persecution

 How Are We Doing on Finishing the Task?

/ Steinar Opheim
Persecution of Christians is on the rise around the world. This makes it more difficult to fulfill the great commission. The number of unreached people groups is still declining.

The number of unreached people groups is finally declining

The number of unreached people groups in the world is finally falling. There is still much work to be done before the great commission has been fulfilled.

It has been frustrating to follow the statistics published by the Joshua Project, one of the main mission reference centers, for those wanting to finish the task of bringing the gospel to all people groups. Over the years, the number of unreached groups has increased instead of declining. Partly, this is due to the people group definition Joshua Project uses. Still, their overview has given a feeling of the worldwide church being further and further away from finishing the task Jesus gave. 

Now, it finally looks like the numbers are on a steady decline. One year ago, the total number of unreached groups was 7,425. Today, the comparable number is 7,276. India remains the center of gravity when it comes to unreached. In January last year, India had 2,135 groups of people defined as unreached. Now, 13 months later, the number is 2,048. 

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30 people signed their own ”death sentence”

/ Steinar Opheim

http://globalopps.org/tmbriefs/Nema1.jpg

30 Nigerian Christians answered yes when they were asked to go as tentmakers into an area where their lives will be constantly at risk.

Nigeria Evangelical Mission Association (NEMA) aims to recruit, train and send out 15,000 tentmakers by 2020. Most of them will go to what can spiritually be regarded as the toughest places on the planet.

In August, tentmaking was the main subject when NEMA arranged its annual conference in Lagos. For everyone attending it became perfectly clear that many of the Nigerian Christians will hold nothing back as they live and work to expand God’s kingdom. One incident at the conference showed to the full extent the total commitment many of the believers have to Jesus.

Difficulties

It all started when one of the speakers invited people from the audience to join him in his work. He had come from a highly sensitive, far away nation and from the podium he shared openly about the suffering and persecution he and his co-workers were facing.

“Many people have died around me – expatriate workers as well as local believers. In many ways I feel like the last man standing,” he said. He shared that the kingdom results are scarce, but things are happening on a small scale. ”Even if this is a dangerous ministry, I believe that God may call one or two of you here today to come and join us. Are you willing to come?” the tentmaker asked.

When the person leading the meeting took over, he repeated the invitation. “Will those of you who feel that this can be a calling for you please come forward,” he said.

Death sentence

It was quiet for a little while. Then one person stood up and walked forward. Then another one. And another one. In the end, around thirty people were on the move towards the podium.

“I hope you are aware that you are in many ways signing your own death sentence by accepting this invitation. Are you really willing to do this?” the leader asked.

Some of the people in front of the podium were crying. Others were kneeling on the floor in praise and prayer.  After a while, they were all led to the side of the conference room where they received the first instructions for what was ahead of them.

“It is amazing to meet this kind of commitment for the Lord,” commented one Western leader who was present at the conference.

Several Nigerian mission leaders have said that they sense that Christians from their own nation have a special call to take the Gospel to the toughest places in the world. “We experience persecution here in our own nation. Through this, God has prepared us for the tough treatment and persecution we may meet elsewhere,” one of the leaders said.