thoughts

Two of my friends from App have joined The Traveling Team since graduating. The Traveling Team had quite an affect on me when I was in school, opening my eyes to the state of the world. They offered staggering statistics, especially about how Christians world wide are spending their money. For example, less than 2% of the total worldwide income goes to Christian causes and less than 1% of that goes to work among the unevangelized. You can check out other information by clicking on the "Resources" link and then "State of the World" from their homepage.

I stumbled upon this article by Jack Rose (also under the "Resources" link) answering the question we've all had, "What about the people who have never heard of Jesus?" It gave me goosebumps so I thought I would share it.

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.

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."