by Justin Long

Justin is the Information & Team Mobilization Strategist for Mission to Unreached Peoples.

Since you are reading this, you are probably—at least in some small degree—interested in missions. You want to know a little more about missions, and most likely your place in it. You are probably like many of us who feel prompted and maybe even challenged by the Holy Spirit to be involved in missions in some way.

Still, you are also probably like many of us who are grappling with what our specific role is. What, precisely, are we supposed to do? Where? For how long? And how do we get started in it?

Simply finding a need and working on it is a challenge, because no matter where you go in the world, whether close by or far away, you’ll find plenty of good things to do and plenty of people in need. With so many different causes clamoring for our attention, how do we choose?

Admittedly the easiest option is to stay where you are and work on the people closest to you. Perhaps the most tempting option is to go where it’s easiest and the harvest is “most ripe,” and work there! Instead, let me point out the examples of Jesus and Paul.

Examples from the Bible

In Luke 10, Jesus chose 72 disciples and sent them out in pairs “to all the towns and places he planned to visit.” (Luke 10:1) He didn’t put them to work in the town where he was presently ministering—he sent them to places that he (probably) hadn’t visited before.

In Luke 10:11 he warned them that some of the towns they would enter would not welcome them. This was potentially dangerous business: “I am sending you out as lambs among wolves.” (Luke 10:3)

Paul, similarly, went to “other places far beyond you, where no one else is working.” (2 Corinthians 10:16) In such places it was impossible to know whether the harvest was “ripe” or not–because no one was there to examine the fields!

Unreached Places Today

Today there are many such places, clearly identified by research:

• There are over 2 billion people in unreached people groups (for exhaustive lists, see the Joshua Project website at http://www.joshuaproject.net). Many of these groups have churches and some Christians, but the local church is not large enough to reach everyone in the group on an ongoing basis (that is, foreign missionaries): they can’t reach the current generation and future generations on their own.
• There are over 1 billion people in unevangelized people groups (for exhaustive lists, see the World Christian Encyclopedia, 2nd edition). In many of these groups there is some missionary work going on, but it’s not nearly enough to reach the entire group even once: most of the people in the group are not likely to hear the Gospel in their lifetime.
• Finally, there are over 231 million people in unengaged people groups (see the Finishing the Task List at http://www.finishingthetask.com). These groups have no workers and no churches at all. Most of the people in these groups will slip into a Christless eternity because no one in the church undertook the difficulties to go to them.

By Paul Borthwick
Paul is a leading mission speaker and senior consultant for Development Associates International. He is also a leader in the SVM2 network.

#3: THE SCRIPTURES REVEAL God’s Sending Heart:

“Whom Shall I Send and Who Will Go for Us?” (Isaiah 6:7)

These words, spoken to Isaiah before his famous response – “Here I am; send me” (Isaiah 6:8) – reflect God’s method of getting the message of his love to the world. He sends us.

Jesus commissioned his disciples to make more disciples (Matthew 28:18-20), preach the Good News everywhere (Mark 16:15; Luke 24:45-49), and be his witnesses to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).

All these commands launch us out because Jesus says, “As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you” (John 20:21).

We are God’s method. He fully intends to involve us as his local and worldwide “ambassadors” because God makes his appeal of love and reconciliation to the world through us (II Corinthians 5:20).

For some miraculous and mysterious reason, God limits himself to do his work in the world through us.

Chuck, a recent graduate school graduate working behind the counter at a fast-food chain, understands God’s sending heart when he said,

“This is not where I’d choose to be right now, but God has me here – to touch people who might otherwise never know about the love of Jesus. I work with people from eleven nationalities, and he’s send me into international missions from behind this counter.”

Katie and Jack, Bible translators pioneering in Central Africa, understand God’s sending heart when they state,

“God could reach these people in any way he wants, but for some wonderful reason, he’s chosen to reach them through us.”

When we understand God’s sending heart, we start accepting our God-given privilege of partnering with him in the work of local and global evangelism, mercy ministries, and cross-cultural outreach.

We are the primary expressions of the love of God that people will see.

GOD’S WORD & GOD’S HEART TO THE NATIONS

Deep Bible study reveals that God seeks the lost – and so do his people who comprehend his heart.

Deep Bible study reveals that God sacrifices to get the message of his love out – and so do his people who comprehend his heart.

