, we can intelligently find our place in our own or another culture. But many of us are shrinking from the demands of our global era in the following ways: Some of us are waiting nervously for Heaven. We're scared to look over our back fences at the darkness of a world gone wild. We're afraid for our children. Yet God has not given us a spirit of fear or timidity. Why, then, do we huddle in our corners, anxiously looking for the return of Christ to escape the world's dangers? Is that the legacy we want to leave our children? If we live like this - if we refuse to join with God in what He is doing today-we will miss the exhilarating rush of true-grit faith and Christ in us.

Some of us are confused. We glance at the crashing fireworks of our era, scratch our heads, and wonder what's happening. Ralph Winter, founder of the U.S. Center for World Mission, suggests we're often like dogs trotting through the Louvre museum - seeing the most incredible art on earth but understanding nothing. Will we be like the sons of Issachar who "understood the times and knew what Israel should do" (I Chron. 12:32), or like the clueless citizens of Jerusalem who "did not recognize God's moment when it came" (Lk. 19:44, New English Bible)?

Some of us are trying to live Sunday-school-as-usual lives. Head-in-thesand ignorance about our mission to the world is one thing. Fiddling while Rome burns is quite another. With the insight God is giving us about the harvest fields of the world, we incur great accountability when we do not respond to the need. King Solomon put it this way: Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, "But we knew nothing about this," does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay each person according to what he has done? -Prov. 24:11-12 Our children deserve more than good Sunday school lessons. Their lives will not be like ours; they won't have time to fiddle. Now is the day to raise up radical Christians, believers who are armed and dangerous on a global scale, soldiers of the Cross who are more concerned about God's heart for all peoples than they are about their own comfort. The Cause needs believers who are prepared to give their right arms for the Kingdom. Specifically, the North American Church needs a vision beyond itself.

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org161 The Church with a Vision As we follow Jesus, we tend to focus on our own next step: Where is He leading me next? Am I growing properly as a Christian? But Jesus often shook up his disciples' preoccupation with themselves. His command is startling: "Open your eyes and look at the fields!" (Jn. 4:35). It's reasonable to watch your step in a field, of course. But it's also stultifying if that's the range of your vision. You need to look up and out!

We're walking through the middle of a wonderful, terrifying, exciting, challenging, ripe harvest field of diverse cultures. And that perspective is crucial to see how our walk with Him fits in with His great, worldwide plan.

Especially in North America we believers need to get better at lifting up our eyes. If we interpret our discipleship in Jesus Christ only in light of what we see in our own backyards, we're going to miss the historic miracles happening around us as He continues to make disciples of every nation.

In this breathtaking sweep of history, let's not keep our eyes on our own feet to the extent that we miss the beauty of the whole Body, fitted and joined together. Building itself up in love from Novosibirsk to New Jersey.

Let's recognize God's moment.

WHAT IS WORSHIP?

By Todd Ahrend This question has been on my mind for quite some time. What a hot topic within ministry groups today. It is so easy to jump on a bandwagon especially when it seems to be the right wagon. I would like to pose a thought in regards to worship and our culture.

"What a great worship time," a student says as he leaves the large group meeting. Oh how often we hear that today. Students especially, when they think of worship immediately think of singing. "What a great worship time" is really "What a great singing time." "I didn't like that group because I just didn't like their worship," ever heard that before? For some campus ministers their frustrations are that students plug into the group who has the best guitarist. "I hope my drummer doesn't graduate," a campus minister cries. The majority of students today have reduced worship to a talented band.

What might be happening is that we bring in good musicians, it draws a crowd and we say "Look, people are coming, it must be God, everybody is worshipping!" No, everybody is singing and the majority leave lacking. Why? Because the students come not to lay down their sin and suffering, but to forget it for a while.

Pop in a Vineyard CD and drive down the road. No different than when I was a nonchristian and I couldn't stand quietness, it's just now I Christianize it, turn

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org162 up my radio and zone out while I drive. Isn't it amazing how many will go to a worship conference and not a missions conference. Culturally, the first revolves around singing and the second revolves around giving up your life.

As I search the scriptures I love what the apostle Paul says about worship.

Romans 12:1-2 "Therefore I urge you brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual act of worship."

If you cornered Paul what would he say in regards to worship? I don't necessarily think he would say it is a singing thing. According to him worship is a holy living issue. To turn away from pornography, that is worship. To take every thought captive, that is worship. To lay aside your dreams and talents, that is worship. To forgive each other, that is worship. To walk out of the church more like Jesus, that is worship. Next time we worship God we don't have to go buy a CD with some slow songs on it, instead we need to tie ourselves on the altar and present our bodies as a living and holy sacrifice.

THE MISSIONARY CALL

by Gordon Olson It has been common in modern missionary circles to talk about a 'missionary call'. Although there was little agreement as to what that 'call' consisted of or how to define it, there was general agreement, until a generation ago that such a 'call' was needed to become a missionary. Missionary leaders struggled to clarify the confusion related to a call and eliminate the many myths surrounding it. For example, Harold Cook wrote the following in 1954: To sum up: (1) a special divine call is not necessary to witness for Christ beyond the national border; (2) the striking vision that Paul received at Troas, the so-called "Macedonian call," was not his missionary call, nor is it typical of such a call; and (3) the call to missionary service is not necessarily associated with a definite field at home or abroad.

It might seem from this that we have completely ruled out the idea of a call.

But that is not so.

Later, however, he goes on to say, "Sometimes in order to see the matter in its proper relationships, we might do well to drop the word call and speak of this as a matter of guidance." He goes on to give the testimonies of seven great missionaries and show that there is no pattern or mold into which they can be forced, nor can we get a definition from their experience.

Herbert Kane is more definite: "The term 'missionary call' should never have been coined. It is not Scriptural and therefore can be harmful. Thousands of youth desiring to serve the Lord have waited and waited for some mysterious 'missionary call' that never came.

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org163 The biblical doctrine of 'calling' How can we find out the reality of the 'missionary call'? Do we take a cross section of missionary experience? Of course not! We must go back to our sufficient authority: the Bible. The major usage of the word 'call' in the New Testament is the call to salvation. It would seem that the Apostle Paul used the word as a comprehensive term to encompass all that pertains to our conversion to Christ: hearing the gospel, believing, and the immediate consequence of the new birth, etc. The Apostle Paul also used this word of his call to apostleship in Roman 1:1 and 1 Corinthians 1:1, but we do not find any reference to a 'missionary call'!

There are two passages which might be so interpreted. One is Acts 13:2: "set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."

Note that Saul of Tarsus was called at his conversion to be an apostle to the Gentiles. Ananias informed him of that (Acts 9:16; 22:21; 26:16-18) and God later confirmed it long before the leaders of the Antioch church were commanded by the Spirit to set apart Barnabas and Saul. So apparently this was just a confirmation of the call to ministry that Barnabas and Saul had already received. It was not a separate and distinct call to missionary service.

In a sense both Saul and Barnabas were already missionaries working among Gentiles, but the ultimate dimension to which the Spirit was moving them as cross-cultural missionaries yet needed to be fulfilled.

The other passage which has been taken superficially as basis for a missionary call is the account in Acts 16 of the vision of the man of Macedonia which the Spirit used to lead the missionaries to cross over to Macedonia.

"And when he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them" (Acts 16:10). One of our great missionary hymns refers to the "Macedonian call," but the fact is quite obvious that Paul and Silas were already missionaries, indeed Paul was on his second missionary journey. This event was just part of a process that God used to move the apostles on into virgin territory.

The key issue then is whether there is a separate call necessary to cross "geographical and/or cultural boundaries to preach the gospel in those areas of the world where Jesus Christ is largely, if not entirely, unknown." This much is clear: that whatever is needed, it is not referred to as a "call." Cook felt we should refer to it as guidance. James Weber feels that we should refer to is as direction. Other words like 'appointment', 'conviction' and 'burden' could be suggested as a basis for missionary service, but it is clear that some sort of a visionary experience is not needed.

