Mumbai Ministry

                                       

You will find a great feature on Mumbai ministry at go2southasia 

View a multimedia presentation about Mumbai at http://www.commissionstories.com/?p=141).

Find other great articles here

http://www.go2southasia.org/slumdog.html

Please see these articles about Mumbai ministry:

http://www.bpnews.net/BPFirstPerson.asp?ID=30667

http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=30660

http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=30659

Sharing Christ with Hindus

Hinduism is the major religion of India and Nepal. The diaspora of Hinduism means great populations of Hindus are found in almost every part of the world With one out of every seven people of the world being Hindu there are numerous occasions to share Christ with Hindus. The need for Hindus to hear Christ in the right way is great. The following article is meant to give you some practical suggestions in sharing Christ with Hindus. Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. (II Corinthians 9:6)

I)  We Must First Listen
When we share Christ with a Hindu we are eager to tell them the message that will save them. It is the most important message for them to hear that Christ is their God. He loved them. He died for them. It makes sense that we want to share this with them right away.

Think of the Hindu that you are sharing with as a cup of water and think of your gospel message as water that you want to pour into that cup. You want to share your message. But the cup of your Hindu friend is already full. He has his ideas, his philosophy, his religious ideals and convictions. What happens when you pour water into a glass that is already full. When you pour water into a full glass it runs out. Because the Hindu cup is full your message will overflow like water poured into a full glass and will not fill the cup.

If that same glass is half empty you can pour in significant amounts of water into that glass. Think of genuine listening to your Hindu friend as allowing your friend to pour out from their full glass into your glass. If they sense you genuinely are making an effort to understand and appreciate their ideas you have now prepared them to hear what you have told them about Christ.

Chandra was an evangelist among Hindu who would first listen to the Hindu point of view and appreciate what is good before sharing Christ. Hindus loved Chandra because he used examples from Hindu writings. He would highlight the Hindu principles and in suitable ways compare them to Christ. He was always referring to the life of Christ when he interacted with Hindus. When they invited Chandra to speak at Hindu gatherings he would tell about the Hindu saints and compare them to the life of Christ.

Chandra’s daughter shared how Chandra applied this principle of letting the Hindu first pour out when she heard him preach at a Hindu meeting when he addressed a group of Hindu scholars. She observed that Chandra lectured forty minutes but never even mentioned Christ. However, she found that in the last twenty minutes he spoke in such a wonderful manner that he proved Jesus Christ to be the only person having the ability to save sinners. The majority of the Hindus listening accepted his views.

We will always find Hindu more open to our message when we genuinely seek to understand what is there position. We will find a listening ear and open heart when we seek to understand the perspective of our Hindu friend.

II)  Appreciate what is good in Hinduism

What goes hand in hand with listening to your Hindu friend in creating openness to Christ is to appreciate what is genuinely good in Hinduism. One of the factors to closing the Hindu heart from hearing the gospel has been the practice of evangelists in pointing out and emphasizing the negatives in Hinduism. So many times the Hindus are on the defensive when the evangilst focuses on the “evil of idolatry” or the “darkness of Hinduism.” Instead of opening the heart of the Hindu this negative approach brings about defensiveness.

From the vantage point outside of Hinduism we may see Ganesh, the elephant headed god and see an offensive form. It may be our tendency to right away criticize our friend for participating in the Ganesh festival, which centers on the Ganesh figure. Criticizing our Hindu friend for taking part in the “festival of evil” is more likely to bring them to a position of defensiveness.

How can you find something good in such an idolatrous festival? How will you be able to appreciate the good and bring an opportunity to witness of Christ? In many homes the story of Ganesh is told (there are many versions of the Ganesh story) in a way that emphasizes family values. In some stories the boy Ganesh had his head severed (and replaced with an elephant head) as a result of obeying the instructions of his mother. Many teach this as a story to affirm the need for children to obey their parents.

Now we have found something that we can appreciate. The teaching that children obey their parents is a value that we can appreciate. We can sincerely complement the quality of family values and children that are taught to obey their parents found in the vast majority of Hindu homes. One our Hindu friend has sensed that we are able to appreciate what is good in Hinduism they become more open to Christ.

