The Mission Field Today

Hello, friends, and welcome back to Nations 4 Jesus.

God is doing great things in the world today! We talked about some of that incredible good news in our second episode. Yet, there is still much to be done! Today, I'd like to give you an idea of what the mission field looks like in 2024 and 2025.

Now, I want to be honest with you—these statistics might challenge us. They might even feel overwhelming. But friends, if you believe the Bible, and I do... every word... then we can be encouraged by what it says:

"After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." Revelation 7:9-10

The Bible is very clear, time and again, that people from every nation, tribe, people and language will be in Heaven, worshiping at the throne of our Lord. This is a promise! But for this to happen, there are still many more people groups that need to be reached.

God created each person precious in His sight! And each one needs to be precious in our eyes too. I remind myself often that each person was someone's little baby. Some mother held that child, just like I hold my own, and dreamed dreams, made wishes, and said prayers for that child as she gazed lovingly down into their face. Each person's life has just as much importance and significance as my own children.

Yes, they speak a different language. They eat different foods. They most likely live in a much different, often poorer lifestyle than my own. Yet, they have the same hopes and dreams for themselves and their children.

But imagine... a life with none of the hope that comes from knowing Jesus as our Savior. I can't imagine that. I was born hearing the name of Jesus from my parents' lips. I can’t remember a day that I didn't know the Lord. But there are so many—so very many people just like us—who have NEVER even heard the name Jesus.

This has got to break our hearts and get us to act!

So let me share some current statistics that describe the state of the mission field today. Here's the big picture:

As of 2024, our world population is over 8.1 billion people. Of those 8.1 billion:

• Christians number 2.6 billion worldwide—that's about 32% of the world's population
• Within that group of Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox Christians, Evangelicals number around 413 million
• Muslims number approximately 2 billion (about 25% of the world)
• Hindus make up about 15% of the world (1.2 billion)
• Buddhists about 7% (520 million)
• And 24% of the world's population identifies native religions or non at all

You may be wondering where I got those statistics. Those all came from a great website called thetravelingteam.org  In all my podcasts, I list my resources in the episode description. I don’t want to be throwing out random numbers with no websites to back them up. Plus, these resources that I list are great places to further educate yourself on these topics. 

Here's some encouraging news: approximately 72% of the world's population now has access to the gospel in some form. That's about 5.8 billion people!

But—and this is the sobering part—28% of the world, approximately 2.3 billion people, still have virtually no exposure to the gospel message. That's nearly 3 billion souls who have never heard about Jesus.

Now, let me tell you about something called the "10/40 Window." This is crucial to understanding the remaining task.

The 10/40 Window is a rectangular region of the world that extends from 10 degrees to 40 degrees north of the equator, stretching from North Africa across the Middle East to Asia. And here's why it matters:

97% of the world's unreached people live in the 10/40 Window. To reach the unreached, we MUST reach the 10/40 Window!

And here's what's heartbreaking: only 3.4% of missionaries around the world serve within the 10/40 Window. Less than 4% of all Christian missionaries for 97% of the world's unreached people! That’s a big missionary gap! 

Let me explain what I mean by "unreached" or "least-reached." A people group is considered unreached when less than 2% are evangelical Christians and less than 5% are Christian adherents of any kind.

Think about that. Imagine living in a place where out of every 100 people you know, fewer than 2 have a personal relationship with Jesus. That means there isn't a strong enough Christian community to spread the gospel on their own—they need outside help.

A people group, by the way, is defined as a group of people who have a distinctive language and culture from those around them. Out of approximately 17,000 total people groups in the world, about 7,000 are still unreached.

Friends, here are some statistics on the Missionary Gap that I mentioned. The reality of this gap should both challenge us and break our hearts:

• There are 57,000 Evangelical Christians for every one unreached people group
• Only 1 out of every 174,000 Christians goes as a missionary to the unreached
• For every Muslim in an unreached area, there is one missionary for every 405,000 people
• For Hindus: one missionary for every 179,000 people
• For Buddhists: one missionary for every 260,000 people

The bottom line? There is approximately 1 missionary for every 216,000 unreached people.

