Sunday Words of Encouragement March 3, 3019

Our Sunday School teacher was out with his wife, celebrating their anniversary. Our substitute teacher shared a video by Anne Graham Lotz on The Daniel Prayer. Based on Daniel 9 she teaches that Daniel prayed with confidence, contrition and clarity.

Our Church message was shared by one of our AG Missionaries, “J”. He and his family are missionaries to Penasia. He prayed that we would open our hearts to “shock me now, not later”.
He prays that God will help him live every day for God’s Glory.

Our guest was born in American with many blessings. J had a friend from a country in Asia and one day as they traveled a mountain road his friend noted that a few miles away is a village who has never seen a foreigner; has never heard of Jesus. And another village a few miles further, and then another. When faced with people in a country not free to learn of God, much less worship, he asked: What can we do to reach those who haven't heard the gospel?

The first time J went home with his friend, he was the first foreigner to ever visit that village. It is estimated there are 240 million “unreached” people in Penasia. Of seventeen thousand people groups on earth, seven groups are deemed unreached as less than 2 percent have access to the Gospel of Christ. That results in 40 percent of people on Earth being unreached.

Unreached are different than “the lost”. A man floundering in a current 50 feet off shore is lost unless those who can see him reach out to rescue him. He has ready access to help. A man who fell off a cruise ship in middle of ocean has no one to help him. He has no hope and can only be rescued if someone is specifically sent to rescue him.

God and Jesus send their messengers to reach every tribe, every nation.
The majority of the people in Penasia will never hear of Jesus. They are isolated by lack of access, government restrictions and the religion of Buddhism. Because of the upbringing in the religion of Buddhism it takes 6 to 7 years of sharing before a person may accept Christ. The AG goal is to change the map by reaching these unreached. There is Spiritual warfare.
J showed us video of a visit he made to the 2000 year old Shwesandaw Pagoda in Myanmar, formerly Burma. There is a large ornate shrine surrounded by smaller shrines. J was there on during a holy celebration. There were probably 15,000 to 20,000 people, infant to aged. They were there to celebrate their spirits.
The thought of those people never learning about Jesus and the gospel of salvation is enough to bring tears.
Does our passion measure up to their passion for a lie?
God's heart is broken. Is ours?
God sent Abraham, Joseph and Moses to other lands to fulfill His plan. Acts 7.
God has called us to go – some go physically, and some go by sending (supporting) others.
God has called us to share where we are: family, work, community.
God gives us compassionate hearts, balanced with grace to seek and save the unreached as well as the lost.

Here is a song for missions: A New Hallelujah

Verses for Today
Psalm 67:1-2 (NIV)
1 May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face shine on us—
2 so that your ways may be known on earth,
your salvation among all nations.

God, I pray that you give me a compassionate heart and help me to live each day for Your Glory!