If it were not for Jesus and His love, I wonder if we would be driven to reach the lost out of mere sympathy. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that One died for all, and therefore all died. And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again.”
The story of Jonah is the story of our lives as Christians: we are torn between our call, and our comfort. Jesus told us that our spirit is willing, but our flesh is weak (Garden of Gethsemane, Matt. 26:41). Our comfort isn’t just liking the things we like, it also means avoiding the things we don’t like – anything that puts us in an uncomfortable position. Like sharing the Gospel, or leaving our zip code to travel for an actual mission trip.
I have found in life, that both good things and bad things can be hidden. Diamonds are expensive because their original geological form is found buried inside the Earth, then the process to transform them into priceless jewelry is also hidden to most of the world; while the information is available, most of us cannot describe every step of diamond production; nor does any singular person have the skill set to carry out each stage on their own. Now let’s look at something bad: trafficking. The stages of abduction, imprisonment, transporting, torture and sale of human beings is foreign to most people, except those in law enforcement and proactive ministries and organizations injecting themselves into the system so that it will stop. Evil primarily occurs in the dark – physically and metaphorically. Again, no singular person can facilitate an entire trafficking ring. Both with diamonds (good) and trafficking (bad), many people are required to achieve success.
Over the last few weeks, we have had 3 of our GI mission teams in 3 very different areas of the world: Asia, the Middle East, and Africa—a contrast of very different outreaches. Two out of the three were in the 10/40 window—which, if you’re not familiar with that term, it is “the rectangular area of North Africa, the Middle East and Asia approximately between 10 degrees north and 40 degrees north latitude.” (the Joshua Project).
If you have been watching the news, you will know that as of the time I am writing this, nearly 10,000 people have lost their lives in the area of Turkey, Syria and Lebanon. It is hard to not think about how truly devastating this is. As the stories of bravery and survival emerge, it almost becomes more heartbreaking….
This is a special year for Global Infusion – it is our 20th anniversary; and while we will have a time of celebration, I believe it is more important to remember what Jesus did for us, what He commissioned us to do, and follow His example. …
Does your church have a building where services are held? Not every church has one. A church-planting friend of mine in Asia wrote an article outlining the reasons why it is important to have a church building or structure in the villages where they work. Many believers around the world do not have an actual place to go for worship; many meet outside or in homes. Some of these homes are made of sticks and thatched roofs.
If you were expecting a heart-warming story about being thankful during this season, you may have to look elsewhere. I have just returned from a location in the world that is dominated by a man-made, demonically inspired “religion.” While most of the Western world has been preparing for all the seasonal holidays we enjoy, there are areas of the world that are deprived of the Gospel, and in some instances, believers are still persecuted for their allegiance to Jesus.
Have you ever heard of the 10/40 window? Simply put, it is home to some of the largest unreached people groups on the planet. It is a geographically rectangular area of North Africa, the Middle East and Asia that sits latitudinally between 10 degrees north and 40 degrees north. This area of the world has been referred to as “The Resistant Belt” and includes the majority of the world’s Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus.
If you own a vehicle, or live with someone who does, there are certain activities you may not think about. In fact, most of our activities involve getting in a vehicle and traveling to a different location. We travel to work, school, grocery stores, the mall, shopping centers, gas stations, medical facilities, and the homes of our friends and family. Now think of your life without access to a personal vehicle. Or maybe you have one that needs to be shared with many people. Also add in that fuel is expensive, so driving is only allowable when absolutely necessary. Now think about the church you attend. Would you go if you didn’t have a vehicle?