Relative spiritual need The missionary speaker in the Bible college missions conference was very blunt: "The need constitutes the call." He went on to illustrate it by having ten student try to lift the piano by positioning nine at one end and one at the other.

He made his point by saying that the fact that nine out of ten Christian

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org164 workers are ministering to the one-tenth of the world which is most evangelized while only one out of ten workers are thinly spread through the nine-tenths of the world which has the greatest need; this is appalling. It is as ridiculous as nine men at one end of the piano ignoring the one poor guy trying to lift the other end all by himself. After the meeting the students were very perplexed because the day before another missionary had said, "If you don't have a clear-cut missionary call, don't become a missionary, whatever you do. You'll do more harm than good if you go." This missionary was just reflecting the view of many in the past like Robert Hall Glover, author of several classic missions textbooks: "Nothing could be more vital to anyone setting out for the mission field than to be clearly assured of the call and leading of the Lord in taking that step." On the other hand Glover goes on to quote some missionary greats on the other side of the issue: It has been truly said that "a need, knowledge of that need, and ability to meet that need constitutes a call." It was this logic of facts that appealed to Keith Falconer, that heroic Scottish nobleman who blazed the Gospel trail into the "ignored peninsula" of Arabia. He said: "While vast continents still lie shrouded in almost utter darkness, and hundreds of millions suffer the horrors of heathanism and Islam, the burden of proof rests upon you to show that the circumstances in which God has placed you were meant by Him to keep you out of the foreign mission field." James Gilmour, the brave pioneer among the nomads of Mongolia, spoke in words no less forceful and convicting: "To me the question was not 'Why go?' but 'Why not go?' Even on the low ground of common sense I seemed called to be a missionary. For is the kingdom not a harvest field? Then I thought it only reasonable to seek the work where the work was most abundant and the workers were fewest."

Again we must come back to the Scripture. The Apostle Paul strongly supported the principle of need in Romans 15:20, 23: "And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, that I might not build upon another man's foundation, but now with no further place for me in these regionsâ&#x20AC;Ś" Certainly need must play a prominent part in our sense of guidance toward a place of ministry. If we have a choice and unless there are compelling reasons to the contrary, the Christian worker should choose the place of greatest need! Failure to give adequate consideration to this factor has caused the incredible inequity in the distribution of workers. As someone has said with a great measure of accuracy, "Why should anyone have a chance to hear the gospel twice until all have had a chance to hear it once?"

This may be an overstatement, but it raises a valid question which must be answered. I suspect that most mission boards would far rather have a flood of candidates apply and have to screen out a large percentage of unqualified ones, than have the present shortage of candidates, which sometimes forces boards to accept too many marginally qualified people.

Today in America we have the spectacle of modest churches receiving hundreds of resumes from prospective pastoral candidates. Something is 'out of whack'! Mission boards don't receive even two applications for each opening on the mission field. They are happy to get even one. Bible colleges here in America receive many resumes that Bible institutes and colleges

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org165 abroad have a hard time filling faculty positions. The ministry is the same (albeit usually in a different language). Could it be that some mysterious 'calling' is lacking in one case and not in the other?

When Paul co-opted Timothy as a member of his missionary team, it was because he was "well spoken of by the brethren" in his hometown (Acts 16:12), not because he had a 'missionary call'.

Copyright by C. Gordon Olson 1988. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

WHO IS COMMANDED? The other day a campus minister asked us to be careful when talking to his students about missions because, "At NYU, these students are special and they take their careers very seriously." At first I didn't know what to say, but I have been thinking of this comment constantly because of the implications that it left in my mind. I have been given this little speech more than once now at several of the more prestigious schools we have visited and it finally got under my skin today. What is that person really trying to communicate? That students at a certain school or because of the price of tuition are somehow exempted from the call of Christ seems to be the real underlying thought. Is that how we are to make decisions? Is the task of world missions only fit for students at a community college that have average ability or intellect?

I think that the gauge for our calling is found in the worthiness of the person that is inviting us to join them. When Andy Card received a phone call from George W. Bush, asking him to become his Chief of Staff - It is unlikely that Andy Card had to check his calendar and make a prolonged decision about what to do, even though at the time he was the president of a large corporation. When the president of the most powerful nation of the earth asks you to become his right hand man and office out of the white house, working directly for him as he leads the country and the world - You naturally follow the call because of the worthiness of the person asking you to follow him.

How much more important is it for us to consider the invitation of the Lord of the Universe, the King of Kings, to join Him in His world wide mission with its eternal implications.

If anything there is a greater responsibility on the students that have had an opportunity for better education because of the investment of their parents and their intellect and ambition. God has consistently used students in history that "took their careers very seriously" to radically change the world after abandoning their hopeful careers in medicine, law, agriculture, science and politics. It is reasonable that the greatest minds, the greatest talents, and the greatest innovators of the church will be accountable for a greater not lesser responsibility in God's cause. To whom much is given, much is required.

Consider for a second the repeated emphasis on the impartiality of the Lord.

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org166 And they sent their disciples to Him, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that You are truthful and teach the way of God in truth, and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any." - Matt 22:16 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. - James 2:9 Opening his mouth, Peter said: "I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality. - Acts 10:34 For there is no partiality with God. - Rom 2:11 But from those who were of high reputation (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)--well, those who were of reputation contributed nothing to me. - Gal 2:6 And masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him. - Eph 6:9 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels, to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality. - 1 Tim 5:21 If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; 1 Pet 1:17 I am simple enough to believe that the disciples followed Jesus, not because they didn't have anything better to do, but because of the greatness of the one inviting them. God shows no partiality. His invitation does not consider the career potential, IQ, the family name, or tuition price of your university. The decisive factor is the worthiness of the person that is inviting us to follow Him in reaching the world. The Great Commission has always been a command for all believers and I cannot bring myself to make exemptions that the Lord never makes.

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org167

THE SUPREMACY OF GOD IN MISSIONS THROUGH WORSHIP

by John Piper Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn't. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever. Worship, therefore, is the fuel and goal in missions. It's the goal of missions because in missions we simply aim to bring the nations into the white-hot enjoyment of God's glory. The goal of missions is the gladness of the peoples in the greatness of God. "The Lord reigns; let the people rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad!" (Psalms 67:3-4).

But worship is also the fuel of missions. Passion for God in worship precedes the offer of God in preaching. You can't commend what you don't cherish.

Missionaries will never call out, "Let the nations be glad!", who cannot say from the heart, "I rejoice in the Lord, I will be glad and exult in thee, I will sing praises to thy name, O Most High" (Psalm 104:34; 9:2). Missions begins and ends in worship.

If the pursuit of God's glory is not ordered above the pursuit of man's good in the affections of the heart and the priorities of the church, man will not be well served and God will not be duly honored. I am not pleading for a diminishing of missions but for a magnifying of God. When the flame of worship burns with the heat of God's true worth, the light of missions will shine to the most remote peoples on earth. And I long for that day to come!

Where passion for God is weak, zeal for missions will be weak. Churches that are not centered on the exaltation of the majesty and beauty of God will scarcely kindle a fervent desire to "declare his glory among the nations" (Psalm 96:3). Even outsiders feel the disparity between the boldness of our claim upon the nations and the blandness of our engagement with God. Let the Nations be Glad: Used by permission of Baker Book House Company, copyright 1993. All rights to this material are reserved.

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org168 WHY YOU SHOULD GO TO THE MISSION FIELD

by Keith Green I recently returned from visiting some overseas missionary bases, and I must say that since returning, my life has not been quite the same. The vision and goals of our ministry have suddenly changed. The Lord definitely did something to my heart on that trip. Besides showing me how small my vision had been, He began to give me a great burden to see the ranks of His army in the field swell! One of the greatest things God opened my eyes to was how tremendously evangelized my own country was, while the rest of the world was barely being reached. As I traveled from country to country, I thought of the millions of people I was passing through who needed to have the Gospel of Jesus shown to them in a real way - and yet there was hardly anyone there to reach them.