And here's the financial picture: out of every $1.00 of Christian giving to all causes, only about one penny goes towards reaching these unreached people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If you wonder where the other 99 cents goes, just look around. I think we spend a lot of it in our churches, our programs and our Christian educational centers here in America. 

So after listening to these statistics, we can clearly see that there are still so many people who need to hear the Good News of Jesus. But why? Why are WE to complete this task? Why not let someone else do it, or just let God do it Himself?

Listen to these reasons—and I'm going to be very direct with you:

Not just because it is our duty, though it is. Not just because it will bring eternal life to many, though it will. Not just because it will improve the living conditions of the poor, though it will. Not just because it will improve stability in the world's institutions, though it will. Not just because we will be rewarded in Heaven, though we will.

We should disciple the nations because Jesus is worthy to receive their honor, glory and praise.

Yes, He is so worthy! More worthy than anything else we could spend my time on! More worthy than our comfort, our plans, our dreams, our resources!

"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" Revelation 5:12

Friends, these aren't just numbers on a page. Each statistic represents real people—mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, children playing in the streets, elderly people sitting in their homes. Each one created in the image of God. Each one deeply loved by Him. Each one Jesus died for.

And each one deserves the chance to hear His name.

So what can we do?

We can pray. We can give. We can go. We can tell others. We can learn about unreached people groups. We can support missionaries who are on the front lines. We can ask God to break our hearts for what breaks His.

Because here's the truth: reaching the unreached is not a resource problem. It's a mobilization problem. The Church has the people. We have the money. We have the technology. What we need is the willingness to obey.

Dearest Lord Jesus, You are so very worthy to receive the honor, glory and praise of each person You created, love and died for. We ask of you…What would You have us do? How can each of us be part of fulfilling the Great Commission? Please light a fire in Your Church to go to the unreached, no matter the cost, and tell them about You. We love You so much! May the Gospel be preached in all the world and may this hasten Your return. In Your name Lord Jesus, amen. 

Thank you for joining me today... and remember, Jesus is worthy of the worship of every tribe, every tongue, every nation.

Until next time, keep your eyes on the nations... and watch what God will do.

Sources: The Traveling Team (thetravelingteam.org/stats), Joshua Project (joshuaproject.net), Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Pew Research Center, and Global Frontier Missions.

Listen to this in podcast form at https://open.spotify.com/episode/04mGcytIhVktoe0xDqNs8h?si=t2iQdE2eTBq5gtapV290Ng

The Worst of Two Worlds

"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." 

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"  Romans 10:13-15

I read the following article in the Lausanne World Pulse, a monthly magazine on missions. I share this because it spoke to my heart. I pray it will speak to yours as well. 

The Worse of Two Worlds: For the Sake of Those Who Have Never Heard

By Ferdinand Nweke

The First of Nine Wives Mama Lotun is the first of nine wives; she is Pokot. She lives in Orus (Kenya), a cluster of villages, some made up of only four huts. She was one of the earliest Pokot to put their trust in Christ when missionaries came calling decades earlier.

Hearing that her aged husband was ill, we went for a visit. We had to bend very low to get through the entrance of his hut—like a camel passing through the eye of a needle. He lay on one of two “beds” (piles of sticks) coughing and spitting on the floor or the wall, whichever was more convenient. He let out some groans as he shifted to some more comfortable position on his “mattress” (cow hide).

The putrid smell was inescapable. In the middle of the hut, a fire burned, pouring smoke, tearing our eyes, and choking us. Breathing was difficult: this was no place for a claustrophobic or asthmatic. But the Pokot didn’t seem to mind at all: they were used to the fire: they stoked it, cooked their meals on it, and used it to heat their hut on many chilly nights.

