HistoryMakers Magazine Issue 03

>FREE

PAUL HATTAWAY

PROJECT PEARL

EVANGELIST

I N T E RV I E W

SMUGGLING ONE MILLION BIBLES

THE OBEDIENCE OF SISTER CHANG

CHINA

ASIALINK

ISAIAH

C O U N T RY P R O F I L E

M I S S I O N A RY A G E N C Y

G O D ’ S P RO P H E T

INTRODUCTION Dear Friends, Welcome to the third edition of magazine.

H I S T O RY M A K E R S

When we come to the Cross of Calvary we our presented with grace and, through faith with broken and contrite hearts, we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. We turn away in repentance from our old ways and, by the Holy Spirit, we make our peace with God through the finished work of Jesus on that Cross.

The Cross is the only true symbol of Christianity. It encompasses everything God is. There on that Cross, God ‘kissed a guilty world in love.’ It was there that the floodgates of His mercy opened wide. It was there that His wrath was spent and His love was demonstrated in its fullness. But it does not stop there. The Cross is not only a symbol of our conversion: it is something to be carried through our lives as we walk with Christ.

It speaks of a determination, a single-mindedness, a self-denial and, of course, of an immeasurable love.

It also speaks of a joy that lies ahead.

Throughout the ages, we hear of great men and women of God who have displayed what it means to walk the Way of the Cross. All over the planet today, tens of thousands of Christians are walking this path. We see them in China and in North Korea, in Vietnam and in Laos – forgetting what the world has to offer and embracing the Cross. The challenge is there for us all.

Jesus calls us to follow. In fact, He tells us six times in the Gospels that in order to find life, we are to lose our own lives for His sake. It’s a living sacrifice. There have always been martyrs but that is not what this is about.

Rather it is a lifestyle – everything we do, every act of our bodies ought to be a demonstration that Jesus is more precious to us than anything else.

For that joy set before Him, Jesus endured the Cross.

For us to glorify God, we too, must deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow in His footsteps. In this issue of HistoryMakers, we will focus on just some of those who have been walking in this Way. Hopefully it is a lifestyle we will all consider worth taking.

CONTENTS PROJECT PEARL

02

CHINA

03

E VA N G E L I S T

04

ASIALINK PROFILE

05-06

PA U L H AT T A W AY (Interview)

0 9 -1 0

ISAIAH

11

RESOURCES

12

AS THE TIME APPROACHED FOR HIM TO BE TAKEN UP TO HEAVEN, JESUS RESOLUTELY SET OUT FOR JERUSALEM. L U K E 9 : 5 1

MISSIONARY

INSPIRE

B R O T H E R D AV I D In June 1981, a huge barge containing one million Chinese bibles slipped past Communist border patrols and anchored off a beach in South China.

Time magazine described it as “A remarkable mission…the largest operation of its kind in the history of China.” Many Chinese church leaders today say that Project Pearl was a pivotal moment in their history. The Church had only just started to re-emerge after decades of brutal oppression and the desperate need of believers everywhere was for Bibles.

A quarter of a century later reports are still being received of the tremendous impact those Bibles had on whole communities. Chinese Christians consider Project Pearl a key event which contributed greatly to the mighty revival presently sweeping the world’s most populous nation.

COURAGEOUS VENTURE Project Pearl was led by former U.S. Marine Brother David.

Along with 19 crew members, he risked his life to bring the Word of God to the spiritually hungry Chinese believers.

Operating under a cloak of secrecy because of the highlysensitive nature of the work, Brother David and his team worked closely with house church leaders inside China and settled on the bold and risky plan to take one million Bibles into China by boat – in one go. That’s 232 tonnes of Bibles!

Starting with no money, no resources, not even a boat, God supernaturally provided everything needed. The barge sailed from the Philippines to Hong Kong and then on to China.

The delivery was successfully completed on the evening of 18 June, 1981. More than 10,000 Chinese believers gathered along a beach near the city of Shantou in southern China and took the one million Bibles away in trucks, cars, donkey carts, on bicycles and strung across bamboo poles. The army arrived at the beach several hours after the delivery but the vast majority of Bibles (at least 90%) had already been successfully moved by the Chinese Christians. Later, the official registered Three-Self church and others denounced Project Pearl by claiming all the Bibles had been confiscated or swept out to sea. It was not true. Within weeks, Project Pearl Bibles had made their way to hungry believers in 18 different provinces and letters of overwhelming gratitude poured in from Christians who had received their first copy of God’s Word.