As I visited each mission base, I spoke with different missionaries, and picked up various pieces of literature that told the story of what was being done in different parts of the world to expand the Kingdom of God. As I read the statistics, I was shocked - I really had never known how little the need was being met!

When I returned home, I got hold of some of the leaders of different missionary organizations and set up some meetings to find out more about what was being done to fill the need. After these meetings, I decided to do a study of God's Word (to see what He had to say about reaching the lost in other countries), and I also read through some more of the missions literature I had been given. This article is the result of that study, and also a burning desire in my heart to see 100,000 young people released to the mission field over the next five years!

SO...WHY SHOULD YOU GO TO THE MISSION FIELD? 1) Because Jesus has told you to go.

"Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all creation." (Mark 16:15) With these words, Jesus made it clear exactly what His disciples were to do they were to spread His teachings in His name, preaching salvation unto the ends of the earth. (Rom. 10:18) If you consider yourself a "believer", then you must consider yourself a "disciple" of Jesus - no less called and chosen than the very first 12 apostles. There are no such things as "1st class" Christians and "2nd class" Christians - every believer is called to spread the Good News about Jesus to those who have not yet heard. Jesus' command is definite and clear - it is His great mandate, His "Great Commission" to the soldiers in His holy army. We must go, because our great General has commanded us to go.

2) You should go because the need is so great.

"The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore, beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest." (Matt. 9:37-38)

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org169 Ever since Jesus first spoke these compassionate words, the supply of workers in the fields of soul-harvest has always been horribly low. But today the need is the greatest it has ever been in the history of mankind.

Remember, Hell is not just for the weekend! More people are alive today, and more souls are at stake, than the total number of people who have ever lived on the face of the earth in all of human history! This simply means that we can populate either Heaven or Hell by our obedience or our laziness. There are over 2,700,000,000 people who have never heard the Gospel at all, and there are only 5,000 to 7,000 missionaries worldwide, working directly with these totally unreached groups of people. That means there is approximately one missionary for every 450,000 of these people! There are over 16,000 different and distinct cultures and people-groups - even whole countries, where not one single church is in existence. There are 7,010 distinct living languages, and 5,199 of them still have no Bible or Scripture translations available in their own language! Do these figures move you at all? Does it matter to you that an estimated 80,000 unsaved people die every day (approximately 3,333 every hour...55 people every single minute!) to face the judgment seat of Christ?

3) You should go because so few Christians are obeying the call, making the need even greater!

"Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ...how shall they hear without a preacher?" (Rom. 10:17,14) Right now worldwide there are only 85,000 workers on the mission field working mainly among those who have heard the gospel before. This figure includes missionaries from all over the world of every nationality. When you compare this number with the amount of Americans selling Avon or Amway products, it is staggering. Just in America alone there are 435,000 Avon sales-people (with 1,280,000 worldwide), and over 750,000 Amway products distributors, (with over a million worldwide)! Do you realize that these two companies combined have 14 times more representatives in the United States alone than the Church of Jesus Christ has in the whole world outside of America?

And what about the Christian representatives we do have in the world? Only 9% of the world's population speaks English, and yet 94% of all ordained preachers in the whole world minister to the 9% who speak English. And 96% of all Christian finances are spent in the United States on 6% of the world's population. Only 4% of all Christian money is spent on missionary efforts to reach the other 94% of the world's population! There are over 1,000,000 fulltime Christian workers in the United States; while one half of the world's population (3 major groups - Muslem, Hindu, and Chinese), 2,200,000,000 people, have only 2,417 full-time Christian workers. As you can see by these figures, something is definitely wrong. While we in America have approximately one worker for every 230 people - those who have never heard the Gospel even once have one worker for every 450,000 souls! Please forgive us, Jesus, for being too timid to obey You and reach out into all the world like You have commanded us to!

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org170 4) You should go because God gives special anointing and grace to those who leave their own land, people, and culture to do God's will and spread the Gospel.

"And the Lord said to Abram, 'Go forth from your country and from your relatives, and from your father's house...and I will bless you and make your name great; and so you shall also be a blessing; and I will bless those that bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.'" (Genesis 12:1-3) Abram (later to be renamed Abraham by God) is only one of the many people in the Bible who God used mightily only after he left his own people, his own land, and his own culture. Look at the travels and ministries of people like Jacob and Moses - both of whom had to go into other lands to learn from God and be used by Him. No matter where you look in the Bible, God always gave a great anointing and blessing to those who served Him in a foreign land. Look at Joseph and Daniel. They were the only two men in the Bible who God raised up as successful, secular officials in foreign and heathen cultures - and they remained faithful witnesses and servants of God to the very end, and often at the risk of their very lives! What about Jonah? He was a good example of someone who didn't want to go to the mission field and preach to heathens!

Stubborn, rebellious, and selfish - and yet God "made him an offer he couldn't refuse." (I pray that God would freely move like that in all our lives, "helping" us to make the right decisions about going.)

And then there's the apostle Paul - who had such a burden for his own people and country, Israel. Oh , how he would have loved a ministry among the Jews!

But what did God say? "Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles." (Acts 22:21) That's what God commanded, and "go" he did. Never was there a missionary like Paul. Take a look at II Corinthians 11 if you'd like to see a list of his qualifications: beatings, imprisonments, stonings, mobs, shipwrecks, the list goes on and on - and so did Paul, obeying his Master who bought him.

From Noah to Abraham, from Moses to Jonah, from Daniel to Paul, God has always given special blessing to those who, leaving the comforts of home and relatives, cross the boundaries of their little worlds to bring God's message and blessing to the nations.

Remember Jesus' words about this subject, "A prophet is not without honor except in his home town, "(Matt. 13:57) 5) You should go because America (and some other western nations) is literally drenched with the Gospel, while most other countries and cultures of the world do not have any continual, relevant witness at all.

"And thus I aspired to preach the Gospel, not where Christ was already named, that I might not build upon another man's foundation; but as it is written, 'They that had no news of Him shall see, and they who have not heard shall understand.'" (Rom. 15:20-21)

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org171 It is so true that we here in America are continually bombarded with Christian witness and ministry. Almost at every turn there's a billboard or a bumper sticker proclaiming something about Jesus. Turn the dial on your radio at any time of the day or night, and you've got non-stop preaching. There are several Christian satellite and cable networks. And there are over 250 different Christian magazines and publications. In most cities there's a church on almost every corner. I am not trying to say that this is all bad - a lot of it is good, winning many souls to Jesus - but as I've traveled overseas, it is hard for me to believe that it is God's will for there to be so much Gospel preaching and literature available here, while there is comparatively little or even none in many places outside of this country.

The world is going to Hell on every continent! Is it God's fault that so few are hearing the gospel - or is it the Church's? Aren't we who love Jesus accountable to reach our generation with the gospel? A friend of mine has written, "this generation of Christians is responsible for this generation of sinners." If this is true, then each of us must take a good, long look at our lives and priorities - finding out where God would have us begin to get ready to go!

6) You should go because, as Oswald J. Smith said, "No one has the right to hear the Gospel twice, while there remains someone who has not heard it once."

"But if our Gospel be hidden, it is hidden to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not, that they might not see the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." (II Cor. 4:3-4) Has it occurred to you that Jesus wants every creature to hear the Gospel? If you had 20 children to feed and plenty of food to feed them all with, do you think it would be right to give 3 of the children 10 meals, 7 children only 1 meal, and the remaining nothing - causing them to die of starvation? That's exactly what we're doing with the Gospel in the world today!

Because we believers are so deaf to God's call to go into all nations, we keep most of God's resources to ourselves! We keep feeding and reaching the same people over and over again. I am not saying there should be no Gospel preached in America, I am saying that there needs to be a spreading out of the soldiers of God, to fight the enemy where his greatest strongholds are "where Christ is not already named"!

