The Mongol Missed Opportunity: When the Church Said No to History's Greatest Open Door

Hello, friends, and welcome back to Nations 4 Jesus. Today I want to talk about one of the most heartbreaking stories in Christian history—a story that still makes me sad every time I think about it.

It's about a missed opportunity. An opportunity so massive that if the Church had seized it, the entire map of world Christianity might look completely different today. Asia might be predominantly Christian. Buddhism might never have taken the hold it has. And billions of people throughout history might have heard the Gospel who never did.

Friends, this is the story of what happened when Kublai Khan asked for missionaries—and the Catholic Church said no.

[Setting the stage - the Mongol Empire's unprecedented reach]

While homeschooling my children, I came across an article by Scott W. Sundquist entitled "Asian Christianity," and I was deeply saddened by what I learned.

In the 13th century, when Genghis Khan ruled, the Mongol Empire stretched from China to Central Europe—a kingdom larger even than those of Alexander the Great and the Roman Caesars. It covered all of Asia, Indochina, and even Eastern Europe. Friends, no nation has yet rivaled the magnitude of the Mongolian Empire! This was the largest contiguous land empire in all of human history.

[Kublai Khan - a ruler open to Christianity]

Genghis Khan's grandson, Kublai Khan, ruled when the Mongol Empire had reached its limit. It could not expand any farther, so Kublai concentrated on maintaining peace within his borders and consolidating his vast territory. And here's what's crucial: Kublai had a mother who was a Christian. He had been exposed to Christianity from childhood!

When Marco Polo journeyed to China between 1271 and 1295, he found evidence of Christian communities already there—remnants of earlier Nestorian missionary efforts. Marco Polo served in the court of Kublai Khan and became the Khan's trusted friend. Through their friendship and conversations, Kublai became genuinely interested in Christianity.

[The request - 100 missionaries wanted]

And then Kublai Khan did something extraordinary. He specifically requested from Pope Gregory X that 100 missionaries be sent to the Mongol Empire to teach himself and his people about the Christian faith. Think about that for a moment, friends! The ruler of the largest empire the world had ever seen was asking—requesting, inviting, begging—for Christian missionaries to come teach him and his people about Jesus!

This wasn't a resistant people group that might cause the Christian missionaries to face persecution and martyrdom. This wasn't a closed country where missionaries had to sneak in under the cover of darkness. This was an open invitation from the most powerful ruler on earth to bring the Gospel to hundreds of millions of people!

[The tragic response - defending instead of extending]

So what happened? Sadly and regretfully, the request was never fulfilled. Why? Because the Popes in Europe were more concerned about defending themselves militarily than they were interested in extending the Gospel spiritually. They were worried about political conflicts in Europe, about maintaining their own power, about military threats closer to home.

Friends, this may be one of the greatest lost missionary opportunities of all time! And it breaks my heart every time I think about it.

[What could have been - imagining obedience]

If I had been Pope Gregory X—and I know that's easy to say from the comfort of my home centuries later—but if I had been him, I would have immediately fulfilled that request! He was in charge of the vast Christian Church. Popes had been able to stir up huge support for the Crusades in the past, sending thousands of men, and even children, to fight in the Middle East. Surely he could have found 100 monks who were willing to go to Asia to share the Gospel of Christ!

God was opening a door of opportunity for Christianity to spread to the largest empire the world had ever seen through a man whose mother was a Christian. Think about what could have happened! Look at how God used one monk, St. Patrick, to convert Ireland. Or Columba to convert Scotland. What could have been done with 100 monks who were requested specifically by the Mongol leader himself?

[What actually happened - Buddhism fills the void]

Instead, here's what happened. It was during the time of the Great Khans that the Tibetan form of Buddhism gained influence in Mongolia. Without Christianity filling that spiritual vacuum, Buddhism became the predominant religion in the Mongolian territories. The very space that could have been filled with the Gospel was filled with another religion instead.

For centuries, Mongolia remained firmly Buddhist. Even today, though there are some Christians and Mongolia doesn't persecute them, Buddhism is still the predominant religion. Many Mongolians firmly believe that Buddhism is the only true religion, partly as a reaction to later Christian missionary efforts that came much too late.