THE MEANING OF TRUST Project Pearl, and indeed Brother David’s life from the time of his conversion, was focused on seeking first the kingdom of God. He knew what it meant to follow the Way of the Cross, where faith came before comfort and the cares of life and where nothing less was expected from Jesus but to give all for the kingdom of God. Pearl could have failed if the Lord allowed and that would have meant certain imprisonment, torture and possibly even death. Yet Brother David was willing to give his life in order to obey the commands of Christ.

Let’s thank God for faithful servants like Brother David who give their all for the kingdom of God. The story of Project Pearl has just been published, the author Paul Hattaway comments: “The paradox is that Brother David is also an ordinary man, with weaknesses like the rest of us. Yet if the King of kings has been pleased to use him, He can use you and me too.”

Project Pearl by Paul Hattaway, published by Monarch Books, is available in good Christian bookshops or from Asialink.

AND HE SAID TO THEM, GO INTO ALL THE WORLD AND PREACH AND PUBLISH OPENLY THE GOOD NEWS (THE GOSPEL) TO EVERY CREATURE OF THE WHOLE HUMAN RACE M A R K 1 6 : 1 5

2

CHINA PERSECUTION INDEX: 10TH China is the third largest state in the world with close to 500 different languages. China now has a population of around 1.3 billion, including 100 million from ethnic minority people groups. The Han are the main people group with over 780 million Mandarin speakers and 600 different dialects. It is estimated that by 2010, half of China’s population will live in urban areas as people move in search of better work.

CHURCH/MISSION ACTIVITY The Marxist aim has always been the elimination of all religious groups and so tight restrictions are in place on all Christian and Muslim activity. After half a century of strict Communist rule, millions of people have forsaken all outward religious beliefs. While over half of China's believers belong to unregistered and house churches, they suffer from acute shortages of Bibles, teaching materials and trained leaders. Persecution is intense, especially among recognised church leaders. There is also a need for the movement to spread more from rural areas to effect change among urban intellectuals as also for the Chinese church to begin to seriously impact the rest of the world through Chinese missionaries. This is already taking place.

Migration from rural to urban areas is a dramatic current social reality through which the government anticipates half of China’s 1.3 billion population to be living in the megacities by 2015. Many young believers have been a part of this migration as they head to cities in search of work.

Chinese believers are also making a serious impact on world mission through their own ‘Back to Jerusalem’ vision.

MAIN UNREACHED GROUPS There are over 250 people groups without any known believers and about another 100 groups which are less than 1% Christian.

There are 25 million Muslims scattered among smaller tribes, 60 million communist party members who are, by definition, atheists. It is illegal to hold Sunday School or youth groups in many official and controlled Three Self Patriotic Movement churches or to teach them Christian doctrine.

Reaching the 800 official Chinese cities is another important challenge as has been mentioned. The phenomenal church growth to date has largely been restricted to the coastal areas of the East and Southeast where the Gospel was first introduced.

W H AT W E D O 1 Bibles: The simple goal here is to help equip China’s Christians with God’s Word. 2 Sunday School Curriculum: Training over 10,000 Sunday School teachers. China has over 500 million children under 15 years of age and it is illegal in many places to tell them about Jesus. 3 Leadership training: The majority of China’s one million pastors and church workers will never have the opportunity to attend a Bible School. 4 Supporting evangelists: Many Chinese workers have experienced serious persecution for their faith.

W H AT Y O U C A N D O go to www.asialink.org.uk/china to see how you can help.

INFORM

EVANGELIST

INSPIRE

THE OBEDIENCE OF SISTER CHANG The reason I wrote to you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything.” 2 Corinthians 2:9 When God spoke to Sister Chang, a housechurch leader from Henan, He told her to do something that made no earthly sense at all. He told her to go and preach the gospel on the steps outside the local police station. Such an action may lead to arrest even in Western nations and in Communist China it is a sure way to invite severe punishment. But the more Sister Chang prayed about it, the more clearly the inner voice of God continued to tell her to do it. Finally, she saw no option but to obey God.

