Missions Should Not Come First: The Real Source of Lasting Passion

Hello, and welcome back to Nations 4 Jesus. Today I want to share something personal—something about why I do this podcast and write about missions. And I want to challenge an idea that might surprise you: Missions should not come first in your heart.

Wait—isn't this a missions podcast? Haven't I been encouraging you to care about unreached peoples, to support missionaries, to go to the nations? Yes! But today I want to talk about what actually sustains that passion long-term, because I've learned something important through my own journey.

Let me start with a question I've asked myself many times: What is the purpose of this podcast? Why do I spend my limited time creating content that only a handful of people may ever hear?

Does it stem from all that I read about the horrible things happening in this world? Does it stem from the thought, the belief, that I can make a difference—that I, through my words, can somehow cause a listener to take action, to do something about the lost in this world?

No. The reason I do this is obedience and a desire to see His glory.

[What I really want]

I want to see God's glory. I want to see His Kingdom come to this earth. I want to be a part of what He is doing and to let everyone I can know about it!

But here's what I've learned: I'm not going to change one heart, one mind about the Great Commission and what our involvement should be. Only God can do that.

So what is it, ultimately, that will cause our mission focus to grow? Is it an increase in compassion and commitment for the lost in the Christian's heart? Is it an increase in information about the lost and encouragement to share Christ with them? Is it sharing statistics and stories about the plight of those without Jesus?

None of these.

[The real source of lasting passion]

I believe it only comes through the Holy Spirit intensifying our passion and love for Christ so that His heart's passion becomes ours as well.

Here's the key: Jesus must be first in our hearts, not missions.

When He is first, He will "break our hearts for what breaks His," and missions will become an intense passion. But if we try to put missions first—if we try to manufacture compassion for the lost without first deepening our love for Christ—we will burn out. I know because I've been there.

[My own journey - from despair to hope]

Let me be honest about my own journey. When I first started learning about unreached peoples, persecuted Christians, orphans, and human trafficking, I was overwhelmed. I focused on all the needs, all the hurts, all the atrocities done to others in the world. The sadness, despair, and depression of the situation became crushing.

There were times I was very discouraged by all that I was learning. The statistics were staggering. The suffering was unimaginable. And I felt so small, so helpless against such massive problems.

Our human compassion can only take us so far before burnout sets in. Compassion fatigue is real. If you focus only on the darkness, the darkness will swallow you.

[The turning point - refocusing on God]

But as I grew closer to the Lord—spending time daily with Him in prayer and Bible study, constantly asking Him to make my heart more like His—He began to refocus my thoughts toward Himself rather than on the world.

I began to realize that the way to call people to mission concern is not to focus entirely on all the bad. People usually know the bad. They see the news. They know the world is broken. But they often have no idea about all the good that God is doing in the world!

I began to see that the Bible doesn't focus on the bad so much as it focuses on God! Yes, Scripture acknowledges evil and suffering. But the overwhelming message is about who God is, what He has done, and what He will do.

[The example of Christmas]

Think about when Jesus was born. People in Judea already knew about the bad. They were living under Roman occupation. They faced poverty, injustice, and oppression. They didn't need angels to tell them about the bad.

Instead, the angels gave them "good news of great joy which will be for all the people" (Luke 2:10). Good news from God was the message—and it should still be the message today!

Jesus won the victory on the cross! Our salvation is sure and His Kingdom will not be shaken (Hebrews 12:28). We are not fighting the battles on our own. God is fighting the battles and asking us to join Him.

[A different kind of motivation]

When we focus on God's glory and His Kingdom rather than all the horrible problems in the world, something shifts. We cease to look at missions as our arduous responsibility and instead see it as God's responsibility—and God is more than able!

This type of focus, rather than depressing us and overwhelming us with sorrow, strongly encourages us to seize the hope set before us—"a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul" (Hebrews 6:18-19).

It's not up to us and our meager efforts. God is inviting us to join with Him in pursuing His purpose in the world. He is the One who sets the agenda, grants the wisdom to proceed, and gives the strength to endure.