If we have appreciated the family values of the Hindu home we will easily be able to share with them that this kind of teaching we in Christ appreciate. We can share with them that we find that teaching in the New Testament (Eph. 6:1) “Children obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” You will find that not only has your Hindu friend become quite willing to listen to the New Testament on children obeying parents, but also they will, after your appreciating what is good in Hinduism, become open to what you believe about Christ.

Again using the example of Chandra we can see how a Hindu will become more open to the Gospel message when we look for what is good in Hinduism and appreciate those good points. A Hindu Professor, describes Chandra and his preaching. “His method of preaching, unlike the traditional method of locating and pointing out flaws and loopholes in the other religions and harping upon them day in and day out and in all places, was that of placing in juxtaposition the best in every religion and giving a requisite exposition to the comparative excellence in Jesus and his gospel of love and compassion, fraternity and fellow feeling.”

We are not limited to children obeying parents in our appreciation of Hindus. There are many aspects of morality, teaching against alcohol intoxication, opposing fornication and other forms of immorality. Using this approach does mean you never address issues like idolatry with your Hindu friend, but it means you always begin your interaction of a positive first step.

III)  Hindu Community issues

One very real problem we face when sharing Christ with a Hindu is the problem that Christianity in India is perceived as a caste community. In the past those who belong to oppressed social economic communities have sometimes become Christians in mass. They changed their names, taking on Christian names and left behind their caste identity taking on a Christian community identity. There have been a variety of explanations regarding mass movements to Christ from the lower socio- economic communities, but the explanation in part stems from the fact that those from the oppressed classes have seen becoming Christian as a step up on the social ladder.

In contrast the caste Hindu has a very established position in Indian society. Many people who are part of the caste Hindu (includes 600 million people) often want Christ but do not want to leave their community. For them becoming part of the Christian community would be a step down the social ladder. They receive opposition from family, not because of their worship of Christ, but because of the severe social problems that come in a change of community identity.

A Hindu that comes from a vegetarian community often has a change of dietary customs when joining the Christian community that isolate them from their family. We should as far as possible remove every obstacle and stumbling block that prevents the caste Hindu from coming to Christ. We should let the cross of Christ become the only stumbling block for the Hindu, not social issues. (Romans 14:13) We should not make it difficult for the caste Hindus who are turning to God (Acts 15:19).

We need to emphasize to the caste Hindu not to leave their community but stay as an obedient believer in Christ within their family and caste community to lead their family and community to Christ. We have New Testament examples where believers stayed in their community and we can use these scriptures to encourage our Hindu friends. The Bible teaches the believer not to be unequally yoked, i.e. for a believer not to marry and unbeliever. That does not mean that the Hindu believer has to marry outside their community. When the Hindu believer marries another believer from in their own caste community they have a much easier time remaining as salt and light to their community.

God cared about the demon-possessed man from Gerasenes and through him saved his entire family (Mark 5:12-20). When the evil spirits of this demon-possessed man left him, he begged to follow Jesus, but Jesus wanted him to go home and tell his entire family about the gospel. In this way, the family would have the witness of Christ.

When the Italian army officer, Cornelius came to faith he did not come out of his Italian family and community and live as the Hebraic Christians. Cornelius remained in his social network and through him his entire household was saved. (Acts 10:23-25) Cornelius had invited all his relatives and his close friends when Peter came to his home to speak of Christ.

When Paul found Lydia the businesswomen open to Christ in Philippi, she did not forsake her community (Acts 16:14-15). Right after Lydia came to Christ, she led her entire family to faith in Christ. God’s grace came to the Philippi jailer and through him his entire family came to Christ. (Acts 16:31) In the same way God can use the Hindu who remains inside his family and social community. When this happens the entire family can come to Christ.

House Church will appeal to a Hindu who does not want to join a new social community. Many Hindus will be excluded from their social network if they worship in a traditional Christian community church that has non-vegetarian eating customs. The believing Hindu will be in a better position to worship in a house church of believers in Christ that are not identified by their family and community as a separate social community. These house churches follow the New Testament pattern of church. (Acts 16:15, 31-34, Acts 5:42, Col. 4:15, Philemon 2). The family and social community of the Hindu will provide a natural relationship for worship and church group.

IV)  Stay Christ Centered

When we witness to our Hindu friends it is important to put the focus on Christ. A small portion from the book by Stanley Jones relating his experience in India brings out the value of the Christ centered approach.

