Exloring Life Eternal

A. The Bible says He does.
B. I have seen God answer prayer.

Read on for an account someone shares:

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What does it mean to 'adopt' a people group?

Jerry Rankin, President of the IMB, stated in his book, 'To the Ends of the Earth' that "A [church] can take ownership of a strategy to reach a people on the other side of the world without ever going there." All they have to do is to commit to pray plus do whatever God leads them to do. In his book, Jerry also shares the following true story of how God moved among a people group as a result of one man's commitment to pray and to lead his church in prayer.

"When disability and early retirement forced him to slow down, Tom Wright felt God speaking to him about a commitment he had made as a child. One Sunday morning Tom hobbled down the aisle and devoted himself to intercessory prayer for his church. The pastor had recently asked the congregation to pray for an Unreached People Group in the Last Frontier. Tom took the lead on the project. He promoted prayer for them, he prayed long hours for them himself, and he always asked prayer for them whenever the church met. They became his people.

A year went by and Tom expanded his prayer for the people group. He felt led to pray that the JESUS film be translated into their language. One of his fellow church members told him: "Tom, you can pray for that, but I have seen the websites on this people group. Only the old people and the priests speak that language now. No one else does. I think it would be a waste of time." But Tom and the church were persistent in their prayers.

Two years latter, a couple living and working among the people group came to the church and gave a report. They told how four years before there were no known believers among the group and little response to the gospel. But three years ago, they said, things changed. It was sudden and dramatic. The International Mission Board sent workers to live among them and they began to respond. Now there were more than five hundred believers. Tom realized this was about the time of his struggle with God. It was also about the time his pastor asked the congregation to begin praying for this people group and Tom had taken them on as a project.

The two workers went on to report that not having Scripture in the heart language of the people was one of the big problems for this group. While everyone spoke the language common to the country, in their homes and among themselves they still spoke the traditional language of their ancestors. But there was hope, they said. Two years before, one of the new believers felt called to translate the JESUS film into their language and was about to complete it.

The timing was more than coincidence. The man was called after Tom began to pray for that translation. The church was moved as they realized the Lord had brought the missionaries who live among their people group, love them, and know them, to their church to show how He was answering their prayers."

What about you? Will you too allow God to use you to reach a people group on the other side of the world?

[Taken from a newsletter sent by a Christian worker in West Africa.]