“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.“
To know the will of God, a Christian needs only two things: an open Bible and an open map!
Why a Bible? Because in there the Christian can hear with his heart’s ear the cries of those condemned to eternal fire. In the Holy Word the Christian can read the end of this oppressed and tormented world, although God wants man’s salvation and an eternity with Him. Also in the Bible we are taken to the gates of hell, where millions of people condemned for eternity beg us to go to their homes and families left on earth and ask them not to go there too. In Scripture we also hear the cry for help of those who have not yet heard, they who, without a voice, call to us.
In the Bible we can clearly hear God’s voice, God’s heart and God’s sending. God’s voice asking again, “Who will go for us?“. The heart of God beating passionately for the poor man and woman burdened by sin. The divine sending that says, “Go…” and then promises us “Behold, I am with you…“.
Why a map? Because there we see that the world is bigger than me or my problems. On a map of the world we can see the 10/40 window, that geographical area between the 10th and 40th parallels of north latitude, which has the most social, economic and spiritual problems. On a map we can see that the 10/40 window includes the countries of North Africa, the Near East, India, Central Asia and China, countries where 97% of the world’s non-evangelised live!
Why a map? Because on it we can see how easy it is to travel (interactive map with visa requirements for every country and nationality) and how quickly we can get to another country. As Americans, we can visit 186 countries today without a travel visa or with visa on arrival!
In the 1900s, some missionaries didn’t carry suitcases, they carried coffins. Their intention was to live and then die where they would end up. After 3-6 months on the ship, they would finally reach the shores of Africa and were convinced that this was God’s will for them. These people had no internet, no pictures and no information about the mission field. They couldn’t afford, like us, to change their minds at any time and return home in just a few hours. But they had what we need: fire and passion!
Why a map? Because on a map we can see the open doors that God has put before us. More than ever, today we find missionaries or missions in almost every corner of the world and I am almost convinced that every one of them needs help. It is so easy today to go all over the world and I believe that we, who have been given much, will be asked for much.
Dear reader, with so much evidence before us, we no longer need to seek a special calling to go; due to the fact that we are already sent, I would challenge you to find out if you don’t somehow have a special calling to stay home!
William Booth, founder of Salvation Army, made this challenge:
“Not called!’ did you say?
‘Not heard the call,’ I think you should say.
Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear Him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. Put your ear down to the burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help. Go stand by the gates of hell, and hear the damned entreat you to go to their father’s house and bid their brothers and sisters and servants and masters not to come there. Then look Christ in the face — whose mercy you have professed to obey — and tell Him whether you will join heart and soul and body and circumstances in the march to publish His mercy to the world.”