In writing about sharing Christ with Hindus Jones says, “ I found the battle almost invariably being pitched in three places: The Old Testament, or Western Civilization, or the Christian Church. I had the ill defined but distinctive feeling the heart of the matter was being left out. Then I saw that I could take my stand at Christ and before the non-Christian world refuse to know anything save Jesus Christ and him Crucified. Then I saw this is where I should have been all the time. I saw that the Gospel lies in the person of Jesus, that he himself is the Good News that my one task was to live and to present him. My task was simplified.

But it was not only simplified it was vitalized. I found that when I was at the place of Jesus I was every moment upon the vital. Here at this place all the questions of heaven and earth were being settled. He was the one question that settled all others.

A Jain lawyer, a brilliant writer against Christianity, arose in one of my meetings and asked me a long list of questions regarding things of the Old Testament. I replied, I think I can answer your questions but I do not feel called to do so. I defined Christianity as Christ. If you have any objections to make against him I am ready to hear them and answer them if I can.” (Christ of the Indian Road p.2-4)

In sharing faith with a Hindu bring the initial focus to Christ. Do not become side tracked by other issues. These other question the Hindu has regarding the Old Testament or practices of Christians should be put off until Christ is fully presented to the Hindu.

When explaining sin to a Hindu it is better to avoid examples such as, idol worship is wrong. It is better to use personal examples such as, you may have promised something to your mother and broken that promise. That is sin and separates you from God. A Hindu has no doubt broken their own moral code regarding honesty or respecting parents. Bringing this to the Hindu mind is more likely to bring genuine repentance than a broad statement such as all idol worship is wrong.

Remember that Christ is not a foreign god for the Hindu. Christ was active in creation and Jesus is the creator and maker of your Hindu friend. God created your Hindu friend for fellowship, and that fellowship is broken as a result of sin. Christ loves the Hindu and knows intimately each Hindu and has the number of hairs on each Hindu numbered. He died for them and the image of God in the Hindu is restored when he accepts Christ who loved him and died for him.

V)  Fit the context of the situation

There are a large number of diverse thoughts within Hinduism and a large collection of Hindu writings. The major emphasis in Hinduism despite the large number of ancient texts is by oral tradition. There are thousands of Swamis having their own ashram or spiritual retreat center that emphasize a variety of themes. All of this leads to a great diversity in Hinduism.

Because of this great diversity there is not one theme that can be used in sharing Christ with Hindu. In one situation you may want to emphasize peace as Raju did in this example. Raju wrote: Raman shared at our prayer meeting that Mona has been saying that she needs “shanty”/peace. I told him that my testimony is about peace. So, we went to see her that afternoon. She was so cordial with us. Raman told her that we came to talk to her about peace. As I shared, she listened so intently. At the end, she asked me, what did I pray that I was able to find peace. I was able to share so openly with her. Raman prayed for her at the end. She is very close to the Kingdom!!!

To share the Gospel with Hindus we need to think about what is unique to each situation and adjust accordingly. Just as the example with Mona required a Biblical response in the area of peace the next situation could require a different approach. Beside peace, some common themes for Hindus include, Truth, Vegetarian Diet, Yoga, Herbs, Knowledge, Wealth, purity, Ancient Tradition, One god thousand names, Meditation, etc.

One example that has come recently from the Kamma community is from Prasadrao. He is adjusting his testimony to fit each situation. He has recently led dozens of Hindus to Christ and has planted many house churches among Hindu new believers. Prasadrao shares his testimony adjusting it to the context of each situation.

VI)  Sermon on the Mount appeals to Hindus

The Sermon on the Mount appeals to the religious sensitivities in India. What appeals most to Hindus is the self-denying aspect of the Christian faith. Many Hindu Sadhu (wandering religious holy men) are very self-denying. Because of this the Sermon on Mount, the Beatitudes, and the councils of perfection have an appeal to the Hindu.

In Gandhi’s Autobiography Book, The Story of My Experiments with Truth, Gandhi refers to the Sermon on the Mount. He wrote, “Sermon on the Mount went straight to my heart. The verses, but whoever smites you on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man take away thy coat let him have thy cloke too, delighted me beyond pleasure.” Ghandi referred to the Sermon on the Mount as the greatest of all writings.