7) You should go because the time is short. More and more countries are closing their doors to missionaries and the Gospel, and we must go now.

"We must work the works of Him who sent me, as long as it is day; night is coming, when no man can work." (John 9:4) I constantly hear of country after country where missionaries used to be welcome, but now the doors are closed to them entering. Though it is true that many Christians can still go to be subtle witnesses as doctors, teachers, engineers, etc., the Gospel can no longer be openly preached in many lands.

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org172 Although there are still vast areas of the world wide open for foreign evangelism, such as western Europe, parts of Asia, and most of the Pacific (Japan, South Korea, Singapore, etc.) there are many other countries where it is illegal to hold a street meeting or pass out Gospel literature. We need to sense the urgency of this hour, and obey God by reaching out to those lost in the darkness "while it is still day."

8) You should go because the Holy Spirit is speaking to Christian leadership all over the world that it is God's desire for there to be a great final missionary thrust with the Gospel before the end of the age. It is His desire that every people should have the Gospel preached to them, and that the Gospel should be published in every nation and in every language. And unless YOU get involved personally, there is no hope of that ever happening in our generation! "...And you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." (Acts 1:8) "And this gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end shall come. " ( Matt. 24:14) "The Lord is...patient toward you, not wishing for you to perish but for all to come to repentance." ( II Peter 3:9) Is there any doubt in your mind that God wants everyone to be saved? If you believe this, and you really love Jesus, then WHY are you so timid about getting involved in this great thrust to bring the Gospel to all the nations? Do you think that while you're reading this, God isn't grieved that His Church is being so lazy and disobedient about fulfilling his commission? He knows that you agree with the Scriptures, and He's listening to every excuse you're turning over in your mind like, "Yes, I know that more people need to go...but He just couldn't mean ME! I'm...just not the 'missionary-type'..."

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org173 WINNING BY LOSING THE IMPORTANCE OF GIVING UP YOUR RIGHTS

by Loren Cunningham Some years ago, my young bride and I were driving night and day across the United States in our Volkswagen van. Just after dawn one morning, I gave Darlene the wheel and crawled into the back to take a nap. We were traveling through the Southern part of Arizona, on our way to Tucson.

I woke to the lurching of our van as it began to roll over and over. A few seconds later, I found myself thrown out of the vehicle. The dust was still flying as I looked around me. The van lay on its side totaled. Everything we owned was scattered on the desert. Then I panicked. Where was my wife? I found her a few yards away, her head bashed in, her eyes rolled back, she wasn't even trying to breathe.

As I sat there in despair, cradling her battered head, God spoke to me. He asked, "Loren, are you willing to serve Me?" I thought and replied, "Yes, Lord, I have nothing left but You." Until that moment, I didn't realize that I truly didn't own anything in this world.

We speak of "my family," "my house", "my ministry," "my car," "my reputation," but we can lose them all within seconds. These things are given only to us by God for a time, to use for His glory.

As soon as I said, "Yes, Lord, I'll serve You," God spoke a second time. He told me to pray for Darlene. It hadn't occurred to me to pray for her, I thought she was already dead. As I began to pray, she started to breathe and fight for her life. A Mexican man found us and went for help. An hour later, we were in an ambulance, on the long trip to the hospital. She was still unconscious, but God spoke a third time, telling me that my wife would be okay.

Darlene recovered, and we have enjoyed 22 years together since that day on the desert. But I have never forgotten my promise to the Lord to serve Him. Giving up our right to the people and things God has given us is at the very core of Christian discipleship.

We have rights as individuals. The Bible says every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father (James 1:17). God gave us the right to a family.

God gave us the right to possessions, the right to freedom, the right to our country, and to other basic blessings. All of these things are good.

The Hindus say the material world is evil, while the Buddhists say that only in turning away from the things of this world will we achieve reality. Yet God looked at the earth He created and said, "It is good." And God looks at us and the rights He has given us and says, "It is good."

Then why is He asking us to give back those rights? Because He wants to give us greater things. This is a rule of the Kingdom of God; give up

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org174 something good and receive something greater. Give up your rights and you will receive greater privileges with God. God gives us the right to own possessions. God emphasized the right to personal property in the Ten Commandments. God wants us to open our hands rather than tightly clench our fists around what we own. He says we can't be a servant to money and a servant to Him at the same time. He gives us the right to own things and then asks us to freely give back to Him that with which He has blessed us. When we give up the right to spend our money as we want, and are able to say to God, "Tell me what You want. All I have is Yours. What do You want me to give back to You?", then we will see God as our provider. Then we will have the excitement of seeing Him do the miraculous to meet our needs.

We have been given other rights. We were born to our parents, raised in a neighborhood and brought up to believe certain things. Our moms fixed food in a particular way, and those dishes probably are our favorite foods to this day. Whether we are American, Filipino, or Swiss, whether we grew up in Seattle or Shanghai, these things are part of what makes us who we are.

When we need something to wear, we buy what we like, probably influenced by the way others we admire dress themselves. It could be an outfit like the one we've seen everyone else wearing at school, or if we live in a Malaysian village, it could be a certain way to tie hand-dyed sarongs. Whatever it is, we're happier and feel at our best when we dress a certain way, eat certain foods, live in a certain kind of house and raise our children to do the things that are important to us.

Even where we go to church is geared to our background, our choices, our likes and dislikes and our experiences. We may like a plain building for worship with happy, informal singing and preaching. We may like stained glass windows and a soaring pipe organ. These are all part of our culture, our heritage, our denomination, our families, and our upbringing.

Furthermore, we have the right to be an American (or an Australian, Brazilian, or Russian). We have the right to enjoy our own culture and country. We have the right to belong to a certain church and other groups that express what we believe is important. We have a right to live and to talk and to eat.

But if everyone exercises their rights to the exclusion of God's plans for us, a tragedy of cataclysmic proportions will occur. Millions of people will live their lives in guilt and despair and will die to face judgment for their sins eternally in hell. There are more than 2.5 billion people who've never heard the Gospel.

More than 8,000 unreached people groups wait for a Christian witness.

All we have to do to seal the fate of these millions is to stay where we are, exercising our rights, in surroundings comfortable to us, eating the food we like, going to the church we enjoy, wearing the clothes suited to us, staying with friends who talk about what we like to talk about and shutting our ears to God's cry, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?"

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org175 Jesus gave us the supreme example of giving up everything (all of His "rights") for a greater goal. Philippians 2 says, "He didn't count equality with God a thing to be grasped but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant, a slave." Slaves have no rights, and Jesus became a slave for our sakes.

He gave up the right to be with His Father.

He gave up the right to a home, saying that while the birds have nests and the foxes have dens, He didn't have a place to lay His head.

He gave up the right to money. He had to borrow a coin from someone for a sermon illustration once.

He gave up the right to marriage, and the right to His reputation. As far as most people are concerned, He was an illegitimate baby, raised in a town that was scorned. The ultimate slur to His reputation came when He, the Son of God, was called a devil by the religious experts of His time. But Jesus went further.

He gave up the right to life itself, becoming obedient to death on a cross. For what purpose? So that God might exalt Him, give Him a name above every other name, which at His name every knee should bow. But there's another reason: Jesus was showing us how to live our lives. He was showing us how to win over the devil, which is the greatest job ever given to us - taking the earth from Satan and winning it back for God. Jesus was showing us that the only way to win is to lose; the only way to conquer is to submit.

Jesus wants us to follow Him, losing ourselves and gaining the world. Only by taking Jesus' example into every part of our lives will we be able to win in life.

He spelled it out for us in Mark 8:34 and 35: "If anyone would come after me he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the Gospel will save it."