[The ripple effects - Asia's spiritual landscape]

Think about the ripple effects of this missed opportunity! If Christianity had been the religion that Kublai Khan and his followers embraced, Mongolia and possibly other countries in Asia today might be predominantly Christian. Christianity might have swept across Asia the way it did across Europe in the centuries before.

The strongholds of Buddhism, Islam, and later Communism in Asia might never have gained the foothold they did if Christianity had been the predominant religion established under Kublai Khan's rule. We can't know for certain what would have happened, but we do know what didn't happen—and that's heartbreaking.

[Biblical foundation - open doors must be walked through]

This is a huge lesson for the Christian Church today, and it's rooted in Scripture. In Colossians 4:3, Paul asks for prayer "that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ." God opens doors! And when He does, we must walk through them!

In Revelation 3:8, Jesus says to the church in Philadelphia, "See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name." Friends, God places open doors before us. But we have to actually walk through them! An open door means nothing if we're too afraid, too distracted, or too comfortable to step through it.

[The lesson for us - don't miss God's open doors]

So here's the lesson: We must take every opportunity given to us to share the Gospel with those who are lost, no matter their religion, their location, or their culture. When God opens a door, we cannot let fear, politics, comfort, or distraction keep us from walking through it.

Think about the opportunities we've had in recent history. After the fall of the Soviet Union, there was an incredible openness to the Gospel in Russia and Eastern Europe. Many missionaries went, but did we send enough? Did we seize that opportunity fully? After the U.S. military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan, there were windows of access to reach people in those nations. Did the American Church—a nation with enormous resources and Christian heritage—send the "100 missionaries" to share the love of Jesus? Or were we, like the Popes of old, more concerned about defending ourselves militarily than we were interested in extending the Gospel spiritually?

[Current opportunities - where are today's open doors?]

Friends, there are open doors right now that we need to walk through! According to recent mission research, there are still over 7,000 unreached people groups representing 3.4 billion people. But some of those groups are more open than others. Some are asking for help, asking for education, asking for development—and those requests are open doors for the Gospel!

Chinese students are flooding into Western universities—that's an open door! Refugees from closed countries are being resettled in American cities—that's an open door! Digital technology allows us to reach people in closed countries through the internet—that's an open door! God is still opening doors. The question is: Will we walk through them this time?

[Mongolia today - God's redemptive work]

Now, I want to end with some encouraging news, because friends, even though the Church missed that opportunity in the 13th century, God is still at work in Mongolia today! And this is a beautiful reminder that while we can miss opportunities, God's purposes will ultimately prevail.

For most of the 20th century, Mongolia was under Communist rule and virtually closed to Christianity. There were essentially zero known Christians in Mongolia by 1989. But after the collapse of Communism in 1990, something remarkable began to happen. Missionaries were finally able to enter Mongolia, and the Gospel began to spread!

[The modern Mongolian revival - unprecedented growth]

According to recent reports from organizations like OMF International and Joshua Project, Christianity has experienced explosive growth in Mongolia over the past three decades. From zero believers in 1989, there are now estimated to be over 80,000 Christians in Mongolia—and some estimates suggest even more!

Hundreds of churches have been planted across the country. Mongolian believers are translating the Bible, writing worship songs in their own language, and even sending out their own missionaries to other nations! The Mongolian church is young, vibrant, and growing rapidly, particularly among young people in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar.

Friends, God didn't give up on Mongolia! Even though the Church missed that incredible opportunity in Kublai Khan's time, God has been faithful to open another door—and this time, missionaries walked through it!

[Five lessons from the Mongol opportunity]

Let me share five critical lessons from this story. First, open doors don't stay open forever. Kublai Khan's invitation was a limited-time opportunity. When he died and his successors chose Buddhism, that door closed. We must act when God opens doors, not assume they'll always be available.

Second, political concerns should never overshadow Gospel opportunities. The Popes were worried about European conflicts and military defense. Those seemed important at the time. But from an eternal perspective, what mattered more—a political squabble in Europe or the evangelization of the world's largest empire? Third, one generation's missed opportunity can affect many generations. Because the Church didn't go to Mongolia in the 1200s, millions of people throughout subsequent centuries never heard the Gospel. Our obedience or disobedience has ripple effects we can't fully see.

Fourth, God's purposes will ultimately prevail even when we fail. The Church missed the opportunity with Kublai Khan, but God is still reaching Mongolia today! Our failures don't stop God, but they do delay His work and cause unnecessary suffering. And fifth, we must constantly ask: What doors is God opening right now that we're missing? We can't change history, but we can learn from it!

