More from Day 3 @ Cape Town 2010
Last night I was struck by one of the presenters from the Middle East. He shared there are no unreached children - either they will be reached for Christ or they will be reached by someone or something else. The question is, who will reach them?
That comment really struck me as I've been listening to the statistics being shared day after day here at Cape Town 2010. So far, we've had special focus evenings on Asia and the Middle East showing the remarkable fruit that God is producing but also how the need for sharing Christ is still so immense.
Nearly every day I've met someone from Japan here and for the last several months my heart has been especially burdened for the people. Some say the Japanese represent the largest unreached people group in he world. The percentage of those following Christ is certainly one of the lowest especially for the vast numbers of people who are Japanese.
As I met with one brother, who is deeply tied to ministry in Japan, and prayed for him; he was struck by my prayer. He said, "Thank You for crying out for Japan during your prayer! I seem to have lost my fervor given the challenges of reaching the lost and I so appreciate the burden you carry. We need a renewed passion and burden like your crying out in prayer for the people!"
As I hear the statistics about Japan, about Asia, about other regions, my heart continues to be stirred as it has for the Japanese people these last six months or so. We need to rekindle the fire for evangelism. Ajith Fernando captured this so well in his exposition of Ephesians 1 the other day: "We need a theology on fire." I paraphrase: Paul was deeply excited about the Gospel when he wrote this passage, it is clear... He was compelled by the hope of Christ because people are lost for eternity without him.
Will you join me in sharing this burden for Japan, for Asia, for the world? My burden has been heightened these last few months and this week, my passion has been strengthened by this theology on fire. I cannot forget Billy Graham's words for us at this historic Congress:
"Keep evangelism at the center. Make Christ your focus.
Base everything on Scripture. And pray, pray, pray."
We will pray as Doug Birdsall challenged us that by the next Lausanne Congress the number of unreached people groups will be "0"!
"How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" - Romans 10:14-15
More again from Cape Town soon...
Joe Handley