Deep Bible study reveals that God sends us to be his ambassadors – an awesome truth for those who comprehend his heart.

Our dedication to local outreach and our motivation for global ministry flow out of the heart of God, and we know His heart by understanding His word.

John Stott reminds us that the Bible is the foundation for pursuing our commitment to the global cause of Christ:

Without the Bible, world evangelization is impossible. For without the Bible, we have no Gospel to take to the nations, no warrant to take it to them, no idea of how to set about the task, and no hope of any success.

It is the Bible that gives us the mandate, the message, the model, and the power we need for world evangelization.

So let us seek to repossess it by diligent study and meditation. Let’s heed its summons, grasp its message, follow its directions, and trust its power. Let’s lift up our voices and make it known.

By Paul Borthwick
Paul is a leading mission speaker and senior consultant for Development Associates International. He is also a leader in the SVM2 network.

#2: THE SCRIPTURES REVEAL God’s Sacrificial Heart:

“My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46)

These words, uttered by Jesus on the cross, reflect God’s willingness to go to great lengths to win back lost people.

The theme echoes across all of Scripture: God loves us so much that he comes and pays the price for the sins that we ourselves have committed (Isaiah 53:6).

The question tells us that Jesus suffered separation, loneliness, and pain so that he might make it possible for us to come back to God (I John 4:10).

The question reflects God’s sacrificial heart; he loved us so much that he gave his one and only son, so that “he who knew no sin would become sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.” (II Corinthians 5:21)

When we understand this sacrifice for our sins, God’s love “compels us” (II Corinthians 5:14) to sacrifice ourselves in order to reach others. We’ll be willing to be inconvenienced so that others can know the love of the God who gave himself for them.

His sacrifice stirs us so that we no longer live for ourselves “but for him who died for us and was raised again.” (II Corinthians 5:15)

God’s sacrificial heart motivates incarnational ministry. As Jesus left his comfort zone to serve us by his death on the cross (Philippians 2:5-11), we in turn leave ours – to get the message of Christ’s love out.

It is God’s sacrificial heart reproduced in us which motivates a doctor to give up a lucrative career in plastic surgery to do cleft palate surgery in Zambia.

It is God’s sacrificial heart at work in Beth that stirs her ministry with HIV/AIDS patients. It is understanding God’s sacrificial heart that called Bruce and Karen to dedicate their lives to urban gang members.

It is God’s sacrificial heart that led Vivian to become a foster mother.

Look into the motivation of Christian refugee camp workers, Christian street workers in Calcutta, or generous people giving away large amounts of their economic wealth to Christian ministry, and you’ll almost always find God’s sacrificial heart being reproduced in his children.

When we understand God’s sacrificial heart, we build our foundation for the sacrifices needed to do the work in the world of evangelism, mercy ministries, and cross-cultural outreach.

By Paul Borthwick
Paul is a leading mission speaker and senior consultant for Development Associates International. He is also a leader in the SVM2 network.

Study The Scriptures: They Reveal The Heart of God

God reveals his character to us as he makes himself known throughout the Scriptures. One of the ways God reveals himself is through the questions he asks. Whether they be rhetorical (like the questions God asks Job) or instructive (like Jesus’ “Who do you say that I am?” question to Peter), God uses questions as devices to teach us something about himself.

Consider three questions God asks. These questions explain how God’s character lays the foundation for outreach, evangelism, and cross-cultural missions. The questions reveal God’s heart for lost people. God utters them to tell us how He looks at our broken world.

#1: The Scriptures Reveal God’s Seeking Heart

“Where Are You?” (Genesis 3:9)
This first question, posed by God as he sought out Adam and Eve after their rebellion, tells us of God’s heart: the loving father pursues lost sinners. When they were afraid and hiding, God came looking.

Jesus reflected that same priority through his stories in Luke of lost things being earnestly pursued: lost sheep, a lost coin, a lost son. He summarized his passion for things lost to those who criticized his outreach to Zaccheus: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).

God comes looking for us. He wants to get back into relationship with us, and HE seeks after us (even though we sinners broke the relationship). After he finds us, he calls us to imitate his heart by seeking others. We love because he first loved us. We seek because he first sought us.

When we follow Christ, He calls us to go into the world asking the same question to the broken world – “Where are you? God wants a restored relationship with you.”

