Spreading the Word..

This weekend Jacqueline and I had the opportunity to help host a booth for Gospel for Asia (GFA) at the Indianapolis Convention Center for a Homeschool Association Convention that was taking place. It was a great time and, praise the Lord, we were able to tell many about GFA and distribute about 230 or so copies of the book “Revolution in World Missions” written by the GFA founder, K.P. Yohannan. We had another guy named Austin who helped us out with the booth and illustrated vividly a passion for Jesus Christ and spreading the Gospel around both near and far. It was an encouragement to meet him and to see the passion He has for Christ – a passion that far exceeds my own. We pray that God would move in the hearts of all those who took a free book to read the book and be moved to be a part of spreading the Gospel to the estimated 3 billion (yeah, 3 billion) people across Asia who have never once heard the name of Jesus. If you haven’t ever read the book “Revolution in World Missions”, please get you a free copy and add it to your reading list.

It was interesting to see the different responses people had to hearing about Gospel for Asia and their vision to raise up native missionaries to take the Gospel back to their own people. The most disturbing conversation of the day was probably hearing one person say that they thought we didn’t need to share the Gospel… that God would reveal Himself to those He wanted to reveal Himself too and that He didn’t need our help. Romans 10:14-15 says, “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? I don’t know of any more clear verse that calls us to take the Gospel to the world around us… the only thing I could say, beyond my wife sharing this verse with the person, was simply, “If that is right, I’m so glad you and I were not born in India.” I’ve had so many opportunities to hear the Gospel… I pray that all those that trod on this earth would get that same opportunity. Don’t get me wrong, God can (and does) reveal himself to anyone at anytime… I believe even the rocks will cry out if He desires them too… but for our joy and for His glory, He has allowed us to be a part of taking the Gospel to those around us. As Romans 10:15 finishes, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" It’s always The Holy Spirit that moves in a person’s heart to bring them to resentence and belief upon His name, but in His grace and providence, He has allowed us to be a part of spreading His Gospel and “filling the whole earth with His glory”… a glory that we, as Christians, carry around in these “earthen vessels”. I often wonder… how much of “His Fragrance” am I spreading around each day… we would be wise to seek out how we can do so all the more.

Jacqueline and I had a great weekend together… the church service on Sunday was very powerful. Here lately in Church, I can’t hardly make it through the song “In Christ Alone” without shedding a few tears… it’s beautiful to know that it is in Him that I have all that my heart is starving for… and it’s tragic how often I trade Him for lesser pursuits. I’m a long ways from being like Christ, but I can say with great praise to Him that He’s brought me a long ways and I’ve seen Him at work vividly on my heart. I too long to be able to stand on His promises and resist the lies of this world and the devil… As G.K. Chesterton once said, “There are an infinite number of angles at which one falls, only one at which he stands.” Christ is that way… I want to learn how to daily cling to Him. Monday always comes too soon, but with it comes the hope of another day and the opportunity to be loved by the Lord and to share that love with those around us.

Hope you have a great week this week… place your feet on the Solid Rock.

P.S. My dad and his wife are coming up to Indy to visit this coming weekend… a few more Texans to add to the Hoosier population. I’m looking forward to seeing them and getting to spend time with my father… his embrace and encouragement never get old to me.

"A tiny group of believers who have the gospel keep mumbling it over and over to themselves. Meanwhile, millions who have never heard it once fall into the flames of eternal hell without ever hearing the salvation story."
      - K.P. Yohannan