These words by Gandhi have been influential to a number of Hindus. Two very prominent High caste Hindus came to Christ when after reading Gandhi’s autobiography. Iin a very similar way booth of these Hindu men bought new testaments to read the Sermon on the Mount after reading the autobiography. Both of them came to Christ through reading the Sermon on the Mount

Conclusion
If we do not come with a spirit of criticism or superiority we will find that Hindus are very open to speak on the claims of Christ. We become most sympathetic in or witness when we have many and deep friendships with Hindu.

When you share Christ with a Hindu, commit the occasion to God in prayer; share in the power of the Holy Spirit in Love. God’s desire is for the Hindu to be restored to him through Christ. “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” II Peter 3:9

Now it’s time for you to share Christ with Hindus. 

Click here for you free dowloadable Gospel Tract for Hindus

Missions: To Where Christ Is Not Known

                                                 

In 1998 there was a celebration in, India. It was the occasion of the twenty-five year, silver anniversary, of the Mission hospital. The president of the Mission Board, came as the keynote speaker. There was also an array of guests related to the history of the Hospital who came for the occasion. One of those who came was W. John. He was the pioneer missionary who actually purchased the land for the hospital to begin the ministry.

There is just something about the pioneer types. W. John was staying at the guest quarters at the hospital during the preparations for the celebration. It just so happened that a cobra snake made the mistake of slithering over the compound wall from the granite quarry behind the hospital. W. John in True Pioneer spirit killed the Cobra with a stick!

Actually, the pioneer missionary spirit is not really about killing Cobra snakes. It is about preaching Christ where He is not known. I asked W. John how the missionary work began and progressed in India. His answer was in the form of an analogy. He said the work began like a river. A river flows where the resistance is less. If the river encounters a rock or some resistance the river flows around that place. Soon a channel is cut and the river is flowing.

This method makes sense to me. Why stop at a hard resistant place when there are easy flow channels right next to the hard place? I thought it was right to do the ministry in India like a river, flowing where the openness was found. But, at that time, I also thought that we do not need to continue to flow exclusively down the same river cut decade ago. It is right to cut new rivers now!

In Romans Chapter 15:19-21 Paul used a different analogy for his work. Instead of a river, Paul uses the analogy of laying a foundation. He laid new foundations. Paul cut new rivers. He preached Christ where Christ was not known.

Read Romans 15:19-21
19 – by the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit. So from Jerusalem all the way around Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. 20 It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation. Rather, as it is written:
Vs 21 “They who were not told of him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.”

I) Paul’s Pioneer Journeys
Verse 19b So from Jerusalem all the way around Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.

When Paul wrote these words he was about to complete his third missionary journey and visit Jerusalem (Romans 15:25-27). By the time he wrote these words he had traveled extensively. There was still more traveling for him to do, but much of his missionary career was complete. He was speaking as a veteran.

There are many people who travel extensively in our day. I travel often and I have silver frequent flyer status on two airlines. I see these same tags commonly affixed to the bags of those rushing about in the airports. Some travelers even have the gold tags. These gold tags tell me that, as much as I have traveled, many others have traveled much more. If there was a first century frequent traveler gold card, I am sure Paul would have earned them for several major ship carriers.

Let’s check out some biblical background on how Paul traveled extensively to build new foundations. Our focus verse gives only a brief reference and we have just a hint here of how Paul journeyed all across Asia and into Europe. After Paul’s Damascus road experience he spent several days in Damascus. At once he began to preach that Jesus is the Son of God. Paul was proving that Jesus is the Christ. This did not go on for long when a plan was hatched to kill Paul. Day and night men lay in wait at the city gates to kill Paul. To escape the situation Paul was let down through the opening in the wall in a basket. Paul mentioned only in Galatians that he traveled to Arabia before he ever went to meet the disciples in Jerusalem (Gal 1:17).

Paul’s First Missionary Journey (Acts 13:4-14:28)
For Paul it was not uncommon for persecution to arise and for him to be expelled from the region. In Iconium after a great number believed and a plot to stone him arose and Paul fled. At his next destination they caught up with Paul and did stone him and left him for dead. Paul recovered and left there the next day, but then returned there strengthening disciples. In between Paul’s first and second missionary Journey he was sent from Antioch to Jerusalem regarding a dispute and from Jerusalem back to Antioch with a reply.