Paul the apostle captured this spirit in II Corinthians 5 when he refers to us as “Christ’s ambassadors” reaching out in reflection of God’s seeking heart by urging people to “be reconciled to God” (II Corinthians 5:20).

If we understand the seeking heart of God, we will find ourselves joining in the plea to others, “Be reconciled to God.” The loving father God wants you back.

The application of God’s heart into our own lives has both local and global application.

At a local level, Bob understood the pursing love of God and he joined a local athletic club in an effort to engage people by seeking those who know nothing of God’s love.

God’s seeking heart motivated Debbie to decrease her activities at church in order to spend more time with her unchurched neighbors.

God’s seeking heart reproduced in Joan resulted in service through an inner city soup kitchen; in Fred it resulted in establishing an “inquirers” Bible study at work; in Jim and Andrea it resulted in a commitment to cross-cultural ministry in Central Asia with an unreached ethnic group.

On a global level, understanding God’s seeking heart will result in people mobilized to go to the hard places. It is God’s initiative toward lost people that will call people to the world’s unreached.

We’ll see people desirous of taking the “Where are you?” invitation of God to those who have never been invited. When we understand the seeking heart of God in the Scriptures, we’ll find ourselves echoing Paul’s stated desire to “preach where Christ is not already named” (Romans 15:20).

When we understand God’s seeking heart, we always maintain an outward focus that thrusts us out in evangelism, mercy ministries, and cross-cultural outreach.

By Paul Borthwick
Paul is a leading mission speaker and senior consultant for Development Associates International. He is also a leader in the SVM2 network.

What motivates evangelism and outreach? What stirs us to engage the world with the Gospel message? Why do churches and individuals participate in world missions? I think about these questions a lot because I spend large amounts of time trying to influence people and churches to be more involved in cross-cultural missions and outreach.

Do we get involved simply because of needs? Are we interested in global missions because of the “global village” in which we live? Is our evangelism simply obedience to the specific “Great Commission” of Matthew 28:18-20?

My wife and I were discussing these questions one night after dinner, and she offered the most succinct response. She said, “It’s simple. We’re involved to reflect the character of God. Missions is God’s heart.”

NOT REASON ENOUGH

We live in a Global Village. Satellites, the Internet, Facebook, Twitter, jet travel, and multi-national corporations have dramatically reduced our perception of the size of the earth, even as the world population approaches 7 billion souls.

But the Global Village reality is not reason enough to mobilize us for evangelism and global outreach.

We live in a world of economic “haves” and “have-nots.” The vast majority (“Two-Thirds” or more) live as have-nots, struggling to survive, impoverished, and without choices.

The remainder lives lives of excess, consuming vast amounts of resources on themselves – often at the expense of the have-nots. But the needs and inequities of the world are not reason enough to mobilize us for local or global ministry.

Experts tell us that the Christian church moves closer daily to “completing the task” of presenting the message of God’s love through Jesus Christ to every ethnic group on earth – to the end of establishing self-sustaining churches in those ethnic groups.

But even “completing the task” is not reason enough to mobilize us for evangelism and world outreach.

At the foundation of our desire to mobilize the local church for global outreach stands the character of God. As followers of Christ, we supremely desire that our lives and our churches reflect God’s character to the world.

Which leads to these questions:
• How do we know God’s character?
• How do we discover the heart of God?
• And where we are challenged to make sure that our hearts beat with His, and that our lifestyle reflect His character to the world?

The most obvious answer is through studying the life and ministry of Jesus – God made flesh – so that we can see what God’s heart and character look like in action.

But beyond the Living Word, Jesus, we discover the heart and character of God by studying His written Word, the Bible.

David Howard, former missionary to Colombia and later director of the Urbana Student Missionary Convention, points to the need to understand the Word of God thoroughly:

“The missionary enterprise of the church is not a pyramid built upside down with its point on one isolated text in the New Testament out of which we have built a huge structure known as ‘missions.’ Rather, the missionary enterprise of the church is a great pyramid built right side up with its base running from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22. All of Scripture forms the foundation for the outreach of the gospel to the whole world (emphasis mine).”

By Rev. Gerard Seow

Gerard was called from an early age into full-time service through a divine encounter with the Lamb, both he, his wife and 4 daughters, serve the street communities in Singapore and believe in the unity of the church and the essential mission of every believer to extend the Kingdom of God in heart and mind.

Are you working with the poor? Carrying the torch of the gospel into the inner city? Thinking of doing an internship in the near future? I just want to emphasize this one thing before you get your tickets. Please do not come the expected route.