B O L D P R O C L A M AT I O N Standing on the top step outside the police station, she boldly preached the Gospel to astonished onlookers. Within a few minutes several officers dragged her inside and placed her under arrest. To the human eye her obedience looked foolish but God can see things that we can’t.

Sister Chang was sentenced without a trial and sent to the local women’s prison, where she was placed alongside thousands of spiritually lost souls. She boldly and lovingly proclaimed the Gospel to her fellow prisoners. The light of the gospel spread like wildfire. Within just three months, 800 women believed in Jesus! The entire atmosphere of the prison changed and new sounds of praise and worship were heard echoing down the prison hallways and in the courtyard.

The prison director was greatly impressed at the change in the atmosphere and was able to trace it to the preaching of Sister Chang. He brought her into his office and said, “You have made my job easy! There is no more fighting between the prisoners and the women have become gentle and obedient. We need more people like you working here.

From today, we have decided to let you go free. We want to give you a full-time job here in the prison, and we will pay you 3,000 Yuan per month” (about £200, a fortune in rural Henan). He continued, “We will also give you a car and your own driver, and will find you comfortable housing.”

A L L I WA N T TO D O I S P R E A C H !

Sister Chang briefly considered the offer, and then replied, “Twenty years ago I became a disciple of Jesus Christ and He has been wonderful to me. I don’t believe your offer of a car, driver and salary is in line with what Jesus wants to do with my life – and I belong to him. All I want to do is preach the Good News.”

Despite her rejection of his offer, the director released her from prison that day and she continued her ministry for the Lord.

It always pays to do what the Lord tells us to do. Don’t argue, don’t fight it, and don’t try to work out all the details with your mind. Just do it. That is one mark of a true disciple of Jesus Christ.

Illustration taken from ‘Conventional Wisdom’

by A. Auderset Used with the kind permission of Monarch Books.

JESUS SAID, PEACE BE WITH YOU! AS THE FATHER HAS SENT ME, I AM SENDING YOU. J O H N 2 0 : 2 1

4

ASIALINK

s

MONGOLIA

> Literacy classes in needy areas where church-planting is a priority.

• n.korea

> Helping to provide food for the most needy. Assisting with medical needs. Prayer networking, supporting refugees in China and working in a variety of ways to bring the Good News to the people.

KASHMIR • > Correspondence courses and follow-up ministries. Supporting evangelists. Major relief work

• tibet

nepal •

> Literature, teaching, outreach and radio broadcasting.

> Helping nationals in pioneer work.

• CHINA

> Providing bibles, audio media and Sunday School materials for the rapidly growing house church network. Also supporting persecuted evangelists.

• BHUTAN

> Supporting local evangelists and bible translation work.

s

nagaland > Equipping evangelists to minister across Himalayan regions.

burma • • INDIA

> Training and equipping local believers to reach the unreached tribes.

> AsiaLink partners are working in 20 villages around Krishna.

Children’s ministries including providing shelter for orphans.

• MALDIVES

> Bible translation work.

Tract production and ministry to Maldivians living overseas.

• LAOS

> Providing bibles, teaching materials and literature.

• VIETNAM

> Helping children born with cleft palate and harelip.

Supporting and training local evangelists and pastors.

Bible printing.

• BORNEO

> Training local pastors, evangelists and missionaries to reach ethnic minorities.

ASIALINK HistoryMakers is part of a wider ministry called AsiaLink, an evangelical mission agency connecting churches across the world with ministry among the unreached peoples of Asia.

church meetings, mission conferences and Bible studies every year in the UK, Ireland, Europe and the USA, is a critical feature of AsiaLink’s work is the investment we make in these congregations.

The organisation began in 1999 with its focus very much on providing Bibles for China. Since then, the work has grown substantially to now include ministries in 12 countries across the continent. What ties it altogether? Our passion is the challenge of those who have little or no opportunity to hear the Gospel.

Our task is also to raise awareness of the persecuted church in Asia and practically support those suffering, we provide information and resources to friends and partners and stimulate intelligent prayer for the unreached and those ministering to them. The role of HistoryMakers is to do all this with today’s youth, to instill this same passion and vision for missions among the next generation of world-changers.

W H AT D O W E D O ?