The choice is ours. We can hold onto our rights, expect and wait for "our blessings" (while people are going to hell) and miss out on God's greater purposes for us. Or we can give them freely back to Him for the greatest privilege of all - winning this world for the Kingdom of God. This article provided by www.heartofgod.com/frontlines

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org176 WINNING BY LOSING THE IMPORTANCE OF GIVING UP YOUR RIGHTS

by Loren Cunningham Some years ago, my young bride and I were driving night and day across the United States in our Volkswagen van. Just after dawn one morning, I gave Darlene the wheel and crawled into the back to take a nap. We were traveling through the Southern part of Arizona, on our way to Tucson.

I woke to the lurching of our van as it began to roll over and over. A few seconds later, I found myself thrown out of the vehicle. The dust was still flying as I looked around me. The van lay on its side totaled. Everything we owned was scattered on the desert. Then I panicked. Where was my wife? I found her a few yards away, her head bashed in, her eyes rolled back, she wasn't even trying to breathe.

As I sat there in despair, cradling her battered head, God spoke to me. He asked, "Loren, are you willing to serve Me?" I thought and replied, "Yes, Lord, I have nothing left but You." Until that moment, I didn't realize that I truly didn't own anything in this world.

We speak of "my family," "my house", "my ministry," "my car," "my reputation," but we can lose them all within seconds. These things are given only to us by God for a time, to use for His glory.

As soon as I said, "Yes, Lord, I'll serve You," God spoke a second time. He told me to pray for Darlene. It hadn't occurred to me to pray for her, I thought she was already dead. As I began to pray, she started to breathe and fight for her life. A Mexican man found us and went for help. An hour later, we were in an ambulance, on the long trip to the hospital. She was still unconscious, but God spoke a third time, telling me that my wife would be okay.

Darlene recovered, and we have enjoyed 22 years together since that day on the desert. But I have never forgotten my promise to the Lord to serve Him. Giving up our right to the people and things God has given us is at the very core of Christian discipleship.

We have rights as individuals. The Bible says every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father (James 1:17). God gave us the right to a family.

God gave us the right to possessions, the right to freedom, the right to our country, and to other basic blessings. All of these things are good.

The Hindus say the material world is evil, while the Buddhists say that only in turning away from the things of this world will we achieve reality. Yet God looked at the earth He created and said, "It is good." And God looks at us and the rights He has given us and says, "It is good."

Then why is He asking us to give back those rights? Because He wants to give us greater things. This is a rule of the Kingdom of God; give up

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org177 something good and receive something greater. Give up your rights and you will receive greater privileges with God. God gives us the right to own possessions. God emphasized the right to personal property in the Ten Commandments. God wants us to open our hands rather than tightly clench our fists around what we own. He says we can't be a servant to money and a servant to Him at the same time. He gives us the right to own things and then asks us to freely give back to Him that with which He has blessed us. When we give up the right to spend our money as we want, and are able to say to God, "Tell me what You want. All I have is Yours. What do You want me to give back to You?", then we will see God as our provider. Then we will have the excitement of seeing Him do the miraculous to meet our needs.

We have been given other rights. We were born to our parents, raised in a neighborhood and brought up to believe certain things. Our moms fixed food in a particular way, and those dishes probably are our favorite foods to this day. Whether we are American, Filipino, or Swiss, whether we grew up in Seattle or Shanghai, these things are part of what makes us who we are.

When we need something to wear, we buy what we like, probably influenced by the way others we admire dress themselves. It could be an outfit like the one we've seen everyone else wearing at school, or if we live in a Malaysian village, it could be a certain way to tie hand-dyed sarongs. Whatever it is, we're happier and feel at our best when we dress a certain way, eat certain foods, live in a certain kind of house and raise our children to do the things that are important to us.

Even where we go to church is geared to our background, our choices, our likes and dislikes and our experiences. We may like a plain building for worship with happy, informal singing and preaching. We may like stained glass windows and a soaring pipe organ. These are all part of our culture, our heritage, our denomination, our families, and our upbringing.

Furthermore, we have the right to be an American (or an Australian, Brazilian, or Russian). We have the right to enjoy our own culture and country. We have the right to belong to a certain church and other groups that express what we believe is important. We have a right to live and to talk and to eat.

But if everyone exercises their rights to the exclusion of God's plans for us, a tragedy of cataclysmic proportions will occur. Millions of people will live their lives in guilt and despair and will die to face judgment for their sins eternally in hell. There are more than 2.5 billion people who've never heard the Gospel.

More than 8,000 unreached people groups wait for a Christian witness.

All we have to do to seal the fate of these millions is to stay where we are, exercising our rights, in surroundings comfortable to us, eating the food we like, going to the church we enjoy, wearing the clothes suited to us, staying with friends who talk about what we like to talk about and shutting our ears to God's cry, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?"

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org178 Jesus gave us the supreme example of giving up everything (all of His "rights") for a greater goal. Philippians 2 says, "He didn't count equality with God a thing to be grasped but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant, a slave." Slaves have no rights, and Jesus became a slave for our sakes.

He gave up the right to be with His Father.

He gave up the right to a home, saying that while the birds have nests and the foxes have dens, He didn't have a place to lay His head.

He gave up the right to money. He had to borrow a coin from someone for a sermon illustration once.

He gave up the right to marriage, and the right to His reputation. As far as most people are concerned, He was an illegitimate baby, raised in a town that was scorned. The ultimate slur to His reputation came when He, the Son of God, was called a devil by the religious experts of His time. But Jesus went further.

He gave up the right to life itself, becoming obedient to death on a cross. For what purpose? So that God might exalt Him, give Him a name above every other name, which at His name every knee should bow. But there's another reason: Jesus was showing us how to live our lives. He was showing us how to win over the devil, which is the greatest job ever given to us - taking the earth from Satan and winning it back for God. Jesus was showing us that the only way to win is to lose; the only way to conquer is to submit.

Jesus wants us to follow Him, losing ourselves and gaining the world. Only by taking Jesus' example into every part of our lives will we be able to win in life.

He spelled it out for us in Mark 8:34 and 35: "If anyone would come after me he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the Gospel will save it."

The choice is ours. We can hold onto our rights, expect and wait for "our blessings" (while people are going to hell) and miss out on God's greater purposes for us. Or we can give them freely back to Him for the greatest privilege of all - winning this world for the Kingdom of God. This article provided by www.heartofgod.com/frontlines

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org179 WOMEN IN MISSION

by Marguerite Kraft and Meg Crossman After the last road ended, there was still a 2-day hike to where the Balangao people lived. Two single women missionaries were making that hike. The Balangao, a tribe of former headhunters in the Philippines, continued to sacrifice to powerful and demanding spirits who caused sickness, death and constant turmoil. These women, trained in Bible translation, had volunteered to work among them.

When they arrived, they were greeted by men wearing G-strings and women wrapped in cloth from home-made looms. It is hard to say who was more amazed. The Balangao had asked for Americans to come live with them and write their language, but they never dreamed the Americans would be women!

An old man offered to be their father and was faithful in looking after them.

Besides the work of translation, these women began giving medical assistance, learning about the spirit world, and answering questions about life and death. One of them, Jo Shetler, stayed for 20 years, winning her way into the hearts and lives of the people and completing the New Testament translation. Because of this dedication, thousands now know Jesus as Lord of the Balangao.

Jo Shetler, a shy farm girl with a dream, has stirred many with her story.

However, stories remain unwritten of multitudes of women who likewise obeyed the call of God to serve Him on the far horizons. Many women do not realize how greatly God can use their giftedness and commitment in situations such as this.

FROM THE EARLIEST DAYS The Book of Acts records the account of Priscilla, a woman specifically used of God to touch people in at least three different nations: Rome, Greece, and Asia Minor. Apparently a native of the eastern area of Asia Minor, this woman of Jewish faith lived with her husband, Aquila, in Rome until the Jews were expelled. When they met Paul in Corinth, they may already have become believers. They hosted Paul, led a house church, and were assigned by Paul to disciple the eloquent and committed Egyptian Jew, Apollos, instructing him in "the way of God more perfectly" (Acts 18:26).

