Christ for the Nations!

By Rachael BallmannOn March 11, 2011, disaster suddenly struck Japan as an earthquake and subsequent tsunami struck and claimed the lives of over 18,000 people – a number that continues to climb daily! How many of those 18,000 souls will spend eternity in hell because they never knew a loving God? While there is much human suffering and death in Japan from the recent natural disaster, the greatest loss of all is to die without Christ. So, let’s broaden our perspective and think about a few staggering statistics.- Of the 5.8 billion people in our world, 1.2 billion (around 20%) have yet to hear the Gospel.- 6,000 people groups are broadly Christian, another 3,000 have some Christian witness and the other 3,000 are “unreached” with about 1,000 having no known Christians and no outreach.” Note, these are people groups – not populations.- There is “One missionary to every 400,000 unreached people!”Missions is the very heart of God! It is the central theme of the Bible and gives Christian people purpose and meaning. Jesus sent out the first missionaries uttering the Gospel imperative, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you...”(Matthew 28:19‐20a). Missions, then, is fulfilling the command of Jesus to make disciples of ALL nations!The goal of missions is to reveal to all cultures that Christ and His redemption have relative meaning for every person. Street preaching, caring for orphans, healing the sick and feeding the poor all demonstrate the power of Christ’s work in our lives (James 2:26). Our very lives, both actions and words, are the most effective way to share Christ’s love. Paul says, “I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some,” 1 Corinthians 9:22b.How do we begin? The first step of mission involvement is to get informed. Without knowing what is going on in the world around us, how can we effectively help? For example, we can learn more about the lost and our persecuted Christian brothers and sisters around the world; their nationality, where they live, who their oppressors are and how we can help meet their spiritual, physical and emotional needs. Awareness precedes action.Another way to get involved in missions is by financially supporting a missionary or ministry project, to advance the spread of the Good News in new places. Support could be as simple as financing the Bibles Unbound project or funding a missionary in a foreign land. A little financial support goes a long way.Encouraging faithful workers and believers is also important. Here in the U.S., it is virtually unheard of that a person would be physically persecuted, imprisoned, or martyred for confessing Christ as their Lord. In many countries such as Libya, Iraq and Yemen this is a very real danger. Imagine how much it would mean to receive a letter of encouragement in such a situation! Many websites are available to help you write and send letters to encourage persecuted Christians in their native tongue.Most important of all, we contribute to missions when we lift up our Christian brothers and sisters in prayer and ask that God strengthen and encourage them. Prayer is at the very heart of God’s work. The body of Christ can reach new heights through prayer.Finally, listen to God’s call on your life! Ask God if He would desire your service as a missionary. A short term trip is an excellent way to discern the needs of the world, meet missionaries, encourage believers and learn how to pray specifically.According to Joshua Project 2011, there are still 2.80 billion unreached people. This may sound like just a distant statistic, but in fact it represents the voices of 2.80 billion living souls without eternal hope! God is seeking His lost children around the world. Many are ready to come to Christ even now. “Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes and see that the fields are white for harvest,” John 4:35b. Whether living in a grass hut on an African desert or in a suburban American city, we are ALL called to be God’s ambassadors. Pray that God will give us missionary hearts and that He will raise up more godly men and women with a burden for souls—because the harvest is indeed ripe unto harvest!About the Author:Rachael is just getting started in college and is considering a BA in in Liberal Studies. She says that it was actually her older siblings and their enthusiasm for mission that originally sparked her own interest in the topic. That interest has grown as she has seen how many people need Jesus and are searching for Him. Favorite activities include volleyball and swimming.