[Personal application - examining our priorities]

So friends, let me ask you: What opportunities is God placing before you right now? Is there an international student in your city you could befriend? Is there a refugee family you could serve? Is there a people group God is calling you to pray for or support financially? Is there a mission trip you've been putting off?

Don't let comfort, fear, or distraction cause you to miss God's open doors! Don't let future generations look back at our time and say, "If only they had walked through the doors God opened for them, millions more would know Jesus today."

Let me pray:

Thank you for joining me today, friends. This story both breaks my heart and challenges me. Let's not be the generation that history looks back on with regret. Let's be the generation that walked through every door God opened.

"Until next time, remember—keep your eyes on the nations and walk through every door God opens before it closes."

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The Promised Land

After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide:

"Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites.

I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.

Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Great Sea on the west.

No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.

"Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them.

Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.

Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."  Joshua 1:1-9

God impressed a thought on me as I was reading,  Unashamed by Francine Rivers, about the Israelites' refusal to enter and claim the Promised Land. Their refusal resulted in them having to wander in the desert for forty years until a new generation rose up who would walk in obedience to God. Is it like that today with the same area of the world -- the Middle East?

God wants His people to go in and take the land, spiritually, for Christ. He has promised His miraculous power and presence to break down the walls of Islam, Judaism and other barriers. But how often, in the past, have God's people shrank back in fear of the people living in the land?

This time, the army God is raising up does not come in with swords of death but with the sword of the Spirit - the Word of God! He is raising up a generation of Christians from all over the world who are burdened for the Muslims, the Jews and the Middle East, who are not afraid, who will go in because they know God is on their side.

This time, the work will not be the external work of the Old Covenant (destruction/subjugation of the enemy) but the internal work of the New Covenant (construction of new hearts).

This new generation is made up mainly of Asians and Africans - a "generation who has been hardened by desert living, a generation who has been in the presence of Power from their birth," (Rivers).

Good advice for Christians entering the "Promised Land" of the Middle East: "You're young and on fire...but you must be coolheaded and wise as a serpent. Do not stroll into the (area) like a conqueror. Keep your head down. Seek out an establishment that will know the mind of the people." That is just what many Christians are doing as they enter the Middle East with the Gospel. God has set apart many who know Him...although often secretly (like Rahab of old). These "Rahab's" are waiting for Christians to come and tell them more about Jesus (Isa).

May we remember God's Promised Land and its people and pray for their salvation and that God will send even more workers into this harvest field!

Korea and the Awesome Move of God

But now, this is what the Lord says-- he who created you... He who formed you..."Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine."  Isaiah 43:1

How to describe Korea? For those who have never been there, you may not give the country much thought. Yes, we know they make good appliances and you may have heard of their spicy cabbage called kimchi. And yes, a war was fought there, though the details are a bit fuzzy as it rarely garners much interest or instruction time in America's high schools.

But for those who have been to Korea, you will never leave the same. At least I didn't. Our family was stationed there for two years, from 2006 until 2008. After those two, all too short, years, I left that country fully convinced that God is alive and well in Korea, and doing incredible things through its people, both in their own country and throughout the world!

Korea has, unfortunately, had a 2,000-year history of frequent invasions and interference from surrounding nations. In the recent past, the Japanese occupation (1910-1945), the Russian-engineered division of Korea (1945-48) and the devastating Korean War (1950-53) have molded the attitudes and politics of Koreans. They have been mistreated horribly by others (Korean "comfort women" for the Japanese soldiers during WWII, current starvation and horrific slaughter of people in North Korea) and have seen their country almost destroyed following the Korean War. 

"The South Korea that Ed Faltin (U.S. military member who fought in the Korean War) left behind in 1952 was a bleak place. 'I left the front lines and went across the country to Pusan and Seoul and there was nothing there,' he said. 'That country was bombed out rubble. No trees. It was just so pulverized by artillery and mortars. There was nothing left.'

(Upon his return to South Korea in 2002), Faltin was surprised by what he saw. In place of rubble, he saw what looked like New York City, complete with high-rise buildings. 'It's unbelievable what they did,' he said. 'They're the largest ship-makers in the world, (the 11th largest economy) and the people are so gracious.'"