Paul recognized and honored their gifts and they moved with him to the work in Ephesus. Since Priscilla's name is almost always listed first, the Jamieson, Fausset and Brown commentary suggests that "the wife was more prominent and helpful to the Church." It is perhaps more interesting to note that her role in cross-cultural service, leadership, and teaching were perceived as so normal they did not require special comment or explanation by the writer of Acts! Her role seems to have been accepted and expected rather than being considered either controversial or extraordinary.

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org180 IN THE EARLY MISSIONARY MOVEMENT In the early days of the Protestant mission advance, most women who went to the field were wives of missionaries. Discerning men recognized that contact with women in most non-Western societies was impossible for them, so women had to undertake this responsibility.

These women rarely received recognition for the heavy load they carried, managing home and children as well as developing programs to reach local women and girls.

Initially, single women could only go to the field to care for missionaries' children or serve alongside the missionary family. However, little by little, new opportunities arose. R. Pierce Beaver describes the work of Cynthia Farrar in India, Elizabeth Agnew in Ceylon and other single women who began to supervise women's schools. Quietly, they helped in zenanas and harems.

Doors opened through medical service. Yet their effective work was seldom publicized.

However, leaders like D.L. Moody, A.B. Simpson, and A.J. Gordon believed in encouraging women's gifts for public ministry. Both J. Hudson Taylor, founder of China Inland Mission, and Fredrik Franson, founder of TEAM (The Evangelical Alliance Mission), saw the need to recruit and send women to evangelize crossculturally. In 1888, Taylor wrote, "We are manning our stations with ladies." Throughout its initial history, his mission expected women, both single and married, to carry out all the missionary duties, including preaching and teaching.

In Jane Hunter's study of correspondence and published articles from women on the field she discovered "the vast majority of women missionaries were motivated by a deep sense of commitment to God, far more than by any desire to attain personal recognition or power. That type of moving report also infected women in the churches at home with a dynamic world vision.

Mobilizers such as Annie Armstrong and Helen Barret Montgomery dedicated themselves to developing missionary prayer groups, raising funds, and mobilizing Christians to support field work of all kinds.

A NEW WAY OF SENDING The Civil War in the United States became a catalyst for change in the way women were sent. After the Civil War, so many men had died that women were either widowed or unlikely to marry. "This forced women into an unusual range of responsibilities. They ran businesses, banks, farms, formed colleges and for the next 50 years inherited a larger role than men as the major muscle of the mission movement."

Since missionary boards still refused to send women directly to the work, women simply organized their own boards. First was the Women's Union Missionary Society. In the years to follow many others were created. They built women's colleges, specifically to train women for missionary service.

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org181 Besides rousing women to go overseas, more than 100,000 local churches developed their own active women's missionary societies, an unmatched base for prayer and funding.

By 1910 there were forty-four women's missionary boards in the United States, many of them within mainline denominations. They had nearly 2,000 women in the field. Their funds were raised above and beyond the regular denominational mission giving, indicating the phenomenal job of missions awareness these women's boards were achieving on the home front. Sadly, as they were persuaded to combine with the denominational boards in the 1920's and 30's, women gradually lost their opportunity to direct the work.

AND STILL TODAY Overall, probably two-thirds of the total force for mission has been and currently is, female. Many mission executives agree that the more difficult and dangerous the work, the more likely women are to volunteer to do it! David Yonggi Cho concludes from his experience that women are the best choice for arduous, pioneering work. "We have found that in these situations, women will never give up. Men are good for building up the work, but women are best for persevering when men would get discouraged."

Some fear that with the unique obstacles of reaching the Muslim world, Western women can play no part. Yet in a nomadic Muslim group in subSaharan Africa, a single woman is effectively training Imams (Islamic teachers) in the Gospel. They perceive her to be nonthreatening, "just a woman." Building upon a foundation of interpersonal relationship and Bible knowledge, she does not give them answers herself. She simply shows the Imams how to find them in the Word. The Lord has confirmed her teaching, giving dreams and visions to these leaders. As they have been converted, they are now training many others. She is accepted as a loving, caring elder sister, who gives high priority to their welfare.

Jim Reapsome's editorial in World Pulse (Oct 9, 1992) advocating more training and more support for women received an almost immediate letter of thanks from a missionary to a Muslim group in Southeast Asia He wrote: Interestingly enough, despite the common emphasis on training and using men, here in -----, some of the best evangelists are all women! In fact 3 of our most important coworkers (who are really doing the most cutting-edge ministry) are women. Interns of Americans, we only have one single man who made the sacrifice to come here but four single women, with three more on the way. In the face of chauvinistic Islam, it is good to be reminded that true Christianity is not chauvinistic, but an equally exciting call to new, fulfilling life for women and men.

OPPORTUNITIES IN SPECIAL AREAS In recent years, women have proven themselves excellent in adapting to new roles in mission specialization. Wycliffe Bible Translators found over the years

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org182 that teams of single women did well on the field a far greater number of such teams successfully finish translations than teams of single men. Elizabeth Greene, a woman pilot who served in the Air Force in WWII, was one of the founders of Mission Aviation Fellowship. Gospel Recordings, providing Christian tapes and records in many languages (using native speakers to give the Word rather than waiting for a printed translation) was founded through Joy Ridderhof's vision and effort. Ruth Siemens' creative idea resulted in Global Opportunities, assisting lay persons to find tentmaker positions overseas.

Christian women today need to know and celebrate their heritage. We can study women of greatness who served in Christ's cause and claim them as our role models. From Mary Slessor, single woman pioneer in Africa, to Ann Judson of Burma and Rosalind Goforth of China, wives who fully served; from Amy Carmichael of India to Mildred Cable in the Gobi Desert; from Gladys Aylward, the tiny chambermaid determined to get to China to Mother Eliza Davis George, a black woman missionary to Liberia; from translator Rachel Saint to medical doctor Helen Roseveare; from Isobel Kuhn and Elisabeth Elliot, mobilizing missionary authors to Lottie Moon, pacesetting mission educator; from simple Filipino housemaids in the Middle East to women executives in denominational offices to unsung Bible women in China, the roll is lengthy and glorious!

That roll, however, remains incomplete, awaiting the contribution of current and future generations. God's women now enjoy freedoms and opportunities their forebearers never envisioned. Most small businesses started in the U.S. are owned by women. Women now hold highly responsible positions in government, business, and medicine. "To whom much is given, much is required." How will women of God today harvest such opportunities for their Father's purposes?

Women, stirred by the task that lies ahead, can mobilize, devoting their skills, their accessibility, their knowledge, their tenderness, their intuitiveness, their own distinctive fervor to the work. The pioneer spirit, full of dedication and faithfulness, which women throughout history have shown will set the standard. The task is too vast to be completed without all God's people!

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org183 YOUR JERUSALEM, JUDEA, AND SAMARIA

By Jack Rose " ...you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." Acts 1:8 The above passage is one that is familiar to many Christians as a verse about missions. We see that Christians will take the Gospel to the ends of the earth, to every unreached people group. However, Christians often use this passage as a reason to not do mission work. This should concern or confuse us. How can a command by Jesus to take the Gospel to the entire world be used to excuse us from missions? The answer to this question is found in the way that Christians interpret the verse. Let's look at the two different ways that this verse can be interpreted and look closer at these views to measure the truth and validity of each: View One This view takes a literal look at the verse. When Jesus says "Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth," He means the literal city of Jerusalem, the actual regions of Judea and Samaria, and the literal ends of the earth. In this view, we do not know from this verse if it is meant to be fulfilled in any particular order.

View One Deconstructed If we are two believe that Jesus was speaking of literal places in Acts 1:8, then the consequences are that the early church would have a very specific plan to follow in beginning to take the Gospel to others. Obviously, we know from the rest of the New Testament that Jerusalem was reached with the Gospel as well as Judea and Samaria. That would mean, then, that we are currently in the "ends of the earth" section of the command, not because any specific order is given here but because the first three parts of the command are already fulfilled.