Second Missionary Journey (Acts 15:39-18:22)
When Paul went on his second missionary journey he began by visiting the former places from the first journey. That was only the beginning of his second journey travels. He actually reached the Illyricum that he mentions due to his Macedonian call. In Phillipi Paul was imprisoned. This led to the jailer and his household coming to Christ. In Thessalonica a riot broke out and Paul was sent out during the night. By the time Paul was half way through his second journey in Corinth the Lord spoke in a vision, “keep on speaking, do not be silent.”

Third Missionary Journey (Acts 18:23-21:7)
On his third journey Paul traveled and strengthened his disciples from his first two journeys, but in reaching new areas in Ephesus a riot broke out because of Paul and it became very dangerous. Paul’s traveling companions were taken under siege and Paul and his companions left for Macedonia as soon as the uproar ended. In Greece there was a plot against him. Somewhere about this point Paul described all these journeys with this half verse (Vs 19b). So from Jerusalem all the way around Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. He had much more intense travel ahead with an upcoming trip to Rome.

In considering Paul’s travels I wonder what he would do and where he would go today? I wonder what Paul would think today about Sentenal Island? This island is the home of the Sentenalese tribals. This tribe is considered the remotest people in the world. They are a Paleolithic tribe with a population of only 250 on the Andaman Islands. They do not interact with anyone outside of their Sentenales tribe.

No one is permitted to go onto this Island. Sentenales speak their own language and this language is not understood by anyone outside the island and they do not understand any other languages. It will take a spirit of Paul for such a tribe to hear the Gospel. Paul did more than travel around and write a travel book. He went with a Gospel purpose to the frontiers. To where Christ had never been preached.

II) Paul’s New Frontiers Spirit
Vs 20 It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation.

In this verse Paul really lays out the central purpose of his ministry. It is to go to the new frontiers with the Gospel. He did not simply track down folks who had heard the apostles preach and try to work on that. Paul went to new places and built new foundations. The nature of his ministry was not to build on another man’s work, but to build new foundations. Paul remained true to what the Lord called him “to carry Jesus name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. (Acts 9:15).

Ralph Winter recently wrote about new foundations in this way, “Anyone can open a door and walk through it, but only a locksmith can deal with a locked door. Missions is “locksmithing” new groups. Once the lock is open (a very special skill), expanding the number of churches is by comparison a relatively simple task. (November-December 2002 Mission Frontiers USCWM•  http://www.missionfrontiers.org/

There will always be a need for the pioneers, like Paul. His ministry came from the moving of the Spirit of God in his life. When we are sensitive to the Spirit we will find He moves us out into new areas. You can to this day find new areas that have never been touched adequately with the Gospel.

The Anthropological Survey of India team concluded that India consists of nearly five thousand distinct communities. With this many communities the majority of the Christians of India come from only about 150 communities. The frontier spirit of Paul is in need today as much as ever.

In many ways there has been a revival in the frontier missionary spirit Paul refers to here. One of these new initiatives has been the emphasis on the 10/40 window. This is because that in this window there are countless opportunities to lay new foundations. That certainly does not mean that there are not frontier opportunities outside this window. One mistake we make is to think so geographic. I refer to this as the missiological fallacy.

Let me give an example of this missiological fallacy thinking. In India there is a perception that the frontiers lie in North India. This is the perception because there are more churches in South India than in North India. Therefore the reasoning goes that if you go to North India you are a pioneer like Paul and if you are in South India you are building on another mans foundation.

What happens is people go to North India and work with tribals or other communities that already have a viable church. North India has had fantastic mass movements of the gospel. Most of the movements that Donald McGavran documents in his book The Founders of the Indian Church are movements that occurred in North India. There are frontiers in North India, but not every ministry in North India is a new foundations ministry.

To further illustrate let’s take Kerala in South India. Could this be a call for the pioneer missionary? Kerala is twenty percent Christian. But the forward caste Nayar are one of the most unreached people groups. The Muslim Mappila are even more unreached. The high percentage of Christians keep the pioneers away from Kerala in part because of this missiological fallacy.