This is God's world. His battle. His victory.

[From duty to delight]

With this type of motivation, something beautiful happens. As theologian Tim Dearborn writes, "Participation in God's mission is no longer a somber duty. It becomes a joyous privilege and an adventure of passion and hope."

Do you hear the difference? Not somber duty—joyous privilege! Not overwhelming responsibility—an adventure of passion and hope!

When Jesus is first in your heart, missions flows naturally from that love. You don't have to manufacture compassion for the lost—it grows from your love for Christ. You don't have to guilt yourself into caring about unreached peoples—you care because you love the One who loves them.

[The danger of focusing on storms]

Remember Peter walking on water? As long as he kept his eyes on Jesus, he walked. But when he looked at the storms—the wind, the waves, the impossibility of his situation—he began to sink.

The same is true for us. If we look at all the "storms"—the horrible things happening in our world, the billions who don't know Christ, the suffering of the persecuted church, the plight of orphans—we will begin to sink in sadness, weariness, and despair.

But when we fix our eyes on Jesus, when we understand the promises of Scripture and look for His hand in history and our modern times, we will see that the Kingdom of God is advancing—and God is calling us to be part of it.

[Compassion alone won't sustain you]

Here's a hard truth: Compassion for people—for the lost, for orphans, for the persecuted church—is not what will ultimately compel and motivate us for mission. Only our hope for God's glory and His Kingdom will cause us to endure.

Compassion is good! It's right to feel compassion. Jesus felt compassion for the crowds. But compassion alone will burn you out. The needs are too great. The suffering is too vast. Your compassion will run dry.

But hope in God's glory never runs dry. The promise that every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord—that never gets old. The vision of Revelation 7:9, with people from every nation, tribe, people, and language worshiping around the throne—that sustains you when compassion fatigue sets in.

[Practical application - how to reorder your heart]

So how do we put Jesus first and let missions flow from that? Let me give you some practical steps.

First, prioritize your relationship with Christ above your activism for Christ. Spend time with Him daily in prayer and Scripture before you spend time doing things for Him. Abide in the vine before you try to bear fruit.

Second, when you read or hear about suffering in the world, don't stop there. Ask God to show you what He is doing in the midst of it. Look for the good news, the advancing Kingdom, the victories He is winning.

Third, meditate on God's promises about His Kingdom. Read passages like Psalm 2, Isaiah 11, Revelation 21-22. Let the certainty of Christ's victory anchor your soul.

Fourth, worship regularly. Singing praise to God reorients your heart toward His glory. It reminds you that this is His world, His battle, His victory.

Fifth, serve from overflow, not obligation. If you're burned out on missions, that might be a sign that you've been running on compassion instead of hope. Return to the Lord. Let Him refill you. Then serve from that overflow.

[The good news about missions]

Here's the good news: When your motivation shifts from compassion to hope in God's glory, you actually become more effective, not less. You have more energy. You have more joy. You have more endurance. You're no longer carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders—because it was never yours to carry.

God is inviting you to join Him. He's not dumping responsibility on you and walking away. He's fighting the battle and inviting you into the victory. What a privilege!

[Closing challenge]

So here's my challenge: If missions has become a somber duty for you, if you're overwhelmed by the needs and burning out on compassion, stop. Return to Jesus. Fall in love with Him again. Let Him become first in your heart.

And then watch what happens. As you love Him more, you'll love what He loves. As you treasure His glory, you'll long to see it spread to all peoples. As you hope in His Kingdom, you'll want everyone to be part of it.

Missions should not come first. Jesus should come first. And when He does, missions becomes an adventure of passion and hope.

[Closing prayer]

Let me pray: 

Thank you for joining me today. I pray this reorients your heart the way it reoriented mine.

Until next time, remember—keep your eyes on Jesus, and the nations will follow.