View Two The view takes a personal look at the verse. Instead of Jesus meaning actual places, this view interprets Him as meaning "spheres of application." This view says that Jesus meant to say, "You will be my witnesses, in your Jerusalem (your family or city,) your Judea and Samaria (your state and country,) and the ends of the earth. Once again, it is unclear in this interpretation if there is a specific order to the command.

View Two Deconstructed If this view of Acts 1:8 is the correct interpretation, that means that every believer that will ever live should in fact bless their own local and regional areas and the ends of the earth as well. If Jesus in fact meant, "Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, AND the ends of the earth," then all Christians must impact each of those areas personally. No one is exempt from any of these

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org184 personalized regions. You must, in this view, be witnesses in your Jerusalem, your Judea and Samaria, and the ends of the earth. A cross cultural missionary must find a way to not only bless the unreached people group that he/she works among, they must at the same time be a witness to their local and regional areas back home. Here's where View Two becomes difficult.

Obviously, one can't be in Algeria and Alabama at the same time, so to apply this verse to our lives as View Two would demand of us, we must find a way of putting an extra-Biblical (not found in scripture, but made up) order to the areas of outreachâ&#x20AC;Śone must happen first and then another, then another.

This approach often is used by Christians to avoid moving out of their comfort zones to spread the Gospel of Christ. They will say, "I have to reach my family (my Jerusalem) before I can reach anyone else," as if to say that every one of our relatives must first accept Jesus before we can minister to others. Often, this statement is really an excuse. If you were to ask those who say this if they are indeed preaching Christ to their family, most would not be able to say, "yes."

AND not THEN AND not THEN is a common mistake in reading this verse. Many believers will substitute the word "Then" for the actually word "And" in Acts 1:8. The Greek word KAI is fairly specific in its meaning: And. Therefore, we cannot view this verse as saying, "You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, THEN Judea, THEN Samaria, and THEN the ends of the earth." Instead the verse reads, "in Jerusalem, and Judea and Samaria, and the ends of the earth." The followers of Jesus are supposed to be witnesses to each of these with no order given here.

Elsewhere, Jesus does clarify that the disciples are to start in Jerusalem.

(Luke 24:47) So, the question still remains-"Does this mean that we reach out locally, then regionally, then in global mission, or does it mean that Jesus' followers would be witnesses in the city of Jerusalem, the regions of Judea and Samaria, and the literal ends of the earth?"

The Interpretation of the Early Church Well, we know that the disciples did not take a View Two approach to this command. They started with Jerusalem instead of their own home region of Galilee. We see in their actions that they weren't starting in THEIR Jerusalem, but in the literal Jerusalem. As we follow the early Church, we see that after a great persecution breaks out, most of the believers in Jerusalem were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria, (Acts 8:1) and are witnesses to these areas. If we watch long enough, we see the Lord finally convincing Peter that He loves all people, not just Israel (Acts 10) and the Apostle Paul is raised up as a missionary to the Gentiles. Gentiles are non-Jews. Basically, if you are anywhere besides Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria (Samaritans were half-jewish), everyone you see will most likely be a Gentile. The ends of the earth are Gentile nations. The focus of the early Church after Acts 8 is the Gentile worldâ&#x20AC;Śthe ends of the earth. The early Church, by practice, endorsed View One. What That Means for Us

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org185 This means that we can not put an order to our outreach. We can't just focus on reaching those who are still unbelievers in our family, city, or country and forget about the nations. Jesus, in Matthew 24:14, "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come." The Disciples started in Jerusalem, spread the Gospel to Judea and Samaria, and then began to move out to the ends of the earth. Jesus says that the end of history will not come until all ethnic groups are reached with the Gospel. We have a task that Jesus expects for us to finish before the end of all things. It entails taking the Gospel to the ethnicities at the ends of the earth. We have a task! Let's get to it!

CHURCH AND PARA CHURCH: FRIEND OR FOE?

by Dr. Steve Shadrach A conference championship was at stake on this chilly December afternoon as these two top teams squared off to see who would advance to a major bowl on New Years Day in front of a national TV audience. Seventy thousand rabid fans crammed into the stadium, a neutral site allowing supporters from both teams to attend. It was a hard fought battle with the outcome determined on the last play of the game. Being two points behind, and with a last ditch pass from midfield, the quarterback launched a long spiral toward the end zone. As time expired on the clock, both the receiver and defender leaped high to grab the ball, but instead, they smashed into each other and fell, along with the ball, to the turf. A split second later a yellow flag was pulled from the referees pocket and thrown high into the air indicating pass interference.

Time seemed totally suspended as the screaming fans waited to see which team was being called for the penalty; the answer surely producing the conference champion. At that precise moment a shocking phenomena took place that defies any mathematicians’ law of averages. One whole side of the stadium, along with the players, coaches, even cheerleaders all were yelling “offensive interference!” Amazingly, the other 35,000 fans on the opposing side of the stadium, along with their players, coaches, and cheerleaders were wildly chanting “defensive interference!” What an unbelievable coincidence!

The odds must be 100 trillion to one that every single individual on one side of the stadium would interpret the play one way, while each and every person on the other half would interpret it exactly the opposite. Incredible!

Not so incredible, you might be thinking, because you and I have both been at athletic events where we find ourselves either cheering or booing the referee, dependent upon whether the call was made for or against our beloved team. If we were honest with ourselves, we would admit that our mind was made up in advance of the game, predestining ourselves to applaud when something good happens to our squad, and protesting when a call goes against us. The reason? Before the contest even begins, we have chosen our allegiance, affixed our lens, and view every occurrence throughout the game based upon

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org186 that bias.

The Games People Play The only thing that raises our blood pressure to new heights of irrationality more than sports is theology! Whether it’s the divorce and remarriage issue, charismatic gifts, or stewardship, we tend to defend our position on many controversial doctrines based upon our upbringing and particular experiences rather than an objective, clear headed, inductive study of the Scriptures.

Especially among believers who are in full time ministry, no topic seems to stir the emotions more than the church-para church discussion. And let’s admit it, if we have spent our years primarily ministering through a local church, that’s going to be the lens we have affixed to our perspective. Or if our spiritual growth or training mainly came through a para-church ministry, that determines the starting point (i.e. bias) for our evaluation.

So, if that stadium represented the Body of Christ and was now filled with Christians, what would we have? On one side the Pastors, Elders and Deacons might be yelling, “The church is God’s chosen instrument! He has given His authority to us! Christ died for the church, not the para-church! Your time, talent, and treasure needs to be given here, and no where else! Tell the para-church people to quit stealing money and people from our congregation!

Now, back off!”

The other half of this stadium is full of para-church workers and participants pointing across the field and fervently shouting, “You’ve had your chance and blown it! We’re tired of your mediocrity and bickering! We’re the truly committed believers, you guys are just playing church! If this Great Commission is going to get accomplished, it will be because we gathered the resources and gumption to get it down! Now, back off!”

While both groups are busy trying to defend their position and criticize the other, the world is going to hell by the truckload. Every ten seconds, 23 people pass into eternity and an estimated 19 of those into a Christ-less eternity. While wasting time and effort spouting forth our petty prejudices and insecurities, a broken hearted God weeps, waiting for His children to quit attacking one another and turn our God given resources toward defeating the real enemy─Satan.

You may think I’m a spiritual schizophrenic when you hear my story. Growing up in a huge denominational church, I was later led to Christ by a para-church worker and was involved in both during college. I attended the largest denominational seminary in the world, as well as the largest nondenominational one. I’ve been a pastor of a denominational church, a founder of three para-church ministries, elder of a non-denominational church, trained and spoken to hundreds of different church and para-church groups, and to top it all off, I completed a doctorate in Church and Para-Church Executive Leadership several years ago! After all this, you want to know my conclusion?

