Our church has started a prayer program of praying for a different country each week. We hear about the country and its struggles and the facts regarding the population and the percent that has not heard the gospel message. So for a week the congregation prays that Gods word and helping hands will be a reality for them.
I am involved in a ministry called Pioneer Bible Translators.The organization sends biblically trained ministry teams throught the world to make contact with people groups in the different countries. The organizations mission is to make disciples through bible translation. Currently Pioneer Bible has translated the bible in 13 languages in 28 countries.
As a reminder, Jesus commanded his disciples (us) to to make disciples of all nations. He was referring to peoples, tribes and languages. There are approximately 17,000 people groups (groups that share a common language and culture). Another category is called the unreached. That equtes to 7,000 people groups. These are among those that are unknown and the church has not sufficiently been able to reach them. It is estimated that out of 7.75 billion people in the world today, over 3 billion are unreached. That means that they would have never heard of the saving Grace of Jesus Christ all their life. What is to become of them?…you answer that.
Let us not forget that in addition to being spiritually hungry many in these countries are physically hungry. Not only do missionairies work to preach and translate the Gospel but they help the tribes to be growers of produce to eat an sell. Other missionaries are there to help tribe members start a business in order to be able to buy the necessities. There are many organizations in addition to the one mentioned above that work in country to provide for the people One I am acquainted with is Samaritans Purse a program of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. In addition Doctors Without Borders provide medical teams to these groups and tribes.
I urge you, in your local church, to find out if you have an active missions committee which will connect with any organization that has it’s mission to help those in foreign countries.. Like I said earlier, we are called to make disciples of all nations. But in order to do that we first must show the love of Christ in our lives by giving those we meet “a cup of cold water”. Then they might see our love for them.. God Bless you all…Amen
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