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The Challenge of the Cities: God's New Frontier for Missions

Hello, and welcome back to Nations 4 Jesus. Today I want to talk about something that challenged me deeply and might make some of you uncomfortable—including me! It's about cities. Big cities. Megacities. The crowded, noisy, dirty, overwhelming urban centers that many of us would rather avoid.

I'll be honest—I'm not naturally a city person. I grew up on the outskirts of Los Angeles, and our family lived in Seoul, South Korea—the heart of what was then the world's fifth-largest city. I don't find cities exciting and pulsing with energy like some people do. Instead, I find them crowded, dirty, loud, sometimes crime-ridden, and—did I mention crowded?

But I'm asking God to change my outlook, especially after studying an article by missiologist Roger S. Greenway called "The Challenge of the Cities." What he says is so important that I need to share it with you, even though it convicts me. Because here's the truth: Whether we like cities or not, that's where God is moving, and that's where the harvest is waiting.

[The reality - cities are the new frontier]

Greenway writes: "Cities are the new frontier of Christian missions. Because of their size, influence, diversity, and needs, cities present enormous challenges. To neglect cities would be a strategic mistake, because, as cities go, the world goes."

Think about that! As cities go, the world goes. Cities are the centers of political power, economic activity, communication, scientific research, academic instruction, and moral and religious influences. Whatever happens in cities affects entire nations. When Christ's kingdom advances in cities, the number of people worshiping and serving the true God multiplies exponentially.

[The migration - largest in human history]

Over the last several decades, the world has witnessed the largest population movement in history—migration from rural areas to cities. When Greenway wrote in the 1990s, this was already happening. But it's accelerated dramatically since then.

In America, we think we have large cities—New York, Los Angeles, Chicago. But we're only the tip of the iceberg! Let me give you some statistics about cities in 2025 that will blow your mind.

[The megacities - 2025 statistics]

According to current data, there are now over 40 megacities—cities with populations exceeding 10 million people. Here are some of the largest:

Jakarata, Indonesia with 42 million recently surpassed Dhaka, Bangladesh with 37 million and Tokyo, Japan at about 33 million people. New Delhi, India is close behind at 30 million. Shanghai, China has 29 million. Guangzhou, China, where we finalized our oldest daughter’s adoption, has 37 million and to round out the top ten…Cairo, Egypt; Manila,. Philippines, Kolkata, India and Seoul, South Korea. 

The next largest are - Karachi, Pakistan, Beijing, China, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Bangkok, China and then we finally get to a US city - New York with about 21.8 million. By 2030, the UN projects there will be 48 megacities.

[The poverty and suffering - unprecedented need]

Now here's the heartbreaking part. As Greenway writes: "Some of the worst suffering is found among people who have recently arrived in cities." The slums of New York and Los Angeles—as difficult as they are—pale in comparison to what you find in Dhaka, Karachi, New Delhi or Kolkata.

We're talking about massive urban slums where millions live in grinding poverty, without adequate water, sanitation, healthcare, or education. Children grow up in conditions we can barely imagine. Disease, crime, exploitation, hopelessness—these are daily realities for hundreds of millions of urban poor.

And these numbers are growing every single day as more people migrate from rural areas hoping for a better life in the city.

[The opportunity - unprecedented openness]

But here's where it gets really interesting—and this is what convicted me. Greenway writes: "Yet, God is and can do tremendous works in these cities if we will only walk in obedience to where He is calling the Church, because there is an openness to the Gospel in the cities."

Listen carefully to this insight: "As a general rule, people who are recently dislocated (which describes a large part of megacities where the population continues to grow as people from the country move to the city), and are experiencing major changes in their lives, are more open to the Gospel than they were before."

Think about it! When people move to a new city, they're uprooted from their traditional communities, their family networks, their religious structures. Everything is new and overwhelming. They're searching for meaning, for community, for hope. And in that searching, they're more open to new ideas—including the Gospel!

[God's strategy - bringing people to the Gospel]

This is brilliant! Greenway writes: "God is behind the migration of masses of people to the cities, allowing the people He loves to journey to a place where they will be more open to hearing about Him, if only people will tell them."