We visit churches. We are convinced that the task of the local Church and of each believer is to assume responsibility for Christian mission and will do all we can to awaken and encourage missionary vision. We firmly believe that God wants churches to work alongside Him to fulfill the Great Commission. Ministering in hundreds of

What else do we do? We work in some of Asia’s least-accessible and least-reached areas. We resource and train Asian workers for ministry, encouraging them in their efforts to challenge unreached groups with the Good News. We still get Bibles into the hands of

INFORM

struggling believers, not only in China but now too in North Korea, Vietnam and Laos. We go and help train effective church leaders in the Himalayas and in Burma. In other places, we respond with relief and rehabilitation in crisis-hit areas like Kashmir or North Korea. We try and creatively make a difference in Tibet or even the Maldive Islands. In Mongolia we help with something as simple as teaching nomadic children to read and write. How great is that!

HOW WE DO IT We network with likeminded agencies and we are blessed to partner with Asian church leaders who are responsible for small groups, and in some cases, thousands of believers.

Why partner? We work with local Asian Christians who already understand the context and the challenge. They are passionate about sharing Christ with their own people and with nearby

unreached people groups. They understand the culture. They already speak the language and move more freely across frontiers.

They exist at the same economic level as the people around them.

They and their families work in extremely difficult circumstances, often risking persecution, imprisonment and even death. We consider our partners some of the humblest and greatest people on earth.

WHY WE DO IT Partnering with nationals is an effective and efficient way to do missions in today’s world. It maintains a continuing Christian presence in areas of the world where the church is often only a tiny minority, newly born, or under threat by a militant religion or political force. The presence and training of Godly national leadership is vital to the long-term survival and growth of the Church.

For more information on AsiaLink’s ministry, visit our website:

www.asialink.org.uk

6

PAUL HATTAWAY EXCLUSIVEINTERVIEW

Paul Hattaway is Director of Asia Harvest, an inter-denominational Christian ministry working in various countries throughout Asia.

His goal? He works alongside Asian church leaders, helping and equipping them to focus on reaching the lost. He wants to see effective churches planted among unreached people groups.

Paul has also authored many books including: The Heavenly Man, Back to Jerusalem, Peoples of the Buddhist World, Project Pearl and Operation China.

HistoryMakers met with Paul in January 2008.

HM: When did you first realize the importance of Missions?

PH: I became a Christian when I was 19 in Australia. Three months later I went back to New Zealand to witness to my family. The only church within walking distance of my parents’ house was a small Baptist church where for two weekends the speakers happened to be housechurch pastors from China who had spent 15-20 years in prison.

I didn’t know anything about Christianity at that time. I didn’t know if everybody in China was a Christian or if nobody was. I had absolutely no clue.

‘shovel human waste up to his chest in the cesspool’

The first pastor was Harry Lee. He began to unbutton his shirt during the message, to reveal wounds and scars where they had tortured him in prison. A Chinese pastor named George Chen spoke the following week. He had been in prison for fifteen years, where, for most of his time, he had to shovel human waste up to his chest in the cesspool. He said that this was the best time because it was the only place the guards weren’t watching because of the smell.

He could sing and pray and he kept his sanity all those years by volunteering to shovel the human waste. So, as a new teenage believer sitting on the front row, my eyes were huge as I was trying to take in this form of Christianity. It totally changed me. That is

when I got a burden for missions and just weeks later I was in Hong Kong smuggling Bibles into China on a six week trip that has extended to 20 years!

HM: Out of all the Christians you have met and worked with in Asia, which group have inspired you the most?

PH: The Chinese housechurches. They’re not perfect. God is still forming their character but there is a tremendous zeal and love of God which I’ve seen in other parts of the world too. Nevertheless, it is particularly concentrated in China. The passion the Chinese Christians have for Jesus is not because they are in some way intrinsically more Godly than the rest of us. Rather, the passion and wholehearted commitment of the Chinese believers has come about as God has orchestrated events in China that have brought about a tremendous revival and hunger for Him. Communism brought persecution and difficulties to the Church in China, and today many church leaders fear that if things become easier and persecution decreases then the Chinese Church may lose its fervour for the Lord. I haven’t heard any Chinese believers pray for an end to persecution. In fact, some pray just the opposite – that persecution will continue to keep them on fire for God.

‘I haven’t heard any believers pray for an end to persecution’

HM: What was your first encounter with Brother Yun like?