There is great blessing and protection and victory when you do something so out of the ordinary that your opponent doesn’t know how to react or is caught off guard. Remember, you don’t just want to defeat your opponent, you want to humiliate him so badly that he thinks twice before trying his antics on you again.

While in prayer with some international students, the Lord instructed me to make a CRAZY SOUND. At first, I thought to just do a John Cage number and bang on the piano keyboard in a random manner before the Lord.

But I held back since we were hosting some senior leaders including a Bishop’s son and also some masters and doctoral students studying at a prestigious bible college, including our counterparts from India, Philippines, Burma, Madagascar, etc all very senior and key appointment holders in the Asian theatre of operations.

So here we were assembled and I announced that there was going to be a CRAZY SOUND and that that CRAZY SOUND was going to create the break through we were looking for, in our personal lives, in our churches and respective nations and target populations. For example, that that CRAZY SOUND was going to release the angels into the brothels in Geylang where we ourselves could not go.

Half way through my own Song of madness… I stopped abruptly and declared to my very distinguished audience of clerics: I said: ‘What we need is a sound, a CRAZY SOUND or a shout… ’

Actually I was thinking of doing the ‘Haka war dance’ I had learnt from our Maori friends…similar to what the All Blacks do just before they engage their ‘enemy’ on the rugby pitch.

But before I could open my mouth (Psalm 81) the Lord intervened. He caused one of the Nagaland professors to give out one of the loudest shrieks that was a cross between the haka and a yodel. How crazy is that? It was CRAZY, just pure unadulterated crazy-ness! An authentic Nagaland victory yell as the Spirit rose up in that otherwise introverted academic.

It was CRAZY for Abraham to leave UR with no road map
It was CRAZY for Isaac to dig wells in a time of famine
It was CRAZY for Jacob to wrestle with an angel

I believe this is a call to prepare the way for unusual times ahead. Don’t be surprised if the Lord works differently than from His previous move: sometimes God uses a human switch to trigger the next move, and that someone could be you! UNDERMIND YOUR ENEMY’s advances THROUGH A HOLY MADNESS and work to knock him off balance.

It was MADNESS for Mary to believe she was pregnant
It was MADNESS for Magdela to let down her hair
It was MADNESS for Rhoda to open the door!

I believe, everyone of you has a unique and CRAZY SOUND to share, one that is going to jam the demonic air waves and cause confusion to break out the camp of the enemy… We’ve made great strides in (governmental) prayer that has resulted (we think) in the closing down of a number of brothels this area. But we are not about to take our foot off the pedal, not just yet.

Do you have a missional assignment that seems to defy logic and human reasoning? Then make a CRAZY SOUND unto the LORD. Open your mouth and the LORD will fill it.

Your own original CRAZY SOUND may not be a sound that you make with your throat or tongue like that Nagaland professor, but if your idea, concept or strategy originates from God, is done His way and in His timing, then it is definitely going to drive your enemy ‘crazy’ and force enough errors on his part to give you the advantage.

Don’t just pull out the carpet under his feet. Rip off the roof that is over his head. When he runs out of the house in terror let him see his precious crops destroyed with the holy LOCUST of combined, united and determined prayer. Then go and eat your HONEY.

Your neighborhood has a destiny she must fulfill. She was born and will live to seize this day. But she has reasons that the Church knows not of. She does things that God will judge but thankfully the heaven’s are presently undisturbed. There is still time. That truth will set her free.

Every community can bless God!

By Rev. Gerard Seow

Gerard was called from an early age into full-time service through a divine encounter with the Lamb, both he, his wife and 4 daughters, serve the street communities in Singapore and believe in the unity of the church and the essential mission of every believer to extend the Kingdom of God in heart and mind.

What is Needed to Serve the Poor?

One of the international Geneva conventions has identified major obstacles, many of them still unresolved to this day, including prostitution, debt-bondage, child-labour, human trafficking, etc under the sombre title heading of ‘Contemporary forms of slavery.’

Much research and funding is still needed to refine definitions and raise awareness, especially in enlightened minds, how a civilized society might look like without men pimping women and girls on the street.

What is the role of the Church in all this? A good starting point is to understand the nature of evil in society. What is the injury sustained whenever one of these prostituted sisters gets entangled in a mesh of illegitimacy?