God is orchestrating this! He's creating new opportunities for spreading the Gospel among unreached people coming from remote towns and villages. Through urbanization, God is drawing people from every race, tribe, and language to places where they can be reached with the Gospel.

[The missionary advantage - multiple people groups in one place]

And here's what really hit me—and this changed my entire perspective on urban missions. Greenway writes: "Missionaries, instead of going to a remote rural location to reach an unreached people group, can go to cities where there are representatives from thousands of people groups, representatives that because of their difficult lifestyles are more open to the Gospel than they might have been while living in their rural homes."

Do you see the genius of this? Instead of a missionary spending years learning a language, trekking to a remote village, and trying to reach one isolated people group, they can go to a megacity and find representatives from hundreds or even thousands of people groups all in one place! And these people are more open to the Gospel than they would be back in their villages!

In cities like Dubai, London, New York, Singapore, or Bangkok, you can meet people from almost every nation on earth. A missionary in one city can potentially reach dozens of unreached people groups!

[The challenge - we need workers in cities]

But here's the problem, and Greenway doesn't sugarcoat it: "But it takes sacrifice on many believer's hearts to go to the cities. Traditionally, most mission work was done in rural areas. In the past, that made sense because most people lived in rural communities. But the biggest challenge is now in cities, and there we find a shortage of workers."

Why the shortage? "Many missionaries are so disturbed by the noise and traffic in cities, the pollution, social problems, crime and crowded housing, that they prefer working in rural areas."

This convicted me! I'm one of those people who prefers rural areas. I'd much rather minister in a quiet village than a chaotic city. But Greenway challenges us: "Unreached villages certainly need to hear the Gospel. But in view of the masses of unsaved and unchurched people in cities, more attention must be given to urban centers."

[Biblical precedent - God's heart for cities]

And this isn't just practical strategy—it's biblical! God's heart for cities runs throughout Scripture. Urban missions began with Jonah being sent to Nineveh, one of the great cities of the ancient world. Much of Christ's ministry was done in the poor urban conditions of Jerusalem. And the missionary strategy of Paul was completely urban!

Paul didn't go to remote villages. He went to cities—Antioch, Ephesus, Corinth, Rome. He planted churches in urban centers, knowing that the Gospel would spread from those cities to the surrounding regions.

[The question - will we go where we're needed?]

Greenway's challenge is pointed: "Our response should not depend on whether we prefer to live in cities or not. As it was for Jonah, and no doubt for Paul, the question is whether we will go where workers are needed and where God wants us to go."

That's the question for each of us. Not "Do I like cities?" but "Is God calling me there? Are workers needed there?" And the answer to that second question is an overwhelming yes!

[Current statistics - the urgency today]

Let me give you some updated statistics that show the urgency. As of 2025:

• About 57% of the world's population lives in urban areas—that's 4.4 billion people
• By 2050, that number is projected to reach 68%—about 6.7 billion people
• 90% of this urban growth is happening in Asia and Africa
• About 1 billion people live in urban slums
• Many megacities have less than 2% evangelical Christian population

Think about Dhaka, Bangladesh—42 million people, and it's overwhelmingly Muslim with only a tiny Christian minority. Or New Delhi, India—30 million people, mostly Hindu, with vast slums where millions have never heard the Gospel. Or Lagos, Nigeria—21 million people, growing so fast that infrastructure can't keep up, with both Christian and Muslim populations but also millions who've never heard a clear Gospel presentation.

These are fields white for harvest! And they're not in remote jungles—they're in cities with airports, where you can get a Starbucks, where internet is available. Yet they're desperately unreached!

[Practical application - what can we do?]

So what do we do with this information? Let me give you five practical steps.

First, change your perspective on cities. Stop seeing them as places to avoid and start seeing them as strategic mission fields. Ask God to give you His heart for cities, for the masses of people living there in physical and spiritual poverty.