South Korea has indeed climbed out of the rubble a strong, committed Christian nation. In Asia, which is primarily Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim, Korea's Christianity stands out, like the red crosses you see on so many buildings throughout the Seoul city skyline. The first Protestant church was planted in 1884. By 1984 there were over 30,000 churches, and by 2000 over 60,000. The 2005 census of South Korea showed 29.2 percent of the population as Christian, up from 26.3 percent ten years previously.

The Korean Church grew strong through early morning prayer meetings, prayer mountains for seeking God (to read more on this go to this blog post Prayer-It begins and ends there), church-based Bible study, evangelism programs, fellowship in home meetings and at Sunday meals. 

Surveys have shown that South Korean Christians are very active. Seoul contains eleven of the world's twelve largest Christian congregations. I've been to the largest Protestant Church in the world, Yoido Full Gospel Church, and it is incredible! To be amongst thousands upon thousands of Christians, all singing praises to God...it gave me just a small idea of what Heaven will be like...worshipping the Lord with brothers and sisters from around the world. 

Praise God for the unique Korean Church! It was founded on sound indigenous principles, blessed with a succession of revivals, refined by persecution and is now one of the foremost in the world for missions vision. South Korea provides the world's second largest number of Christian missionaries, surpassed only by the United States. South Korean missionaries are particularly prevalent in 10/40 Window nations that are hostile to Westerners. In 1979, the official figure for Korean missionaries was 93, yet by 2009, that number had grown incredibly to more than 16,000 South Korean missionaries in 168 countries!

"Koreans have a fervent passion to proclaim the Gospel, a family-centered lifestyle and are highly educated. Korean missionaries are often well received by unreached people in the Chinese, Muslim and Buddhist blocks due to their relative cultural proximity. Increasing numbers of marketplace missionaries are able to enter restricted access countries where ordained missionaries cannot go," (Chul Ho Han, Director of Mission Korea.

One important contributing factor to South Korea being the second largest mission sending country in the world, has been the mission movement among college students led by Mission Korea, a coalition of 11 campus ministries and 24 overseas mission agencies working together for the common goal of mobilizing students into cross-cultural missions. Mission Korea's conference, which was first held in 1988, has grown to be the largest mission-focused conference in Asia, attracting over 5,000 students every two years.

This incredible missional movement among young people was very visible at the church we attended while living in Seoul. Jubilee Church was like no other church I have ever attended! The sense of the Holy Spirit's presence was so strong there that even my father commented on it after attending church with us one Sunday. After only short number of years of existence, their heart for missions is incredible. The church, mostly young professionals and students in their 20s, envisions itself as a mission-sending and mission-supporting church, with a heart especially for North Korea and China. It was amazing to be part of them. Our family still speaks of them fondly and prays that the Lord will lead us back to Seoul to once again worship and serve with them. 

There is so much more I could say about Korea, yet I know that my words can not do justice to what God is doing in this country through its incredible people. No matter hold strong of a hold Satan may have on Asia, God is breaking that hold and He is using the people of Korea on the front lines! 

Not another wasted dollar this Christmas

One month before Christmas - 

"Honey, what do you want for Christmas?" 

"What do the kids want for Christmas?"

"What do you think we should get our parents, sisters, brothers, nieces and nephews for Christmas?"

I DON'T KNOW (they already have everything)...

-- Last year, in America, pre-Christmas sales were $584.3 billion  2010 Holiday Shopping Statistics

Mid-morning Christmas day - 

"Look at that mess of wrapping paper and bows...I think I'm going to need three garbage bags to pack it up and throw it all away." 

"Mommy, my toy just broke...can you fix it?"

Call from grandparents - "So what did you get for Christmas?" "Oh, a bunch of toys and some candy. Thanks for the presents."

Two weeks after Christmas - 

"I'm bored Mom." "Why don't you go play with some of your new Christmas toys?" "I already have...I'm tired of them."

"I sure am glad Christmas comes only once a year...I'm still trying to recover from the rush of the season."

"Wow, honey, we need to spend less on Christmas next year...we really ran up the credit card!"

-- According to the American Consumer Credit Council, the average American spends $935 on Christmas each year and carries an average credit card debt of $8,562 American Consumer Credit Council

Does this scenario sound anything like your house at Christmas time? Is this the tradition we want to pass down to our children, year after year...memories of gifts, gifts and more gifts at Christmas so that Christmas seems like just one more birthday?