PH: I met Yun for the first time in the late 1980s. I didn’t know who he was as we met on a mountain in Southern China. A Western missionary introduced us to a number of Chinese believers. I just remember something about a Brother ‘somebody’ who had fasted for 74 days in prison without food and water. It was all a blur to me and I didn’t meet him again until the late nineties when we seemed to strike up a good relationship with each other right from the beginning.

We understand each other on a heart level. I felt like the Lord told me I should write his testimony in a book – but I only told my wife.

God told Yun I should write it so that is how that connection began.

I ended up writing his story and thankfully it has inspired a lot of people around the world.

HM: In order for you to write your new series of books on the history of the Chinese church ‘Fire and Blood’ you have conducted hundreds of hours of interviews and read over 1500 books. The first book in the series, entitled ‘China’s Book of Martyrs, was recently released. What impact would you like the book to have on believers?

PH: I’d like all readers to be inspired by the testimonies.

In China's Book of Martyrs, I’ve tried not to make it gory but instead to focus on them as individuals and give family background and as many stories as I could find that were personal about them. Not just heads being chopped off and blood spurting out and so on though there is some of that as well. People will read it and be inspired and become more dedicated to Christ as those martyrs were.

‘...be inspired and become more dedicated to Christ’

Apart from that, I wanted to have an historical record of what’s happened in China. There was never one specific book just dealing with Chinese Christian Martyrs before. They were the first two motivations. The third and main one was to get the same book done in Chinese for the Chinese Church – they don’t know about their own martyrs as the information has been hidden from them through Communism. It’s especially powerful for them to hear of the Westerners who laid their lives down for the sake of the gospel.

HM: Why do Christians in the west generally not display the same kind of passion and vision that the Chinese Christians do?

PH: Well I’m a western Christian, so I speak for myself. To be honest, I don’t believe we display that kind of passion because we don’t have to. It is as simple as that. Being a Christian in the West does not carry the same threat of persecution. We might be discriminated against if we’re a genuine believer in our workplace or at school but we’re not physically persecuted. If we can have a more comfortable life we tend to take it because it’s nice to the flesh. Usually, when someone is forced out on the edge through their circumstances and surroundings, it pushes and drives them to be more zealous for God and for the kingdom. Before the arrival of Communism and the subsequent persecution, the Church in China was much like the Church in other parts of the world now. The pressure Christians were forced to live under resulted in a sifting. Many believers abandoned their faith, but many more became serious, wholehearted disciples of Christ.

Revival has resulted. So it’s not a cultural or ethnic thing, it’s more about the circumstances.

HM: How can we develop the same kind of passion?

PH: You won't get a fire and passion for God's kingdom by sitting around waiting for it. If you start preaching the gospel around your own country, proclaiming the truth, you too will soon experience real persecution. Passion for Christ comes to those who have taken up the cross and followed Him. The Bible promises that those who live a Godly life for Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

It doesn’t say in one particular country or time. So if we’re not persecuted we have to ask are we really living a Godly life in Christ Jesus? Are we really preaching the Gospel? I believe that in England if you really started preaching the Gospel, you would get persecuted pretty quickly. That’s the difference. Conversely in China, the believers don't necessarily have to experience persecution – it’s a choice. If they want to, they could just relax, go to a government church and have no persecution. They would probably still go to heaven.

‘they wake up every morning and decide to carry the cross’

INSPIRE

The Chinese housechurch Christians are persecuted by choice.

They choose to be persecuted because they wake up every morning and decide to carry the cross and take the hard road and not sit back, relax and take it easy. There are millions in China who have no persecution but there are millions more who choose to preach the gospel zealously and obey the Great Commission and they are hunted like animals.

You too, regardless of where you live, also face a daily choice of whether you will live as God commands, or whether you will take it easy and accept the status quo.

HM: In view of the Great Commission, what must the western church do to make a bigger impact on the mission field? Should we send more missionaries, what kind of numbers would it need in order to bring completion?

PH: Basically it’s not about numbers. It’s about each individual follower of Christ doing what God has told them to do. The Bible says that all believers are to go into the whole world and preach the gospel to every creature. That doesn’t just mean a certain ethnic group has to go or Christians have to go from a certain country. It means that all believers have to obey and follow him. Wherever that is, whether it’s Scotland, London or Siberia. It depends where God sends you. If you go where He is not sending you – you won’t be very effective.