Think of prostitution, domestic abuse, child-labour as part of the same web of deceit along side with insurance scams, buying and selling of human organ, and Bernie Madoff. They are all of the same genre, pick-pockets and petty theives.

Remember, the Artful Dodger in Oliver Twist? He was just one of many recruited by Fagin into a fellowship of under-aged con-artists. Through sleight-of-hand trickery, today’s dodgers are just as skilful in evading the law and helping themselves to the contents of your wallet.

You cannot look at the individual pimp or the trafficker without seeing an entire system of control, shame, intimidation that seeks to malign the human spirit into defilement through fear and degradation of the flesh.

The buggery, bigotry and the bastard spirit, these are the minions Satan uses, like Fagin of old, to cheat men and women of their inheritance, entrap the weak minded, devour the sickly and ruin the elect if that were possible.

No thinking individual should seek to engage in such a frontal attack, not least the officers of the Church. To do so is complete foolishness. We walk the streets of the poor not to condemn the world but to awaken the Church out of her slumber.

The real demon is indifference.

It is a careless attitude that fails to understand the demonic nature of passivity. Let us eat from God’s table, drink the wine of the Holy Spirit and be merry in our holy huddles and convocations…and, let the rest of the world … go to hell.

That is the very separatist attitude of the Pharisees who put their own cleanness and religious standards above the pain and woundedness of the abused. Why care for the lost and lonely as long as I have my confirmed ticket to heaven, seems to be the popular view of Christianity these days. Not eschatology but escapology!

The apostolic correction to this misunderstanding is described in John 21 verse 18. Here the zealous convert is zipping here and there, exercising gifts and consuming talents in a most haphazard manner, ‘helping Jesus’ like little junior with his plastic hammer trying to help Daddy build the house.

This kind of prayer is like a cat meowing for its master to open the door. No wisdom, no idea of what is really required.

Prayer is the act of ‘making room for God to act.’

It is when God gets his Holy hands ‘dirty’ so to speak, when He ‘rolls up his Holy sleeves’, that things start to change. What is God doing your neighbourhood? Find that out, and then get your shoulders behind that rock, then push with all your might.

That is the key note for intercessory warfare that is going to hit the enemy where it hurts him the most, using stealth from the flanks or from the rear, not a frontal attack, but one using aggresive mercy to turn your enemy and cause him to lose balance.

It is said that the more precious the stone is, and the more valuable the mineral deposits are, the deeper one needs to look.

What is truly precious is not to be found on the surface. The most expensive ruby found in Burma, less than the size of a child’s knuckle bone was found at a depth of over 2,000 feet in the mountainous regions to the immediate east of the Himalayan chain.

The diamond mines of South Africa routinely dig past 3,000 feet. The higher the price, it seems, the deeper the dig. Look beyond the surface.

By Rev. Gerard Seow

Gerard was called from an early age into full-time service through a divine encounter with the Lamb, both he, his wife and 4 daughters, serve the street communities in Singapore and believe in the unity of the church and the essential mission of every believer to extend the Kingdom of God in heart and mind.

Refining Fire

Revivals never just happen. Fire in the bones is always a happy result of faith that is active and never unemployed. ‘Begin with me’ is the most revival-friendly prayer you can pray. We can influence the world when we share in the story God is telling.

First the reformation is in me, then the outworking of prayer that proceeds from a changed me to an unchanged world that may, at first, be resistant to change, but then will have no choice but to likewise bend.

Every knee must bow, including mine, but also the unsanctified church culture that we have become accustomed to through years of neglect. But God has promised in the prophets that ‘He will restore the years the locust have eaten’ (Joel 2:25).

Embedded in our service to the poor is an idea that may not at first seem obvious. The heritage belonging to the gospel worker is rich with examples of pioneers who left their ivory towers to serve in places where no body else wanted to go.

And there they stayed, and there they made observations which fueled other expeditions, ever deeper and remote from the softness of home while suffering every kind of inhumanity, including disease, dirt and demons – risking all, even life and limb for the sake of the poor.

This is historical fact, the incarnate Christ Himself showing us the way. He left His glory and became one of us. And if we really love, we will give in a way that ‘hurts’ and we should wish never to be healed of such pain. A true work of God will cost everything is a maxim that can be debated but, as a truth it stands ‘tough as an anvil, though oft beaten.’