It is a birthday after all...the birthday of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But do our gift giving traditions convey this truth? Will our children grow up thinking about Christmas as a time of giving gifts to Jesus or giving gifts to ourselves?

But how do we give gifts to Jesus? "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'  Matthew 25:40

We can give gifts to Jesus by helping others at Christmas, by giving gifts to the "least of these."  While more than 580 billion was spent on Christmas last year in America, over half the world has yet to hear Christ's name.

Please take a minute to watch this 2 minute video to learn about a different type of gift giving this year...one that can make a difference in eternity. 

Forgotten Christmas

The way of victory

"because of the tender mercy of our God, 

by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven

to shine on those living in darkness 

and in the shadow of death, 

to guide our feet into the path of peace."

Luke 1:78-79

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened

 in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, 

the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,

and his incomparably great power for us who believe. 

That power is like the working of his mighty strength,

which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead

and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms"

Ephesians 1:18-20

During this past week, there has been much talk within my own family, on Facebook amongst friends and in the news, about two Christians who are facing the death penalty from Muslim governments for believing in Jesus - Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani of Iran and Asia Bibi of Pakistan. In addition, the news is full of reports about the killing of Al Qaeda leader Anwar al-Awlaki. 

How should we respond as Christians and Americans? What response would glorify God?

I believe we can find the right response if we look to our Lord Jesus as an example. He modeled for us both tenderness and strength. These two qualities, living within us and working in agreement, are what we need to respond to the Muslim question.

"Christ Jesus is the artist. He created the world with colors and textures human artists have tried for thousands of years to imitate. Christ Jesus is the musician. He gave the angels their voices. Christ Jesus is the tenderhearted, ministering to our every need.

Christ Jesus is also the warrior, forever leading us in triumphant procession, if only we will follow

(2 Corinthians 2:14). In our great weakness, He is strong. Christ Jesus is the blessed embodiment of both characteristics. He has set an example before us of true manhood and true womanhood," (from A Heart Like His by Beth Moore).

We must model the tenderness of Christ toward the Muslims. Each Muslim was created in God's image, tenderly and lovingly by His own hand. He desires their salvation. He loves them and asks each of us to love them, to desire good for them, to befriend them and share with them the good news of salvation.

Ultimately, the battle is not for freedom in America or anywhere else on this earth. It is ultimately for the freedom of each soul. Hatred and anger will only close doors to the Muslim world that need to be left open if they will ever have the hope of finding Christ as their Savior.

We must also model the strength of Christ toward the threat of an Islamic take-over of our nation and the world. When I survey the evil that is done in the name of this religion it chills me. 

I believe that Satan knows his time is short. Christ will return in triumph and strength, but in the mean time, the devil is throwing every kind of evil and stronghold he can at the human race, and much of it is embodied in Islam. We must, as a nation, recognize this evil and do all we can to stop the spread of this religion to our own land and the other nations.

Yet, how do we show the strength to stop this evil? Is it ultimately through our military might? I don't think so. Take Afghanistan and Iraq for an example. Has our military presence in these two nations truly stopped the spread of Islamic fundamentalism? Are the people any more free to choose Christ as their Savior or do they still live under the fear of honor killings and other such violence if they leave Islam?

Do we kill them all? Does that really stop Islam? No...more and more young men, angered by loss and brainwashed by Imams, will step forward to fill the shoes of those who died in jihad. And ultimately, is that victory in Christ...killing human enemies? That was the mistake made by the Crusades.

The only way to truly stop the spread of Islam is to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, showing strength toward Satan and gentleness toward the Muslims. We must win them with the love of Christ.

That is how the Romans, Vikings, Goths, African and Asian tribes, Irish Druids and so many others were turned from their murderous ways. It was with strength toward Satan and tenderness toward the individuals. They were stopped with the love of Christ.

We must model gentleness and strength toward any enemy in this world. It is not the way of weakness but the way of victory.

Riding the Camel

The Middle East, Muslims, persecution, Sharia Law -- fear, violence, opposition. Where is the hope for the Muslims? Is God working amongst them? Well, consider two other regions many looked on as "hopeless" at one time. 

Africa, the year 1900, 3% Christian -- "closed to the Gospel and hopeless," many people thought. But God didn't! Today, Africa is more than 50% Christian! 

