Outreach

I heard this really great quote today -
No one deserves to hear the gospel twice until everyone has heard it once.
Our missions conference this week has been so good. Tonight there was a video from BIMI, and it was sharing how people over in Russia and the country of Georgia are so hungry for God's Word. They had video tape of a missions trip over there, and people were crying because they received their first Bible, they were even kissing the cover of their Bibles. What a rebuke to me. The guy had a box full of Bibles, and he was bombarded with people begging for a Bible. Man... that really tugged at my heart. I have never felt God leading me into full time missions, although I suppose that is not out of the realm of possibilities, but I definitely want to go on short term missions trips. To see those people, how happy they were to learn about God. I think here in America we are so used to being able to go to church and have Bible studies, christian radio, etc, that it has started to lose its value. The speaker said that over there if you put your Bible on the floor, you have lost the respect of the people because of that. That is how much they love the Word of God.
It only costs $1.20 to supply a Bible for those people. Think of how much money we spend on so many things that aren't eternal. Even if you only give $12.00 - you have given 10 people God's Word!!! Most likely their very first Bible! It could change their life, their families lives......wow. And no, Im not a spokesperson for BIMI, haha. Just excited and humbled....feeling rebuked about how I spend my time and money. Why not, the next time I want to bu y a n ew outfit, take that money and send it... give the gospel to entire families and as a result, their lives change! What a better use of my finances!
I remember one summer when I was working for CEF.... I was telling a little girl named Roberta about Jesus, and she kept asking me - why havent I ever heard this before?? I have never heard this before! Then this past week at church I was able to talk with a little boy named Chad.....and I asked him if he knew who Jesus was and he told me "my parents havent told me about that yet" ... then I asked him about heaven, and he again said "my parents haven't told me about that yet." .... wow.... that is so sad. Here in America! Think of what it must be in other countries! The thing that always gets me...... of course you run into people that dont want to hear i t, but generally speaking, most people I have talked to do want to be saved. Especially kids. I think sometimes Christians view unsaved people as "bad" people - they arent. In fact, most are wonderful, sweet people. Many are very religious - a lot of religions have more "requirements" than Christianity. It's not that they dont care about wanting to know God, but they havent been explained the truth. Especially for kids, its not that they have chosen to not go to heaven. It's that they haven't been told. Man......theres a whole world of people who would love to know the truth, but there isnt anyone to tell them! Some dont e ven know that they have the "wrong truth." Why not me!??!?! Why not you!?
I know this is a bit of a ramble... but I'm just really humbled thinking about this, it makes me want to get my priorities straight.
I just keep thinking, what if no one had ever told my family about Christ's death and resurrection ..... where would we be? What would my life be like?
3/7/06