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org187 We’re all in this together! We think there are two sides to this fence, when in fact─there is NO fence!

God: A Computer Geek?

I believe the Lord is grieved by how we Christians have divided ourselves up into thousands of little categories, splitting and re-forming─many times over some of the most asinine reasons. How does God keep it all straight? He must have the latest and greatest Pentium computer to be able to track all the ever-changing, ever-growing branches and flavors of church and para-church groups. Working around the clock, cutting and pasting, I can hear Him exclaim, “O.K., this is a Bible Study here. That’s a new Community Group there. Oops, they’re calling themselves a Local Church now. Let’s see, that meeting there is just a Para-Church organization. Oh no, this is confusing.

Now they say they want to plant churches! And what file am I supposed to put these denominational seminaries and student centers in?”

God does not divide the world up into rich and poor, black and white, democrat and republican or even church and para-church! No, in reality there are only two groups: those who are part of God’s family and those who are not. His energies are directed toward mobilizing His children to reach out to those are not yet part of His family. All other divisions are man made. You can parse your Bible all you want, but trying to drive a wedge in the Body of Christ by creating (and then disdaining) terms like “para-church” is thwarting the unity that God commands us to seek in Ephesians 4: •

v. 2, 3: “With all humility and gentleness, showing patience and forebearance to one another in love, be diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

•

v. 4, 5: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism.”

Then Paul tells us that all believers have been given spiritual gifts for a reason: •

v. 12, 13a: “for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the Body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith…”

To pit “church” and “para-church” against one another is a mistake. We are all part of His Church. There are countless little c’s (local churches) around the world and myriads of little pc’s (para-church ministries) that make up the one Big C (The Church). There’s no class A and class B Christians. Some think that God had a “Plan A” where He preferred to reach the world through the local church, but somehow they couldn’t get it done, so He had to resort to “Plan B”, bringing in the para-church ministries to fill in and finish the job. That view does not depict the sovereign, all powerful God I know, who set forth His decrees before the foundation of the world, and is carrying them out with

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org188 absolute precision!

There’s Nothing New Under the Sun Lest you think I’m oversimplifying the situation or trying to cover it up with sappy sports stories or computer lingo, let’s look at a couple of examples from the Scriptures. Some of these thoughts are taken from missionary and author Dr. Ralph Winter, founder of the U.S. Center for World Mission, who deftly demonstrates how the Bible teaches us there are two structures of God’s redemptive mission here on earth, not just one, and that both of them borrowed heavily from their predecessors…

•

1. Modalities

Jesus focused on function rather than form during His earthly ministry. As the apostles and first believers (who were almost all Jewish) struggled to create a form (i.e. modalilty) to launch and develop the Christian movement they knew of only one religious structure: the Jewish synagogue. Even the greek word for “church” is ekklesia, which was used many times to describe a nonChristian gathering or meeting (Acts 19:32,39,41; 7:38; Psalms 22:22). The apostles borrowed this concept and began to start “Christian synagogues” or meetings where new believers, be they Jew or Gentile, could be built up in the faith.

In Acts 2:41-47, they experienced a rude awakening at Pentecost, when after 3,000 responded to the gospel, they were forced to create some structure real fast. This instant crowd of 3,000 baby Christians were in immediate need of baptism, teaching, fellowship, prayer, not to mention room and board! The befuddled Apostles grabbed and tweaked the only model they knew to create tracks to run on─the Jewish synagogue!

These permanent bases of ministry were essential to nourish and strengthen all believers and were led by generalists, who could help direct and develop all aspects of the local effort. Later, in the Pastoral Epistles, Paul provided a number of guidelines how these local congregations were to operate.

•

2. Sodalities

Jesus and the apostles were fully aware that the Jews not only had stationary bases of operations, called synagogues, but also mobile teams of Jewish evangelists whose job it was to expand the movement. Jesus described in Matthew 23:15 how they would “travel around on sea and land to make a single proselyte.” Later, in Acts 15:21, Peter acknowledged that “Moses is preached in every city.”

These sodalities (i.e. organized societies) provided the model Paul drew from as he created his traveling missionary band in Acts 13. After the church at Antioch laid hands on he and Barnabus, they were “sent out by the Holy Spirit.” There was no mission board, policy manual, or weekly report to send

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www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org189 in. They simply went from town to town, preaching the gospel, forming fellowships, selecting leadership, and recruiting workers. In other words, it was on the job training and they were figuring it out─as they went!

These more temporary efforts were mobile and pioneering in nature, going where the local churches could not, and were led by specialists─individuals who had a very unique calling, gifting, or ministry target. An example: Paul’s traveling team of missionaries was made up of seven men from four different locations, banding together to establish believing communities in unreached areas (Acts 20:4).

Just as the Apostles took their cues from the Jews, the Catholics, in subsequent centuries, tore a page from the Apostle’s playbook when creating their dioceses (modalities) to minister locally, and monasteries (sodalities) to extend the movement where it had not yet gone. Today, the Protestants have developed the concepts even more by producing a variety of effective local church styles, while continuing to produce new, more specific para-church ministries, pioneering the gospel in increasingly strategic ways.

Let’s Just Be Friends My plea is that we work together as friends, not foes. Let’s create synergy by discovering and playing to each other’s strengths. We could do away with an incredible amount of duplication and “recreating the wheel” if we would lay down our pride and cooperate, seeking to draw the best from existing churches and para-churches out there. There’s no need to compete or compare. The local churches should seek to appreciate, support, and facilitate the work of para-church ministries in their area and around the world. Parachurch ministries ought not to operate in a vacuum, but be linking their new converts to good local churches, where they can have a healthy, long term source of spiritual nourishment for them and their families.

The Lord of the Universe has called all believers to team up to complete His purposes on earth. Instead of squabbling over how it should be done (or what we are going to call it), our lives and resources should be aimed at accomplishing what is on the heart of God: giving every person on the planet an opportunity to join His family and forever bring praise and honor to His name. That’s something we can all unite around!

Here’s the bottom line. God gives us functions to fulfill, not forms to follow.

One Western missionary, who was trying to figure out how to bring the gospel into a completely different culture, explained it this way: “We are seeking dynamic equivalence, not formal replication.” In other words, Jesus has given us marching orders to lead people to Christ, establish them in the faith, equip and send out workers to repeat that process around the world. Let’s find the best way to do just that in every nation, tribe, and tongue, not becoming slaves to traditional forms if they squeeze out the vital functions the Lord want us to carry out.

Ministry Of Grace E-Books Resources

www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org190 I believe God is not that concerned whether we call the form a church, simple church, para-church, cell group, or Bible study. He has a single over riding objective, “I will build My Church (big C!) and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” He didn’t come to take sides─He came to take over! The challenge will be to get our eyes off of building our little kingdoms and to give ourselves completely to extending and expanding His Kingdom here on earth. Know for sure that there is no limit to what a man can do if He doesn’t care who gets the credit.* * I don’t know who first came up with this last statement, but I know it wasn’t me!

Resources: 1. “The Two Structures of God’s Redemptive Mission”—an article by Dr. Ralph Winter in Perspectives on the World Christian Movement, published by William Carey Library, 1999 2. “The Local Church: Failure, Foe, or Friend in the Great Commission?”—a brochure written by Paul Borthwick for Caleb Project (go to www.takeitglobal.org) 3. Church and Para Church: An Uneasy Marriage by Jerry White, Published

by Multnomah Press, 1983 Dr. Steve Shadrach is Director of Mobilization for the U.S. Center for World Mission and President of The BodyBuilders Ministry. He and his family reside in Fayetteville, Arkansas where he is involved in his local church and para church!

Ministry Of Grace E-Books Resources

www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org191

Ministry Of Grace E-Books Resources

www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org192

Ministry Of Grace E-Books Resources

www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org193

Ministry Of Grace E-Books Resources

www.Ministry-Of-Grace.Org194

Ministry Of Grace E-Books Resources