China, the year 1950, all foreign Christians had been kicked out and the country would soon undergo Mao's reign of terror, only 1 million believers. "Christianity will die in China" many people thought. But God had other plans! Today in China - more than 80 million Christians with an average of 10,000 - 23,000 new Christians daily!

Africa and China are just two examples of areas in the world where God worked behind the scenes, drawing people to Himself. Today He is doing the same in the Muslim World.

In his book, The Camel  How Muslims Are Coming to Faith in Christ!, Kevin Greeson shares just part of the amazing and encouraging story of how God is drawing Muslims to Himself. 

The Muslim World of the past 1,000 years has seemed a very difficult mission field. There are countless stories of Muslims being persecuted when they accept Christ, even by their own families. The 10/40 Window, which lies across Africa and Asia from 10 degrees latitude north of the equator to 40 degrees latitude north of the equator, has 865 million unreached Muslims alone. Many may wonder about God's plan for the Muslim people when it seems so few are following Him.

Yet, things are changing. In Afghanistan, before Sept. 11, 2001, there were only 17 known Muslim-background followers of Christ. Today there are more than 10,000. Iran, the country in the Middle East with the fastest Christian growth, estimates the number of Christians could be as high as 1 million. 

One big change is what Greeson talks about in his book. It's not a change in Muslims but a change in Christians. "After centuries of witness to Muslims using methods that seemed right to Christians, we are now taking a different approach. We are learning how Muslim-background believers (MBBs) witness to and win their own people. We see them answering questions that Muslims have and addressing concerns that are important to them."

That's where CAMEL comes in. CAMEL is an acronym which stands for: Chosen, Announced by angels, Miracles, Eternal Life. All of these truths about Jesus can be found in the Koran - the Muslim holy book. MBBs, also known as Isahi (Jesus) Muslims, are using the Koran as a bridge to share the message of Jesus...and it's working! 

"God has filled the world with redemptive bridges, analogies and metaphors that point both to our need for salvation and to the hope of salvation. If we use the bridges well, they can also point us to the Bible as God's revealed truth about our fallen condition and His plan of salvation." These redemptive bridges, which I spoke about in A Witness in Every Culture, help translate the Gospel into each culture. 

Christianity is often seen as a "Western religion" by many Muslims. "In their eyes Western Christianity is associated with the same American culture they view on television, leading many of them to reject the Gospel as an extension of American culture." But through the CAMEL method, Muslims are being shown that Jesus came for them as well. They are understanding that to become a Christian, they must undergo a spiritual conversion, but not a cultural conversion. They are being shown that the Koran talks about Jesus as being the only one who has ever come from Heaven and returned to Heaven, thus being the only one who really knows the way to get to Heaven. Using the Koran as the initial way to speak to Muslims about Jesus places the MBBs and other Christian missionaries "on common ground with the Muslims to whom they are witnessing."

As Muslims, whom God is already preparing to hear His Gospel message, hear this approach, they are showing great interest. "Consider the evidence: 'More Muslims have come to Christ in the past two decades that at any other time in history.' In North Africa, 50-60,000 Berber Muslims are now followers of Jesus Christ. A Turkic republic saw 4,000 Muslims come to know Jesus as Savior in one year. A mission group in India reported that they have seen an increase from three Muslim-background believers to 1,200 in only eight months. Another mission effort working in north India is reporting 9,500 baptisms among Muslims in only four years. Over the past decade and a half, 13,000 Muslim Kazakhs have come to faith in Christ." 

Greeson's book gives step-by-step guidance in how to share Jesus Christ with a Muslim by pointing that person to the Koran as a bridge to the Bible. He also talks about an important Muslim holy day, know as Korbani-Eid, which centers around a Muslim sacrificial ceremony. This ceremony, in a few very powerful ways, points to the sacrifice that Jesus made for each of us and helps Muslims see His love for them.

Greeson points out another encouraging truth: new believers, who have come to know Christ through the CAMEL method, are experiencing much less severe persecution from other Muslims than anticipated. "The relatively low number of martyrs and relatively mild persecution was probably due to the way these Isahi Muslims used the Qur'an as a bridge, conducted family-based evangelism and rejected association with Western culture." 

In many Muslim countries there are less than three missionaries per one million people. The need for missionaries to the Muslims, both MMBs and Christians from other nations, is great! And “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind,” 2 Timothy 1:7.  

