I read earlier today:
“Then His fame went throughout all Syria…” (Matt 4:24).
There has been a cry in my heart all afternoon. Can we make Jesus famous in Syria once again?
I’m not very good about keeping up on world news, so I can’t claim to know a lot about the conflict in Syria the past couple of years. What I do know, though, is that Jesus is no longer famous in Syria, and that breaks my heart. I want Him to be known and experienced as I have known and experienced Him. In a Wikipedia article that lists Protestantism by country, the number of Protestants listed for Syria: “?” Other countries with that same “number” include Libya, Morocco, Oman, Somalia, Western Sahara, and Yemen. These countries, my friends, form the heart of the Arab world – where Jesus is not loved and glorified.
91,841,816 people – the combined population of just the countries I listed above. Number of Christ-followers: “?”. Percentage of protestants in North Africa: 0.06%. In the Middle East: 0.25%. Yes, less than 1%.
I don’t doubt that there is a remnant of people in these places, serving Christ and doing all they can to make Him known – but my heart cries out – what are we doing?
But what about the people here who haven’t heard?
I’m afraid sometimes we use the excuse of the near-unreached to not reach out to the far-unreached. Please, do all you can to reach as many people as you can within your circle of influence. The point isn’t that there isn’t work left to do here (here as in the US or here as in Colombia). The point is that within these 7 countries, there is, practically speaking, no access to the Gospel, and while the Gospel can spread quickly within a people group, it does not “jump” easily over cultural boundaries. “And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” (Rom 10:14).
Continue to reach out to your neighbors. But please ask yourself, like I have been asking myself these past six weeks: “What am I doing to further the reaching of the unreached?” If your answer is, like mine was several weeks ago, “nothing,” please contact me and let me help you discover how you channel your talents, prayers, and resources to reach these people that our Lover so desperately wants as part of His Bride.
My friends, Muslims are not the enemy of the Gospel in the Arab World just as Catholics aren’t the enemy of the Gospel right here in Colombia. (I don’t mean to offend, but the bonds of Catholicism here are strong and keep many from responding to the Gospel.) We have just one enemy, and he has “blinded the minds of the unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Cor 4:4). Islam and Catholicism are simply the blinders that the god of this age has used to keep people from responding to the all-sufficient Savior: Jesus.
Isn’t He worth declaring? Isn’t He the most precious Treasure you have ever discovered? Isn’t He reason enough – worthy enough?
Would you consider taking 8 minutes to watch this powerful video? Let your heart be awakened and broken for these millions.
[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/39813041[/vimeo]
If you’re interested in learning more about what my future involvement will be with the Arab world, please contact me. I would love to share more.