Enter into any village. Scan the opportunities. Then there comes a moment of tremendous courage.

Putting aside everything you have learnt, risking all, in that moment you understand that love compels and favor obligates: you reach out with your heart, you touch without knowing the consequence of that eternal moment, and – time stands still. A soul is won, a mind is changed forever – and history is rewritten.

When we were young, we prayed whenever and wherever. Now that we are older, our prayers must go where God wants to send them. Likewise, a man on the cross cannot look back. He has no option but to allow his ambitions, his career choices and bright future to be ruined permanently in the crucible of decision.

The Chinese have a peculiar method of cleaning snails to prepare them for table. They collect water from the highlands, the colder the better, and soak these critters for several hours alive in a frigid baptism of ice. Ultimately, it is in the purity of the plunge that causes those snails to spew out (vomit) the dirt and debris.

I am told the French employ a more radical, but no less cruel method that involves dislocation of the slug from its shell. Quickly, the knife removes the belly dirt and the body is blanched into a boiling cauldron. So choose, either the shock of the cold or the trauma of the hot, but without preparation nobody is going to put a snail in his mouth.

Likewise preparation for the front-lines of Christian service requires a radical re-calibration in the heart. Something has to happen first inside us before service can be accepted as Christian, bringing glory to God and not man. And, from an organizational viewpoint, this is what separates the men from the boys.

Ministries are always specific to callings and many are called. However not everyone is chosen. Brethren, we are not service providers! Charity is one thing, but the work of serving, whether it is to the poor or the downtrodden, takes a certain heart attitude that allows room for God to act.

By Stanley Ow Chong Kheng
Stanley is the SVM2 National Lead Facilitator in Singapore.

What To Do Now?

• What is your gifting? Has God wired you with special liking? Do you have the ‘calling’ and passion to fulfill that role? Do you love God, the Bible and love His people (those who know Him and yet to know Him). Know yourself. Next prepare yourself through disciplined studies and practical hand-on experience.
• Put on the mindset of Christ. You are firstly a Christian, then your profession. Bring honor to God and His name in whatever that you do.
• Walk the talk as a believer.
• Be selfless like Christ. The greatest love is a sacrificial self-giving love to others like Christ. Through losing your lives in service for others, you gain.
• Be a mentor to others.
• Be a growing, disciple of Christ- always learning, growing and maturing in faith.
• Be the best representative for God within the your sphere of influence. Your walk, integrity and lives for God shine brighter and further for Him.
• God is a creative God. He created the universe. You can be the best creative director, media specialist, scientist, technologist, educator, principals, doctors and researchers. God wants you to be ‘head’ and not the ‘tail.’
• Introduce God’s curriculum back to the schools. Secularism and alternative lifestyles are creeping into our modern schools. Single-parent children out-number normal children in many Western countries. Western education was established in the early centuries with Biblical values and principles such as Cambridge and Oxford Universities.
• Leadership that leads by example and life. A great leader is secured and confident in God. He stays focused, has clarity of his earthly mission and eternal destiny and leaves a legacy behind. He loves the people. He also concerned with the welfare of the people like Nehemiah. He has a shepherd heart like the Psalmist.

Conclusion

Can there be a ‘new’ state, order with simple pattern networked together undergo a metamorphosis? This is transformation of society. The world is in a stage of constant change. God is the center of change, transforming us into His likeness and image as He originally planned in Genesis. We can be and shall be like Him.

What will the world and society be like in 2060?

I foresee 2 kinds of government- Utopian idea of perfect ideal, vision and fantasy. Governments and United Nations will work together to ensure peace, respect and fairness.

World religions will live in harmony and compromise. There is a common financial system that is accepted by all nations. The world will come together to tackle challenges of green-house warming effects, terrorism, poverty and hosts of other global challenges.

But this remains an ideal because the basic problem of sin has not been resolved. God requires human’s acknowledgement of sin and forgiveness.

Things are not going to improve or get better. In fact, it is going to be worse in accordance to the Bible in Matthew 24 and other passages.

What about us as believers and message bearers? Can we engage the 7 spheres of society with the gospel? I firmly believe it is possible.