Kevin Greeson's book introduces a very powerful way to share the Gospel with Muslims, to bridge into their culture with the good news of Jesus Christ, using their holy book and their holy day as that bridge.  They need to hear of the love of Jesus. They need someone who is willing to cast aside fear, which so easily entangles, and follow the call of Christ into the Muslim world. Jesus is waiting, but He needs obedient servants.

Ramadan Prayer

For the next 30 days, I encourage you to pray for the Muslim people - that God would move mightily amongst them, showing them His love and His salvation and that they might come to know Jesus as their Savior.

Why now? Because of Ramadan.

Muslims throughout the world will celebrate Ramadan from 

August 1 through August 30, 2011.   They will fast during daylight hours in an effort to break bad habits and seek forgiveness of sins.

Ramada, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is observed by Muslims the world over with dawn to dusk fasting.  This provides them with an opportunity to practice one of the "obligations" (also known as the "five pillars") of their religion - soum or fasting.

Muslims fast during Ramadan because they believe this is the time of year in which the founder of Islam, the Prophet Muhammad, received "recitations" from the angel Gabriel.  These were later compiled to form the Qur'an.  

The most important night of Ramadan - and of the entire year - is called Laylatul Qadr (most likely held one of the last 10 days during Ramadan).  Also known as the "night of power," it is described in the Qur'an as being "better than a thousand months" (97:3).  "Any action done on this night," writes one Islamic scholar, "such as reciting the Qur'an, remember Allah, etc. is better than acting for one thousand months which do not contain the night of Qadr." 

During Ramadan, especially on the night of power, Muslims "ask forgiveness for past sins, pray for guidance and help in refraining from everyday evils, and try to purify themselves through self-restraint and good deeds."  Many are desperately and genuinely seeking to be cleansed from their transgressions and find favor with God. 

Since 1992, Christians all over the world have been setting aside the thirty days of Ramadan to pray specifically for Muslims.  For intercessors, this month-long celebration is a chance to see precious souls set free from the bondage of Islam and introduced to the Savior of all mankind:  Jesus Christ. 

My focus for the next 30 days will be on Muslims, who they are, how is God moving among them and how can we pray for them. 

There is a website specifically geared towards praying for Muslims during Ramadan. It is The 30 Days Prayer Network

Please pray for them during this time. God loves them just as He loves you and me. He has a plan for their lives. God will work in their hearts as we pray for them. 

The Mongols and a Missed Mission

Kublai Khan

"And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."  Matthew 24:14

The next few months of this blog will look at the lives of missionaries through the ages. It is my hope that you will be encouraged and strengthened in your faith as you see God's hand working through the lives of ordinary people as they followed the will of an extraordinary God.

We will next look at Christian missions from 1000 to 1499 AD. Christianity continued to spread throughout Europe, in Asia and into Africa where it already had historical roots. This time also saw the Bible translated into more languages, including English, and the printing of the Gutenberg Bible. 

1000 - Christianity accepted by common consent in Iceland. Leif Eriksson introduces the Gospel to Greenland and possibly Vinland (Newfoundland)

1008 - Sigfrid (or Sigurd), English missionary, baptizes King Olof of Sweden

1015 - Russia is said to have been "comprehensively" converted to the Orthodox faith

Olaf II Haroldsson, first king of the whole of Norway, sees Norway convert to Christianity

1200 - The Bible is now available in 22 different languages

1219 - Francis of Assisi presents the Gospel to the Sultan of Egypt

1266 - Mongol leader Kublai Khan sends Marco Polo's father and uncle, Niccolo and Matteo Polo, back to Europe with a request to the Pope to send 100 Christian missionaries (only two responded and one died before reaching Mongol territory) to China

1321 - Jordanus, a Dominican monk, arrives in India as the first resident Roman Catholic missionary 

1323 - Franciscans make contacts on Sumatra, Java, and Borneo

1368 - Collapse of the Franciscan mission in China as Ming Dynasty abolishes Christianity

1382 - Bible translated into English from Latin by John Wycliff 

1389 - Large numbers of Christians march through the streets of Cairo, denouncing Islam and lamenting that they had abandoned the religion of their fathers from fear of pesecution. They were beheaded, both men and women, and a fresh persecution of Christians followed 

1408 - Spanish Dominican Vincent Ferrer begins a ministry in Italy in which it is said that thousands of Jews and Muslims were won to faith in Christ 

1410 - Bible is translated into Hungarian 

1450 - Franscian missionaries accompany Portuguese expedition to the Cape Verde Islands

1462 - Johannes Gutenberg begins printing the Bible with his movable-type printing process

1486 - Dominicans become active in West Africa, notably among the Wolof people in Senegambia.