Second, pray for urban missions. Pray for missionaries serving in megacities. Pray for church planters in slums. Pray for evangelists reaching multiple people groups in one city. Pray that God would raise up more workers willing to go to cities.

Third, support urban missions financially. There are great organizations doing urban church planting, slum ministry, and outreach to internationals in global cities. Give to support this work!

Fourth, consider going on a short-term mission trip to a megacity. Experience urban missions firsthand. You might be surprised—God might call you to long-term urban ministry!

Fifth, if you live in or near a city, look around! Your city probably has immigrants from dozens of nations. You can do cross-cultural missions without leaving home! Reach out to refugee communities, international students, immigrant neighborhoods. The nations have come to our cities—will we reach them?

[Closing prayer]

Let me pray: 

Thank you for joining me today. I hope this has challenged you as much as it challenged me. The cities are God's new frontier for missions—will we join Him there?

Until next time, remember—keep your eyes on the nations, and don't forget that many of those nations are now gathered in cities!

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The Fire That Sparked Forgiveness: The Staines Martyrdom and the Indian Church

Hello, and welcome back to Nations 4 Jesus. Today I need to share a story that's both heartbreaking and inspiring—a story of modern martyrdom, radical forgiveness, and the enduring power of the Gospel in India. It's the story of Graham Staines, his two young sons, and his widow Gladys, whose response to unspeakable tragedy became a testimony that echoes around the world.

But to understand this story fully, we need to start at the beginning—with how Christianity first came to India nearly 2,000 years ago.

[The Apostle Thomas - Christianity's ancient roots in India]

According to ancient tradition, the Apostle Thomas—"Doubting Thomas" as we often call him—brought the Gospel to India in 52 AD, just about twenty years after Jesus's resurrection. Thomas is believed to have landed on the Malabar Coast in what is now Kerala, in southwestern India.

The tradition says Thomas established seven churches along the coast and reached both Jewish communities and high-caste Hindus with the message of Christ. He baptized converts, trained leaders, and planted churches that still exist today—the Mar Thoma Church and other "Thomas Christian" communities trace their origins directly back to the Apostle Thomas.

In 72 AD, Thomas was martyred near present-day Chennai (formerly Madras) on the eastern coast. According to tradition, he was speared to death while praying. His tomb in Chennai became a pilgrimage site, and the Christians he left behind continued spreading the faith.

So Christianity in India is ancient—it's not a Western import from colonial times, as some claim. Indian Christians can trace their heritage back to the first century, to one of Jesus's own apostles!

[Christianity through the centuries - survival and growth]

Through the centuries that followed, Indian Christianity survived and even thrived in certain regions, particularly in Kerala. When Portuguese explorers arrived in the 1500s, they were shocked to find thriving Christian communities that had been there for 1,400 years!

Unfortunately, Portuguese colonialism tried to bring these ancient Indian Christians under Roman Catholic authority, causing divisions that still exist today. Later, British colonialism in the 1700s-1900s brought Protestant missionaries who did tremendous good—establishing schools, hospitals, and orphanages—but also unfortunately linked Christianity with British imperialism in many Indians' minds.

Despite these complications, Christianity continued growing, especially among lower-caste Indians and tribal peoples who found in the Gospel a message of dignity, equality, and hope that the caste system denied them.

[Graham Staines arrives - 1965]

Which brings us to Graham Staines. Born on January 18, 1941, in Palmwoods, Queensland, Australia, Graham felt called to missions and arrived in the Indian state of Odisha (formerly called Orissa) in 1965, when he was just 24 years old.

Graham worked for many years with the Evangelical Missionary Society of Mayurbhanj, caring for leprosy patients and tribal communities in remote areas of Odisha. This was humble, sacrificial work—caring for people that Indian society often rejected and feared. Leprosy patients were outcasts, and tribal peoples were marginalized. But Graham saw them as Jesus saw them—as precious souls made in God's image.

He married Gladys, and together they raised their family in India. Their work became well-known among the local Christian and tribal communities. They weren't wealthy. They weren't powerful. They were simply faithful servants loving people in Jesus's name.