Some missioligists have put the peoples of the world into categories of A, B and C. World C are christianized world B are amidst an evangelized people. The World A people are cut off from the Gospel. They are the frontiers. We are told that even though this World A has one-third of the worlds population they have only one percent of the mission resources made available to bring the Gospel to them. This world A person can exist anywhere. A Rajput of India is a World A person even if he is residing in Dallas. Reaching this person in Dallas is a Romans 15:20 frontier ministry

We must see the hidden peoples that lay underneath the Christian surface. A new foundations ministry is a calling to align your life to this vision expressed by Paul! It can be anywhere and in many ways. In one sense there are always the foundations from those who went before us. Paul to some degree built on Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses even here he is quoting Isaiah, when he made his new foundations proclamation. The key to this pioneer ministry is to take the Gospel where it has never been heard. It may be a new foundation but the Cornerstone is still and always will be Jesus Christ.

III) The Day will Dawn
Vs 21 “They who were not told of him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.”

We have unfailing promises of God when we go to the unreached peoples. It will happen. God is not going to run out of time. His plan is for some from every people group to come to know him.

Pioneer work is God’s work. Paul spells it out in Vs 17 – 19. It is not by our strength we go to new areas. It is because of the power of God. This ministry is only because of the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

He quotes Isaiah 52:21. This verse that may have been his life verse: “They shall see who have never been told of him, and they shall understand who have never heard of him,” Paul went to the unreached based on the promise of God. The unreached will hear and turn to Christ. This was his confidence to go to all men everywhere. This promise of God was the basis of hope for Paul that thrust him out to those who have never heard.

I remember one very specific occasion when I was considering a change in ministry emphasis that would be more in line with Romans 15:20 and Paul’s new foundations approach. I was looking to change from encouraging existing churches to focusing on the Hindu Lingayats. The Lingayat community has over ten million people but, at that time, only a handful of known believers in Christ among them.

I went to visit a mission leader to ask his advise about such a bold move for my ministry focus. The response the mission leader gave me was, “do not do it.” His reason was that if I continued as I was doing, to encourage the churches, I will see professions of faith, baptisms and new churches started. He said the Lingayats are hard hearted and resistant to the Gospel. There will be no professions of faith, no baptisms, no new churches started among them. This move he warned would result in a fruitless ministry.

OK, I asked his advice. But, I could not accept his answer. The Gospel ministry is a call to the impossible. If I went to my own kinfolk in my own home town to do the Gospel ministry, not even one person could be born of the Spirit in my strength. This is impossible with man. But with God this Gospel ministry is possible. If we are going to do the impossible why should it be only the easy impossible? Why not go for the exceedingly difficult impossible? We must remember how Paul did the work in new areas. In verse Vs 19a he states that it is by the Spirit of God.

Now as for the ministry among the Lingayats God is blessing. It is a joy to, as far as possible build new foundations and preach Christ where he is not known. There are about fifteen districts in South India where the Lingayats are the dominate community. In all of them there are new professions of faith among the Lingayat. We are seeing baptisms and we are seeing churches among them. This is by no means a fruitless ministry. In contrast we are seeing abundant spiritual fruit among the Lingayats.

Now recently I was encouraging a colleague in North India. He was struggling about whether he should focus his ministry on an unreached people group, where no one was working. I told him how a Christian leader did not encourage me. I also told him to expect the same advice. That same day he came to me and said he asked a Christian leader. Well I asked him, what was his response? He said the leader told him that that people was hard hearted and resistant to the Gospel and would result in a fruitless ministry. I told him in my view that was confirmation of a call to work amongst that unreached people group.

Conclusion

We should pray that God will raise up workers who will preach Christ where He is not yet known! May God give you the grace to, preach the Gospel where Christ is not known. That those not told of him will see, and those who have not heard will understand through your ministry.

Paul had an ambition “to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named.” That was his call and his passion. This steadfast purpose guided his life and his gospel strategy. He challenges us to the frontiers by his words and example. He went to the peoples who had never heard the gospel. We now need pioneer missionaries to take the Gospel to the truly frontier people groups.

Paul is a man for the Gospel frontiers. He looks to the uttermost regions where men have never heard of Jesus. His ambition is to preach the saving name of Christ where he has not been named. Paul does not look to build on another’s foundation. Paul is a pioneer for the new foundations. Paul is a man who cuts new rivers. Will you?