The old man was living out his last days in the most squalid condition imaginable. I had seen poverty in other parts of Africa, but nothing like this. Through the smoke and stench of the dark, dank hut, we shared the love of Jesus with him. Although neither hostile to the gospel, nor prohibitive of his first wife’s faith, he’d refused to believe, despite years of faithful witness.

Tonight was different. With newfound conviction which suddenly energized his weak voice, he excitedly declared his faith in Christ and prayed with us to ask Jesus to save him. We asked the Lord to heal him and gave him The Treasure, the amazing, solar-powered, audio Bible that will continue to bring him the message of God’s love in his own language.

I was in Orus as part of an international team put together by World Mission ministering to the nomadic Pokot people. On one memorable evening, the Pokot speared a goat to death and roasted the meat for us. They drank the raw blood mixed with fat and ate some part of the goat intestines unwashed and raw. We slept with them in their mud and straw hut (a puny shelter from the howling wind) and preached the gospel to them. Several came to Christ.

Many primitive practices are still performed among the Pokot, including polygamy and female circumcision. The mother of a freshly-circumcised girl even gets to have a feather stuck in her hair. Until recently, the Pokot engaged their neighbors (the Samburus and the Turkanas) in fierce, internecine wars, often over cattle. These three tribes are among the earth’s 2.7 billion unreached peoples who will have the worst of two worlds unless their eternity is secured through the gospel.

Two Worlds

Every individual will experience two worlds. At his trial before Pilate, Jesus told the governor, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36), implying another world no less real. Paul declared, “If our hope in Christ is good for this life only and no more, then we deserve more pity than anyone else” (1 Corinthians 15:19). There is this world and the next; one in time, the other in eternity.

There can be no vacuum in our hearts; we must live for time or eternity, for the ephemeral or the eternal. The believer’s ultimate destiny is to spend eternity in glory with Christ. No wonder the psalmist prayed, “You shall guide me by Your counsel; and afterward You will take me to glory” (Psalm 73:24).

There is an afterward: beyond time lies eternity. To not spend eternity with Christ is the ultimate disaster, the mother of all calamities that can befall a person. Better not to have been born than to live on earth and miss heaven. The subject of eternal punishment is not popular in a relativistic world bereft of absolute truth. But something serious made it necessary for Christ to die a shameful death on a cruel cross. Eternity was at stake. Our destiny hung in the balance, but the love of God devised Calvary to save humanity.

The hell of hell is this: that the real problem of hell is not the fire, torment, or lack of food, water, or rest, but that it is forever. If only there was an expiry date to the torments of hell. The only hope of hell’s inhabitants is to pray for God to die, for that is when eternity will end. Since an immortal God is absolutely exempt from death, it implies that the lost will suffer eternal punishment as long as God is alive: “These shall go away into everlasting punishment” (Matthew 25:46).

The price Jesus paid on the cross makes this completely unnecessary. Instead of quibbling over the immutable truth of God’s word, we must do whatever it takes to carry the saving message of Jesus Christ to those who have never heard so that people like the Pokot of Kenya, the Fulani of Nigeria, and the Yadav of India will not have the worst of two worlds.

The Poorest of the Poor

The unreached peoples of the world are also the poorest of the poor. The gospel has positive socio- economic effects, lifting communities that receive it out of poverty and squalor. Until the gospel arrives, however, the existing spiritual darkness usually crystallizes into tangible, multidimensional darkness— physical, economic, sociological, etc.—thereby enslaving the people.

Demonic oppression is rife: some are hard to even believe, like invisible spirits stoning people in Orus. Or the practice (until recently among the Zarandawas of northern Nigeria) of putting holes on both lips of women and sewing their mouths shut so they don’t eat the groundnuts that are to be planted in the farm. Truly, “the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty” (Psalm 74:20).

According to the Joshua Project, the 10/40 Window is home to the majority of the world's poor. Of the poorest of the poor, more than eight out of ten live in the 10/40 Window. On average, they exist on less than a few hundred dollars per person per year. It has been said that “the poor are the lost, and the lost are the poor”...There is a remarkable overlap between the poorest countries of the world and those that are least evangelized.

