shout

Newsletter Articles

"Pleading for the Word"

Volume 4 Issue 2    Summer , 2006

At one stage during his missionary journeys, Paul found himself  blocked by the Holy Spirit from preaching in Asia (Acts 16:6). As he looked for an open door for the gospel, Paul received a vision of a man begging him to come preach in Macedonia. He quickly concluded that this is where he should go. (Acts 16:9-10).

   It is not hard to understand Paul’s decision. Ignoring someone pleading for the gospel would be like ignoring a baby begging for milk. One simply cannot do it in good conscience.

   This story has been on my mind lately as I look for where God would have me take the gospel.

   Much of my ministry involves trying to convince people that they should at least listen to the gospel message. Rather than babies crying for milk, these people are like precocious five year olds refusing to eat their vegetables.

   Now there is nothing wrong with trying to get five year olds to eat vegetables. These people have been a large part of my target audience and will continue to be. However,  even as I have been working with those who desire only junk food, I have started to hear hungry babies crying for simple nourishment. As I have sought to reach out and find people in predominantly post-Christian western lands, people from non-western lands have found me. These people  don’t have to be convinced to try the gospel—they are starving for it.

   I have been receiving invitations, at the rate of about one a week, to come preach in developing nations. So far I have heard from pastors in Pakistan, India and several countries in Africa.

   This plea from a pastor in Kenya is typical: [Please come and hold crusades and pastors conferences as] “we are hungering to know more about the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the will of God for our lives.” He goes on to quote Matthew 9:36-38 and lament how few laborers there are to reap the abundant harvest in Africa.

   I have decided that these pleas simply cannot be ignored and I am now hoping to be able to visit some of my new friends  and work alongside them starting in 2007.

   I will give you more details as we work things out, but right now it looks like our focus (at least for 2007) will be Kenya and possibly India.

   As well as going to preach and serve, I will be working on helping to raise funds for these churches to purchase Bibles and other study materials. They simply don’t have the money to keep up with demand. Any contributions you want to make to this cause will be appreciated.

   This is uncharted territory for me but I am very excited about the opportunity. God is doing a wonderful work in the third world and I can’t wait to be a part of it.