The stench of death was too much for my stomach to take. As a freshman in college I remember standing at a fellow college student’s door as we broke into his room. The smell of death overwhelmed me as I stood at his door looking at his dead body. There was nothing that I could do – it was too late. Physical death remains a reality. I will never like it, but I have learned to accept its reality. After trusting in Christ, I have also come to accept the reality of spiritual death. I don’t like it either, but there is something I can do about it. It is critical that we get to the door of physical death before it closes and seals a person for eternity in spiritual death. The problem is getting to the countless numbers of people all around this world with the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ before it is too late.
Sue and I will be finished with our training with New Tribes Mission on May 21, 2010. We will be full time missionaries working on getting the Gospel out to those who have never heard. There are billions of people on this planet who have never heard of Christ, let alone that He died to pay sin’s awful penalty for them. Though we can share Christ with those around us, as individuals, we cannot possibly get to each person on this planet to share the Good News of Christ’s death and resurrection. However, we can be a part of the bigger picture of training many others who will go and share this truth of God’s love for them found only in Jesus Christ.
The apostle Paul asks four very important questions in Romans 10:14-15. “But how can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent?” Christians are involved in telling those they know about the Good News of Jesus Christ, offering them the rescue that God has provided in Jesus Christ. What about Paul’s last question?
The last question Paul asked can still be answered by every Christian. The answer we each can give is that “we will send.” There are those who are being trained to be sent all around the world to learn another language and culture so that the light of truth can pierce spiritual darkness. There are those who are training them to go and share the Good News of the Gospel. And there are many thousands of Christians in many churches who are fully engaged in “sending,” both in prayer and financially, to make sure the Gospel is taken to where it is yet to be heard.
Sue and I will be involved at New Tribes Bible Institute in the training and sending out of missionary teams throughout the world. We encourage all of you to be involved with this work as well. You can join this great work by prayer, by financially giving to support this work, and even by being trained and sent as well. Missionary teams can be sent worldwide as we partner together in this great work. Join us in this work as we look to see “every tribe and language and people and nation” (Rev 5:9) reached with the Gospel.
Judy White says
Great opener and eye catcher! I like that sentence that says, ” It is critical that we get to the door of physical death before it closes and seals a person for eternity in spiritual death.” It helps to press home the urgency of the work we have been called to do! Thanks for being obedient to the call!
Todd Nelson says
Thanks David. He has blessed us and we are enjoying Him more each day. And you are right, this is the day the Lord has made.
David Martin Stevens says
Well said Todd and Sue. God bless you as you serve, love and enjoy Him. He loves you and delights in you.
Psalm 118:24 “This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it1”