The Hope of the Poor

Jesus specifically spoke of the gospel being preached to the poor: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor” (Luke 4:18). He told those sent by John, “the poor have the gospel preached to them” (Matthew 11:4-5). Or, as The Message translation says, “The wretched of the earth learn that God is on their side.” Often, not even their governments are on their side, but through the gospel, the poor learn that God is on their side.

Quite literally, the gospel (not the porous promises of poverty alleviation from populist politicians) is the only hope of the poor: “Give ear, my dear brothers; are not those who are poor in the things of this world marked out by God to have faith as their wealth, and for their heritage the kingdom which he has said he will give to those who have love for him?” (James 2:5-6).

If they don’t get the good things of this life, and never get to experience Sentosa Island (Singapore), Hawaii, or Disneyworld, what awesome comfort it will be to “have faith as their wealth” and the kingdom for their heritage—to know the Savior here and afterward spend eternity with him in glory!

But to live in grinding poverty on earth and still spend eternity apart from God is double tragedy. The poor won’t go to heaven simply because they are poor or the rich to hell on account of their wealth. Both must have saving faith in the finished work of Christ. But for the poor, it’s the only way to avoid the worst of two worlds.

The story of the rich man and Lazarus comes to mind: There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. (Luke 16:19-21)

The tables were turned when both slipped into eternity: the rich man found himself in torments, whereas Lazarus was comforted. When the rich man begged for a drop of water to cool his tongue, Abraham told him, “Child, remember that in your lifetime you got the good things and Lazarus the bad things...Here   

he's consoled and you're tormented” (Luke 16:25). The rich man on earth had become a pauper in eternity.

The Worst of Two Worlds

While it is desirable that everyone get the best of two worlds (i.e., enjoy prosperity on earth and still spend eternity with Christ), the least we must ensure is that those who live in temporal misery on earth must not end up in eternal misery. Instead of letting luxury lull us to lethargy and slumber, those of us whose eternal destinies have been secured by faith in Christ must sacrifice some of our comfort to free up the resources that can make a huge difference for the wretched of the earth.

It was tragic that Lazarus had it rough on earth, but it would have been infinitely more tragic if he had had the worst of two worlds.

To live in places like Orus and then spend eternity in the lake of fire is not acceptable. We are not called to die on Calvary: the sacrifice of our lives can’t save the camels I saw in Orus or the cows of the Fulani. Only Jesus could pay the full penalty for the sins of the world. But it is not his responsibility to preach what he purchased: that’s our job.

We must lay our lives and resources down for this supreme agenda of heaven on earth. We must mobilize every strategy that sanctified minds can fathom, give everything over our real needs, and do all we can so that by all means we can change the eternal destinies of the unreached peoples of the world.

Who knows if in the process of changing their eternal destinies, we could also enrich their lives in time with the good things that accompany salvation. Then they in turn will extend to others the boundless love that lifted them from among the wretched of the earth.

Dr. Ferdinand Nweke, a medical doctor in Nigeria, coordinates Eternity Ministries, which focuses on maximizing Calvary and living with eternity in view. He has authored several books and songs.

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!

10/40 Window

You may have already heard of the 10/40 Window, but if you haven't, let me try to explain it. The 10/40 Window is mentioned quite a bit in Christian missions literature, websites, etc.

The 10/40 Window is an area of the world that contains the largest population of non-Christians. The area extends from 10 degrees to 40 degrees latitude North of the equator, and stretches from North Africa across to China.

A great, short video to watch on the 10/40 Window is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7O_IufSaCE8&feature=related and one for children at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGJxj3glsZA

This is the heartland/stronghold of the world’s major non-Christian religions: Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism; as well as most of the remaining Communist countries

2/3 of the world’s population lives in this region

80% of the world’s poorest live in this region

43 of the top 50 countries that persecute Christians are in the 10/40 Window.