The bigger problem is that believers need to follow Christ and hear His voice. In Isaiah 30:21 it says ‘Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it” That is the key. It is not about us asking ‘do we need to send 500,000 missionaries in the next 20 years’. It is about you following Jesus with all your heart and are you doing what He told you to do?

If you focus too much on the big picture then you lose sight of the small picture. I get asked all the time, should I go here or should I go there, would I be more effective if I went to China? I can’t answer, because I’m not God. Every Christian has to find out from God what He wants them to do.

Some people get frustrated because it is sometimes easier to ask another person than to seek the Lord for His will and direction.

Each Christian has to go where God is telling them to go. You see it with the Apostle Paul in Acts. He didn’t just make his own schedule; the Holy Spirit directed him. Conversely, it doesn’t mean we just sit in our home waiting for some great spiritual revelation to drop on you.

I knew an Australian Christian who always made hints that he wanted to be involved in missions, but he never went anywhere. One day he went in his bedroom, locked the door and prayed and said ‘God if you want me to be a missionary overseas then turn the light on and then I will know it’s a sign’. Nothing happened and he was much happier because he didn’t have to go anywhere!

“This is the way; walk in it”

Does your life belong to you or does it belong to God? Is He the boss or are you the boss? Unfortunately most Christians, if the truth be told, are the boss of their own lives. We have our own desires, plans and money-making schemes – and God is a secondary part of that. Lots of people pray ‘these are my plans, please bless them’ instead of ‘show me your will and I’m willing to go anywhere and do anything’. If we pray that prayer then God knows if we really mean it or not. If He sees you do, then look out, you’ll be going somewhere soon and usually amazing things happen. Go, and God will show you where to go and what to do. It’s an imperative command. Not a request or an idea – it’s a command. So every person, including everyone who reads this article, will be judged on whether we obeyed the command or not.

To find out more about Asia Harvest and the Chinese church, go to www.asiaharvest.org For more information on short-term opportunities to serve in Asia, e-mail historymakers@asialink.org.uk

8

DEVELOP

ISAIAH THEN I HEARD THE VOICE OF THE LORD SAYING,

“WHOM SHALL I SEND? AND WHO WILL GO FOR US?” AND I SAID, “HERE AM I. SEND ME!” I S A I A H 6 : 8

I S A I A H FA C T F I L E The prophet Isaiah was active during the reign of five different Old

Yet it could just be that God has an infinitely bigger plan for you.

Testament kings yet he did not set out to be a prophet. By the time

Just as he called Isaiah to be a prophet, the Lord’s calling is for you

King Uzziah died around 740 BC, Isaiah was most probably

to be a disciple, His disciple and to follow His footsteps.

already working as a scribe in the Royal palace in Jerusalem. It was a respectable career but God had other plans for him. Isaiah’s

NO EASY JOURNEY

account of God’s call on his life leaves little doubt as to what

Some will tolerate your faith as they initially did with Isaiah

motivated the prophet during his 60+ years of ministry.

but after a while anyone living out a no-compromise lifestyle will face choppy waters, testing times, faith-stretching, lonely, arduous

THE VISION

periods. It’s not an attractive job description! It probably even cost

His vision of God in Chapter 6 of the book was life-changing

Isaiah his life. Many missionaries endure the same difficulties that

and unforgettable. In awe of the holiness of God, he cried out

Isaiah faced. The Gospel is preached to millions of people yet there

“I am ruined!” Realising his sin in the presence of the Lord

is no apparent response, no fruits for the labour. In some cases

Almighty, he felt utterly unclean. God responded with His mercy

missionaries have had to wait decades for even the slightest sign

and grace as fire from the altar touched Isaiah’s lips and his

of change from the people they have been sent to reach.

guilt was removed, his sin atoned for.

Isaiah’s life is an example to us all. His patience, endurance and It was at this point that Isaiah heard the Lord ask the definitive

self-control under trial are a challenge. And of course, Isaiah (the

question facing every Christian today – “Whom shall I send? And

book) is an ongoing witness that has blessed literally millions

who will go for us?" His famous response was “Here am I. Send me!”

of people, challenging, encouraging and inspiring by his life of

This encounter with God permanently affected Isaiah’s persona.

faithfulness and the words the Lord gave him to say. The task of

He began to reflect the God he represented in holiness, humility

reaching the unreached around the world will get done. That’s

and passion. He was bold and spoke with purpose and perspective.

