Table Of Contents:
- Church-planting in hostile cultures in Asia (1)
- Church-planting in hostile cultures in Asia (2)
- Church-planting in hostile cultures in Asia (3)
- Church-planting in hostile cultures in Asia (4)
Church-planting in hostile countries in Asia proceeds at a snail’s pace. In fact, most missionaries completely avoid even attempting to plant churches in these countries because they are convinced that it is unfeasible to do so.
Worse still, they even discourage missionaries from going to such countries by telling them that it is a waste of time and effort. I know of a well-known pioneer Asian missionary who publicly rebuked one of our missionaries serving in a Muslim country for wasting his life on these “worthless people who will kill you”!
Recently I talked to another missionary about missions to Muslims and he immediately mentioned a case of Muslim convert who was under a death threat from her own family. I believe his purpose for mentioning this was to remind me that it was an unnecessary risk to try to reach Muslims.
My answer to his comment was that in the Bible we read that the spread of Christianity is always against opposition – often violent, death-threatening opposition. The reason why we seldom hear of missionaries facing such opposition is not because human nature has really changed but because most missionaries avoid hostile cultures.
This is the reason why there are so many Christian workers in “Christianized” countries and almost none in the countries that most need the Gospel! Unless we understand that real missions work will result in fierce opposition, then we will continue to send missionaries to countries that least need them, rather than those that most need them.
All missionaries should read the Book of Acts (which is God’s manual for missions) to purge them from the present sanitized idea that it is possible, even preferable, to do missions without facing danger. Missiology courses in most Bible-schools today are full of the administrative nit and grit of missions, and little about the fact that missions is (not was) dangerous work. The graduates of such courses are excellent bureaucrats for their mission-boards but lousy soldiers for Christ.
Real missions is a battle, not a career. Real missions focuses on unreached, hostile cultures.
Pray that God will raise up real missionaries to go on real missions! Asia needs them!
Positioning to live within a community – Tim is a tentmaker. For prudent reasons, we cannot divulge his real name or citizenship. He did not go to another country but had to make a cross cultural leap within his own country.
Tim has had a growing burden for the majority people group in his country. In this country, it is against the law for this mainstream people group to… Read More....
A few weeks ago, a co-worker of mine who is married to a Korean Christian worker told me something interesting. She said “Korean missionaries unite around the Gospel but we bring our differences to the mission field and fight over them!”
Koreans are basically a strong militant race. They do not shun a fight. The Korean Christian population is also clearly divided into conservative Presbyterians and exuberant Charismatics. In… Read More.... | 1 Comment
Going back to the Philippines for winter break is something I truly looked forward to. After a not so normal Christmas and New Year/birthday celebration in China, I was more than ready to hibernate and enjoy the sun in my home country alone. But as usual, plans change every minute. As Hudson Taylor said, “ Man proposes, God disposes.” Being at the center of His will though is still the… Read More.... | 1 Comment
with God, nothing is impossible but with men, we fear a lot of things. Until we start following Christ, nothing will materialised.
Building churches in mission fields is not like setting up a company where there are economical benefits to that country. Like the author says, “it’s a battleground.” Failure to truly understand the biblical meaning of church planting will only result in building many playgrounds for people to socialize and have fun.
That’s sad.
Real missions is very different from “missions tourism” where Christians visit a safe and interesting mission field so that they can enjoy some adventure and tell some interesting stories when they return homne!
“LET US PRAY” takes on a new dimension when we really really get down on our knees to PRAY.
Presetly in my daily Bible reading I came to ACTS chapter , and it clearyly emphasis that, real servants of God will be persecuted. And I feel its really a JOY being persecuted. Beacasue I remeber Paul and Silas were singing hyms during night while they were in Prison. I understand that they dint fear for Death.
I feel we everyday have to ask GOD to empower us in all situations. And by the help of GOD we have to face it boldly. Its really worth dying for Gods Work rather than doing nothing in our life and dying.
If we are not ready, GOD will surely appoint another person and he will never keep his work pending and his work will keep on going. Sadly, we will miss that oppurtunity to be used by GOD differently, if we are not ready. Thanks Pastor for sharing the right experinces.