With such a need in the 10/40 Window, I was saddened to learn that over 87% of all cross-cultural missionaries are not going to those in the 10/40 Window but to areas full of nominal Christians. And, out of every $1.00 of Christian giving to all causes, only half a penny goes toward pioneer church planting among Least-Reached people groups. (Ann Dunagan)

The 10/40 Window needs to be the focus of much prayer and missionary outreach...both foreign and missionaries from the country itself (indigenous).

The Road to Reality

I'm starting The Road to Reality by K.P. Yohannan. I'm trying to recapture the love and compassion and concern I had for the lost, the persecuted, the orphan, the slave...asking God to shatter my heart, to radically change me, to change us for His kingdom, for His glory.

I'm weary of halfhearted Christianity and I'm unafraid to take some giant steps with God. Instead of a million dollars in the bank, I want to help bring a million people into Heaven!

Nearly 2 billion people in the world STILL haven't heard the name of Jesus even once. Most of these live in Asia, in the 10/40 Window (see post 10/40 Window) and they are still dying without hope by the tens of thousands every day.

I don't want to blend in with the crowd. I want to stand up for Jesus against an increasingly hostile world. What is the way to do this? To repent, to return to Jesus, to surrender to Him and to start living as He commands us to. Faith without works is dead.

I struggle with the money that we spend - way too much! And so much of it is on entertainment and stuff for ourselves. I want to get rid of a lot that we have. I want to travel light. Show me how Lord...show us how.

O Father, bring us to the lost and the unreached. Burden our entire family like You are burdening me, please. Father God, may all five of our children be used on Your mission field. But they have to see their parents doing it too. Help us to break out of the "velvet cage of comfort and convenience to begin a radical lifestyle lived from an inner reality that affects the world." Yohannan

Keep burdening as I keep wrestling. Lord, Jeff has so much skill...use it for Your glory. I have a lot of Your Bible knowledge and love to teach - use it for Your glory.

Show me the things in my life that are not necessary. Help me make the most of my time here on earth.

Praying for India

Praying for the nation of India today and it's many, many people who have never even heard the name of Jesus. Here is a short video that can help you in praying for them.

Indian prayer video

I Against My Brother

I just watched a really good video on what it is like to be a Christian in Somalia. You can watch it below

 The website  I Against My Brother also has a 4-page Bible study for use after watching the film. This would be great for Sunday School, small groups and even homeschooling. The below news report is by CBN:

Muslims turning to Christ in Somalia is the subject of the new short film "I Against My Brother."

At only 15 minutes long, producers hope the film will become an evangelism tool -- something that Somalis could even watch on a cell phone.

"I Against My Brother" dramatizes the true story of a Somali woman who came to believe in Christ.

For her the cost was extremely high. In Somalia, she says, being a Muslim is seen as a part of being Somali.

"Somali people are very close. We share everything," the woman said in the film. "In our house there was only one room and there were seven of us."

In a surprise move to the city, the Somali woman encounters a Christian family. They show her God's love as they befriend her.

She then started reading the Bible in secret.

"I thought, 'Even if this (the Bible) is true, there's no way I can accept it. I'm a Somali. There's no other world I can go live in. If I accept this I will be killed,'" the woman recalled.

Eventually, the woman converted. The movie shows the real dangers she faced after coming to Christ.

The filmmaker told CBN News those dangers make it tough for Somali Christians to worship. They've even had to remain anonymous for this story due to security concerns.

"Somali Christians are very underground. They don't know each other. As far as I know there's no church of Somali believers pastored by a Somali pastor," one of the filmmakers said.

The filmmakers hope the Western church will watch the movie and pray for Somalis.

"The Somali people make international news almost every week for stuff that's really terrible," the other producer added.

"There's piracy, there's terrorism, there's the war in Somalia, there's the refugee camps," he continued. "And we want the church as they read these headlines to have a different response than the world has."

The filmmakers also hope that small groups will take advantage of online bible study materials -- and commit to praying weekly for the persecuted church in Somalia.

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.