Tonight in the Andes...What's your 'bit more?'
“And the gospel must first be preached to all nations.” -Mark 13:10
Tonight, I can't help but think of the Andes. I close my eyes and try to go back in my mind, up out of Cusco, out of the Sacred Valley and up higher and higher into the hills. We start passing 11,000 feet, you know, up 'till we start touching the clouds....literally...
That's where my minds at, not so much with the geography, but with the people. The millions and millions of Quechua and Aymara people nestled up high in the Andes. What's going on there tonight? What's going on with 'the forgotten?' Is it cold? Are people hurting? Are they wondering, "is there more to life?" Many don't really know or understand His love for them, His crazy, deep love for them. Many are living in darkness. Few or no Bibles, and even so, many cannot read. There are few to preach, proclaim, disciple, just plain love.
Yet, how much do we hear about Him? We've almost grown cold to it. Why, just in a few hours, I will get up and go to church. I will go to one of 90 something churches within a 30-mile radius, and worship and fellowship and hear about Him. But in the morning, their situation will still be the same. They will not hear. In the words of Pastor K.P. Yohannan, "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." We must do everything in our power- pray, learn, support, go!
"'Not called!' did you say? 'Not heard the call,' I think you should say. Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear Him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. Put your ear down to the burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help. Go stand by the gates of hell, and hear the damned entreat you to go to their father's house and bid their brothers and sisters and servants and masters not to come there. Then look Christ in the face -- whose mercy you have professed to obey -- and tell Him whether you will join heart and soul and body and circumstances in the march to publish His mercy to the world.
- William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army
So, once again, my mind goes back to that special place. Yes, of course, I know it's not the only place. However, it is a representation of many places around the earth, even some at home. But it does beg the question....the same question that J. G. Morrison begged of people in the 1930s depression era when asking for support of missions..."Can't you do just a little bit more?" Seek God and let's find out what that "bit more" entails...
Daniel 7:13-14
13 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him…”
Matthew 9:35-38
35Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."
Tonight, I can't help but think of the Andes. I close my eyes and try to go back in my mind, up out of Cusco, out of the Sacred Valley and up higher and higher into the hills. We start passing 11,000 feet, you know, up 'till we start touching the clouds....literally...
That's where my minds at, not so much with the geography, but with the people. The millions and millions of Quechua and Aymara people nestled up high in the Andes. What's going on there tonight? What's going on with 'the forgotten?' Is it cold? Are people hurting? Are they wondering, "is there more to life?" Many don't really know or understand His love for them, His crazy, deep love for them. Many are living in darkness. Few or no Bibles, and even so, many cannot read. There are few to preach, proclaim, disciple, just plain love.
Yet, how much do we hear about Him? We've almost grown cold to it. Why, just in a few hours, I will get up and go to church. I will go to one of 90 something churches within a 30-mile radius, and worship and fellowship and hear about Him. But in the morning, their situation will still be the same. They will not hear. In the words of Pastor K.P. Yohannan, "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." We must do everything in our power- pray, learn, support, go!
"'Not called!' did you say? 'Not heard the call,' I think you should say. Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear Him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. Put your ear down to the burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help. Go stand by the gates of hell, and hear the damned entreat you to go to their father's house and bid their brothers and sisters and servants and masters not to come there. Then look Christ in the face -- whose mercy you have professed to obey -- and tell Him whether you will join heart and soul and body and circumstances in the march to publish His mercy to the world.
- William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army
So, once again, my mind goes back to that special place. Yes, of course, I know it's not the only place. However, it is a representation of many places around the earth, even some at home. But it does beg the question....the same question that J. G. Morrison begged of people in the 1930s depression era when asking for support of missions..."Can't you do just a little bit more?" Seek God and let's find out what that "bit more" entails...
Daniel 7:13-14
13 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him…”
Matthew 9:35-38
35Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."
Comments