• The gospel has taken a circle from the West to the East and presently moving back to the West. God’s mighty Spirit is at work throughout this universe.
• There are more than 100 million believers in China in spite of persecutions and without freedom of worship. God is in control and His church will continue to grow globally. Korea, Philippines, Latin America and Singapore are sending missionaries. Cambodia, certain part of Indonesia, India and other countries are experiencing revivals.
• Many Western countries will open the doors to the gospel as it was in the beginning of the Early Church. Message bearers will be going to the Western countries firstly for their ethnic peoples and the ‘Whites’ or Westerners. Many people will find their answer to challenging needs through Jesus.
• With the ‘Back to Jerusalem’ movements initiated by China and later in Nigeria, many Jews will be born again and acknowledge her Messiah.
• Many nations will be governed by God fearing Presidents, Head of States, Prime ministers etc and they will exalt His Name together with their citizens.
• More believers and message bearers will boldly engage the 7 spheres of society with the gospel. They will be empowered with His Holy Spirit and doing exploits for Him. Glorifying Him with Biblical convictions and passionate for the millions to know the Savior and Lord.

We can with God’s help.

By Stanley Ow Chong Kheng
Stanley is the SVM2 National Lead Facilitator in Singapore.

7 spheres of society

Salt, light and stars are Biblical examples used to describe us as transformation agents. “You are the light of the world.” (Matthew 5:14)We are to be seen and known for our faith, lives and practices. We live out our lives in the 7 major spheres of society -

Arts & Entertainment;

Business, Science & Technology;

Communication & Media;

Disadvantages & Marginalized;

Education & School;

Family & Home;

Government & Leadership.

We must ask ourselves if we are shaping our culture with the gospel or if our culture is shaping us.

“You are the salt of the earth (influence and effectiveness).” (Matthew 5:13)

“So that you may become blameless and pure… in which you shine like stars in the universe.” (Philippians 2:15)

CHRISTIAN FAMILY & HOME

Strong families come from the equipping of the Church (Ephesians 4). A strong church builds strong Christian families and homes. It understands the roles and responsibilities before God (Ephesians 5). Husbands become the ‘priest’ with his wife and children looking forward to the time between God and family. Christian families set the pattern for others.

ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT, COMMUNICATION and MEDIA

Can believers and message bearers lead the sphere of influence with the expertise and calling? How is your spiritual foundation? Are you focused in what you are doing?

Philips translation warned you not be squeeze into the world’s mould’ in Romans. Can you handle temptations, fame and celebrity status? “Go for it!” if you are an overcomer.

God has given you the capacity to lead and influence others. Form small supportive groups with prayer environment in which the focus of the group attention shifts from the self and one another to God.

Ask God for a new set of skills and capacities while you engage. Let God be the center of your conversation and allow God to shape the focus. Shift the creative imagination and possibility to the society whom He loves.

BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Christians and message bearers can be leaders in business, science and technology. He has given us the wisdom of the mind, diligence to invent and capacity to lead.

Read an interesting newsletter about China on Wenzhou called ‘the Jerusalem of China.’ BBC news article focused on a factory in Wenzhou city in SW China owned by a Christian businessman.

“At the Boteli Valve Group factory, the owner shared that the senior managers gather together each Monday morning to pray about the work of the company. Staff are encouraged to attend an on-site Christian fellowship once a week.’ (Antioch Missions 3)

Is it possible? Of course it is God’s will and desire for us to engage.

EDUCATION, SCHOOLS, POLITICS, LEADERSHIP, MARGINALIZED & DISADVANTAGES

Another key is Education. It provides understanding, wisdom and knowledge (Proverbs). Education brings improvements and changes to societies. It raises our living standard out of the poverty circle.

Christian education focuses on godly character, Christian values and creative imagination. Students are eager to learn godly truth from His Word in their formation years. Be message bearers of faith, integrity and mentor others with this same mindset.

We can be the best spiritual leaders in all spheres of society based on God’s truth and teachings. We have the capacity to lead because of His impartation and grace. Serve, for example, in the political realm as if only the welfare of the people mattered, instead of looking to self-interest and self-indulgence.

We should desire to improve and assist the livelihood of the people with a servant-hood mentality regardless of language, race or religion. Serve with fairness, clear judgment and the fear of the Lord and not the fear of man. (Romans 13).

With these in mind, practice conviction to reach out and assist the Disadvantages and Marginalized. There are always the poor and needy, yet God never loses sight of them. God’s heart and thoughts are always for them. When we show kindness and care to them, the Lord says that we are doing it to Him. (Matthew 25) The poor always remind us of who we are and they too can know Him and have a transformed life.