1491 - The Congo sees its first group of missionaries arrive. Under the ministry of these Franciscan and Dominican priests, the king would soon be baptized and a church built at the royal capital.

1493 - Pope Alexander VI commands Spain to colonize the New World with Catholic missions; Christopher Columbus takes Christian priests with him on his second journey to the New World

1496 - First Christian baptisms in the New World take place when Guaticaba along with other members of his household are baptized on the island of Hispaniola 

1498 - First Christians are reported in Kenya

The missionaries/missions that will be highlighted during this era are:

Leif Eriksson

Marco Polo and Kublai Khan

John Wycliff

Marco Polo and Kublai Khan

Today's highlighted missionary/mission will be a bit different as it is the story of a missed mission opportunity. 

While studying the lives of Marco Polo and Kublai Khan with my children, and then reading about them once again in Scott W. Sundquist’s article entitled "Asian Christianity," I was deeply saddened by the HUGE loss of opportunity for mission outreach to Asia during the time of Kublai Khan. “ 

In the 13th century, when Genghis Khan ruled, his empire stretched from China to Central Europe — a kingdom larger even than those of Alexander and the Roman Caesars, covering all of Asia, Indochina, and even Eastern Europe. No nation has yet to rival the magnitude of the Mongolian Empire,” Mongol Empire

His grandson, Kublai Khan, had a mother who was a Christian. Kublai “ruled when the Mongol Empire had reached its limit. It could not expand any farther, so Kublai concentrated on maintaining peace in his borders. When Marco Polo (1254 - 1323?) journeyed to China, he found evidence of Christian communities and served in the court of Kublai, having become the Khan’s trusted friend. 

Kublai became interested in Christianity and even asked the Polo’s to bring back teachers and missionaries to his land.” He specifically requested from Pope Gregory X, that 100 missionaries be sent to the Mongol empire to teach himself and his people about the Christian faith. 

Sadly and regretfully, “the request was never fulfilled because the Popes in Europe were more concerned about defending themselves militarily than they were interested in extending the Gospel spiritually,” (Sunquist, 241). This may be one of the greatest lost missionary opportunities of all times!

What would have happened if Pope Gregory X would have immediately fulfilled that request. He was in charge of the vast Christian Church. Popes had been able to stir up huge support for the Crusades, in the past, and he could have found 100 or more monks who were willing to go to Asia to share the Gospel of Christ with the Mongols and thus the entire Mongol Empire. God was opening a door of opportunity for Christianity to spread to the largest empire the world had ever seen through a man whose mother was a Christian. If these monks had been sent, history may have seen the conversion of a vast empire to Christianity. 

Look at how God used one monk, St. Patrick, to convert Ireland or Columbu to convert Scotland. What could have have been done with 100 monks who were requested, specifically, by the Mongol leader himself. 

Instead, “it is in the time of the Great Khans that the Tibetan form of Buddhism gained influence in Mongolia...(and) Buddhism became the predominant religion in the Mongolian territories... Today, they do not persecute Christians (though there are only a few), but they still firmly believe that Buddhism is the only true religion and even more so as a reaction to Christian missionary efforts.,” Mongol Empire 

If Christianity, however, had been the religion that Kublai Khan and his followers embraced, Mongolia, and possibly other countries in Asia today may have become Christian. Christianity may have swept across Asia the way it did across Europe. The strongholds of Islam and Communism may never have gained a foothold if Christianity had been the predominant religion. 

This is a huge lesson for the Christian Church today. When God opens a door, we must walk through it! We must take every opportunity given to us to share the Gospel with those who are lost, no matter their religion or skin color. This lesson can be applied especially today where America, a Christian nation, has a powerful influence on two strongholds of Satan...Iraq and Afghanistan. Will we send the “100 missionaries” to share the love of Jesus with them or will we, like the Popes of old, be more concerned about defending ourselves militarily than we are interested in extending the Gospel spiritually?