For over thirty years, Graham quietly served. He treated leprosy patients. He shared the Gospel. He showed Christ's love to those society had forgotten.

[The night of horror - January 22-23, 1999]

Then came the night of January 22-23, 1999. Graham and his two sons—Philip, age 10, and Timothy, age 6—were sleeping in their station wagon near a jungle camp in the village of Manoharpur in Odisha. They had been attending a Christian gathering.

Around midnight, a mob attacked. The vehicle was surrounded and set on fire. Graham and his two young boys were burnt to death inside.

Can you imagine? A missionary who had spent thirty-four years serving India's most vulnerable, murdered along with his two little boys. Burned alive while they slept.

The violent act shocked India and the international community. This became one of the most high-profile cases of anti-Christian violence in modern India.

[The investigation - who and why]

The Central Bureau of Investigation, along with state police and a judicial commission, investigated the case. The key accused was a man named Dara Singh, also known as Rabindra Kumar Pal, who was arrested on January 31, 2000.

Dara Singh was associated with Hindu nationalist groups that opposed Christian missionary work, especially among tribal peoples. They viewed conversion to Christianity as a threat to Hindu culture and accused missionaries of using deception or coercion—accusations that were false in Graham's case.

In September 2003, a court sentenced Dara Singh to death and others to life imprisonment. Later, in May 2005, the Orissa High Court commuted the death sentence to life imprisonment. The Supreme Court upheld the life sentence in January 2011, finding that while the crime was heinous, the death penalty wasn't warranted.

[Gladys's response - forgiveness that stunned the world]

But here's where the story becomes a testimony to the power of the Gospel. Gladys Staines—who lost her husband and two of her three children in one horrific night—responded in a way that stunned India and the world.

She publicly forgave the killers.

In a 2003 newspaper report, Gladys said: "I have forgiven the killers and have no bitterness, because forgiveness brings healing and our land needs healing from hatred and violence."

Think about that! Her husband and two young sons were brutally murdered, and she responded with forgiveness. Not because she didn't grieve—she grieved deeply. Not because the crime didn't matter—it was evil. But because she understood what Jesus taught: "To whomsoever you forgive, their sins will be forgiven."

She also said: "We are called to be under subjection to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except God." Even though the justice system had failed to prevent the attack and took years to bring justice, she submitted to God's sovereignty.

[Staying in India - continuing the mission]

But Gladys didn't just forgive—she stayed. Despite losing her husband and two sons, despite the danger, despite every human reason to leave India and return to Australia, Gladys remained.

She continued the work at the leprosy home. Later, a full hospital was built and named in Graham's memory. She kept serving the very people among whom her family had been killed.

When asked why, she gave this powerful statement: "I'm not bitter. Neither am I angry. But I have one great desire: that each citizen of this country should establish a personal relationship with Jesus Christ who gave His life for their sins."

Do you hear that? Her one great desire wasn't revenge, or even justice in the human sense. It was that Indians would come to know Jesus. The same Jesus who died for those who killed Him. The same Jesus who said from the cross, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

[On grace and forgiveness - Gladys's testimony]

In another interview, Gladys explained how she could forgive: "If we don't experience the grace of God, we become bitter. We have to turn to God… Experience forgiveness and forgive others. Grace is available. Once you forgive, there will be healing."

This is the key! Gladys could forgive because she had experienced God's forgiveness. She could show grace because she had received grace. She could love her enemies because Jesus first loved His enemies—including her.

Her words have become an example of living out faith under extreme circumstances. They appear in contexts discussing emotional healing, forgiveness after trauma, and cross-cultural ministry. They resonate across faith communities because they reflect both deep suffering and deep grace.

[The Indian church today - growth despite persecution]

So what's the state of Christianity in India today? It's a mixed picture. India is officially a secular democracy with religious freedom, but Christians—who make up about 2.3% of India's 1.4 billion people, roughly 32 million believers—face increasing persecution.