God’s promise! You may preach the Gospel, witness to your friends

His messages were sometimes comforting, sometimes confronting.

and family, hand out tracts and even travel the world over telling

When God called Isaiah, He did not promise him great success.

others about Jesus. You might never see a single response. But

He simply gave him a task to do and Isaiah chose to respond

don't give up. It is not your talents, looks, intelligence or strength.

obediently. God even warned him that the people would not listen!

It is your willingness to do all that He has asked, your obedience to

What’s your career-plan looking like? You may have set out to be

His commands. The rest is up to Him. In doing that, you will ‘eat

successful in business, sports or the arts. You may be planning to

the best of the land’ (Isaiah 1:19) Sacrifice? What sacrifice? It’s

be the best husband, wife, mother or father that you can be.

a life of privilege!

DISCIPLE

RESOURCES STUDY AT CAPERNWRAY “Our Mission is to proclaim the transforming presence of Jesus Christ through Biblical teaching and practical training, equipping men and women for service in His Church worldwide” Capernwray Missionary Fellowship is an international Christian missionary organisation involved in evangelism and Bible teaching.

The work has developed to include Bible Schools and Conference Centres in Europe, Canada, USA, Costa Rica, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia and New Zealand.

THE AIM: • To come to know the indwelling, risen Lord Jesus Christ more deeply and personally • In your study of the Scriptures, to understand the written Word and its revelation of Christ

• To gain a working knowledge of the Word of God to be equipped for full-time service regardless of your occupation

www.capernwray.org.uk

• To understand God's will for your life • To develop your God-given abilities so that you may become a more effective member of the Body of Christ, His Church • To discover and prove in everyday experience the reality and relevance of the Christian life as Christ Himself is allowed to work in and through your life

PERSECUTED CHURCH O U T C R Y – mobilising young people to speak up for the persecuted Church Launched in January 2008, Outcry is Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW)’s new youth and student programme for 14-25 year olds. It is a passionate movement of young people who speak up for Christians across the world who are persecuted because of their faith, making a difference through prayer and by campaigning for religious liberty and human rights.

Outcry uses CSW’s accurate and reliable information to produce up-to-date and exciting resources for youth and student workers. Each pack is produced termly and contains an A5 leader’s guide (which includes 2 complete session plans with Bible studies, case studies, discussion questions and activities), a CD-ROM with additional resources and activities and giveaways for the members of your group to remind them of the sessions and to encourage them to find even more ways of protesting injustices.

Regular email updates will also ensure that you remain informed of the current status of each case.

For more information, to find out how you can get involved as a young person or to sign up to receive CSW’s free Outcry youth leader resources, please visit:

outcry-uk.org

BIBLES CHINA BIBLES One of the biggest problems that Chinese Christians face is a shortage of bibles.

The believers in many rural areas are drastically short of God’s Word, so we are please to announce that our partners are now able to place a full copy of the Bible for £1 ($2).

For less than the cost of a cup of coffee, a Bible can be produced and delivered to a Christian family in China, making a huge impact both in their lives and in the lives of those they reach.

If you would like to help provide bibles, great!

You can give by Credit or Debit Card online.

Go to www.asialink.org.uk/china Alternatively, you could raise money in an inventive and fun way, like a sponsored carwash-athon or bike-ride! Just think, £100 ($200) would provide 100 Chinese bibles!

SOUTHEAST ASIA BIBLE FUND In association with our partner, Asia Harvest, we are launching the Southeast Asia Bible Fund to co-ordinate ministries such as providing Bibles for tribal Christians in Vietnam. The goal of the Fund is to print the Scriptures in a number of different languages as the need arises.

The Communist nations of Laos and Vietnam contain more than 250 different

tribes, dozens of which had full Bibles or New Testaments translated into their languages prior to the arrival of Communism in 1975. Since then, these believers have been deprived of Scriptures in their languages because their governments oppose the spread of Christianity. The need for the Word of God in a variety of languages also remains critical.

To date, we have seen 85,882 Bibles and New Testaments printed and distributed in 21 different Southeast Asian languages.

Please pray for this strategic opportunity and consider if you, your church or group are able to participate by praying or giving financially.

Again, each Bible will cost £1 ($2).

10

Y WILLIAM CARE

JIM ELLIOT

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