According to Open Doors' 2025 World Watch List, India ranks 11th among countries where Christians face the most severe persecution. Hindu nationalist groups pressure Christians to reconvert to Hinduism. Churches are attacked. Pastors are beaten. Christians lose jobs and face social ostracism. Anti-conversion laws in several states make it difficult to share the Gospel.

But despite persecution—or perhaps because of it—the Indian church is growing! Particularly among the Dalits (formerly called "untouchables"), the lowest group in the caste system, and among tribal peoples. These are the very groups Graham Staines served.

[Dalit conversions - finding dignity in Christ]

For Dalits, the Gospel offers something Hinduism never has—dignity, equality, and hope. The caste system tells them they're worthless, that their low status is punishment for sins in past lives, that they deserve mistreatment. But Jesus says they're made in God's image, loved by their Creator, precious enough that He died for them!

Millions of Dalits have converted to Christianity over the past century. This is one reason Hindu nationalists oppose Christian missions—not because missionaries use deception or force, but because the Gospel's message of equality threatens the caste system's power structure.

[Healings and miracles - signs following the Word]

Another remarkable aspect of Indian Christianity's growth is the role of healings and miracles. In rural India, where medical care is limited and people live with chronic illness and demonic oppression, the Gospel often comes with power.

Missionaries and Indian evangelists pray for the sick, and God heals. They cast out demons in Jesus's name, and people are freed. These signs confirm the Word and lead many to faith. Just as in the book of Acts, healings and miracles accompany the Gospel's advance.

Indian pastors tell stories of entire villages coming to Christ after someone is healed in Jesus's name. A woman barren for years conceives after prayer. A man crippled for decades walks. A child tormented by evil spirits finds peace. And people ask, "Who is this Jesus? What power is this?" The Gospel spreads not just through words, but through demonstrations of God's power.

[The legacy of the Staines martyrdom]

The Staines martyrdom in 1999 could have sparked bitterness, retaliation, or fear that drove missionaries out of India. But instead, it became a testimony to the Gospel's power. Gladys's forgiveness showcased Christ more powerfully than years of sermons could.

Indians—Hindu, Muslim, and secular—were stunned by her response. Many said, "What kind of religion produces this kind of forgiveness? What kind of God gives this kind of grace?" And some came to faith because they saw Christ in Gladys.

The case also highlighted tensions between tribal communities, Christian missions, and Hindu nationalist groups. It triggered international attention and diplomatic concern. It prompted debate about religious freedom, minority rights, and the role of conversion in India.

But most importantly, it demonstrated that the Gospel is worth dying for. Graham and his sons joined the countless martyrs throughout church history who loved not their lives even unto death. And Gladys joined those who, like Stephen, forgave their persecutors and continued witnessing to Christ's love.

[Closing challenge - what we can learn]

So what can we learn from this story? First, missions is costly. Graham Staines gave thirty-four years serving leprosy patients in remote India. He gave his life and his sons' lives. Gladys gave her husband and children. This is the reality of taking the Gospel to hard places. As Samuel Zwemer said, "The unoccupied fields must have their Calvary before they can have their Pentecost."

Second, forgiveness is powerful. Gladys's forgiveness did more to advance the Gospel than any amount of preaching could have done. When the world sees Christians forgiving the unforgivable, they see Jesus. And some believe.

Third, the Gospel is growing in India despite persecution. Among Dalits and tribals, through healings and miracles, through faithful witnesses like the Staines family, Christ is building His church. The gates of hell will not prevail against it.

Fourth, we must support and pray for the Indian church. Our brothers and sisters there face persecution we can hardly imagine. They need our prayers, our financial support, and our advocacy. Will you commit to praying regularly for India?

[Closing prayer]

Let me pray: 

Thank you for joining me today. The story of the Staines family challenges us all. Will we love like they loved? Will we forgive like Gladys forgave? Will we serve like Graham served?

Until next time, remember—keep your eyes on the nations, and never underestimate the power of forgiveness to point others to Christ!

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