Bringing Christ to those who have never heard

In 2003 I have the great privilege to meet the Wild Family. At that time they were training with a missions organization preparing to be sent to a hard place.

Since then the Wilds along with the another family have moved across the world where they minister to a remote people group who have yet to hear the gospel. This unreached people group are a group that had been overlooked by the government and church groups. They did not have a written language, therefore no Bible in their language.

The missionaries have been working on becoming fluent in the language, transcribing the alphabet and words, and translating the scriptures. Last November they began the first literacy classes to teach the locals how to read and write their own language. Now they have literacy classes being taught by local men.

In addition to the Literacy classes, the missionaries began teaching chronologically through the Bible to the local men and women.

They write - The locals are sitting on the edge of their leaves each day waiting to hear how they can truly be made right with Yahweh!

"I was in Satan's hands, but because you have come, I am hearing God's true talk." -W

"What can I really say? Since the time I was born, I have been in Satan's hand, and I am his child. Is there any way that I can join with Yahweh? I am scared." - I

"We know we must believe on the Coming Redeemer, but what must we believe about him? Our insides are eating us!" -L

I just couldn't help but share of some of the great news being reported by fellow believers serving in from here what is a distant land. I give thanks to God for the safety of the missionaries, for the ability to learn the local language and begin translating the scriptures, and for the work that the Lord is already doing in the lives of the people as they go through the scriptures leading up to the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.

I received an update email telling of their experience and the Lord's working as they recently shared the gospel with the local people. It's very exciting and I hope to share more soon.

Literacy and the Gospel (part 6)

I could write much more on Literacy and the Gospel as I continue to think about the topic. But I think I will make this my last post. I have read many articles online, I think this one written in Baptist Press briefly sums up some of my thoughts.

Christianity is a book-religion. That is, all of its revelation about God's redemptive work in Christ is mediated to us in letters on a page. We don't have photographs, telephone lines through time, or a living oral tradition. We have the Scriptures. Apart from them, we have no saving knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Because Christianity is a religion of the book, where it spreads so too does a concern for literacy. That is why when Christianity expands it borders, it is often accompanied by the building of schools and other institutions of learning. Where literacy dies, so does a knowledge of and a love for the Bible. Does it not make sense to interpret a decline in reading as a trend that works against the Gospel?

I believe the pervasive and invasive entertainment culture (TV, Internet, movies, etc.) smothers serious thinking and the reading of entire books. Americans by and large don't read serious books because they are entertaining themselves to death. There simply isn't time to read the Bible, much less books on theology or doctrine. Besides that, when you are conditioned to be in a constant state of being entertained, reading non-fiction becomes a chore and a bore.

Our hearts tend to fixate on vanity. It will be that way until the great day of our Lord's return. If we would be faithful to Christ, we would be conscientiously doing everything we can to work against these currents in the culture and within our own hearts. It may mean throwing our televisions away. It may mean spending less time on the Internet -- perhaps even reading less blogs. Whatever it takes, it's worth it to redeem the time and to discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness (Ephesians 5:16; 1 Timothy 4:7-8).

With all that has been said, I still believe we must go to those who cannot read and share the gospel with them. We need not wait until they are literate to share Christ with them. We can use teaching literacy as both a means of sharing Christ with them and helping them to grow in their relationship with Christ by reading the scriptures.

It is my prayer that we in America would turn off the tv's, the computers, the music and pick up our Bibles. I pray that as the Lord leads people would begin literacy programs, ESL classes, and come up with other ideas on how to increase literacy. I also pray people would go on mission to other countries to promote literacy and to translate Bibles for those who have none. Let us consider literacy as a gospel issue.

Literacy and the Gospel (part 5)

Some have said sharing the gospel is the most important thing and should not focus on literacy. I agree that sharing the gospel is of utmost importance. Some argue that the majority of first century persons were illiterate, but Christians took the gospel to them and spread it orally. Praise God for those believers.

I understand that first century Christians and unbelievers were mostly illiterate and even today it is possible to be a Christian to be illiterate and grow in a relationship with Christ. But I believe literacy is very important in the process of sanctification and think it should not be ignored. I believe scripture is clear that we should be reading his word.

We are told in scripture to meditate on the word and to do what is written in it...how are we to do that if one can't read?

Joshua 1:8
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

We know that scripture reveals to us that knowing the scriptures helps us to understand Christ. How can we deepen our knowledge of Christ and who he is without being able to read and comprehend the words of scripture?

2 Timothy 3:15-17
and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

The mysteries of Christ are revealed in the scriptures...

Eph 3:3-4
How the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ,

I believe literacy ministries can serve people in different ways. I do believe that bringing the gospel to someone is more important than just teaching a person to read. But literacy ministries can bring people to a place where they might not have come before and hear the word spoken to them there. Becoming literate will enable them to read scriptures on their own. If an illiterate unbelievers becomes a Christian being able to read will allow them to grow in their relationship with Christ. We should not neglect the gospel, but should promote literacy among believers and unbelievers that they may not only heard but read the sweet gospel message written to us in the scriptures.

Literacy and the Gospel (part 4)

The following are excerpts from an interesting article written by Dr. Philip Ryken, pastor of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philidelphia, PA. The full article can be found on Tenth Presbyterian's website

The reason for all this literary illiteracy is not hard to guess. We are living in an accelerated culture of perpetual distraction, the multimedia age of the sound bite and the instant message. Our unprecedented global connectivity gives us an immediate interchange of massive amounts of information. However, most of this information comes in small packages. Everything seems to be getting shorter—articles, paragraphs, sentences, even words. For a reader who is used to rapidly scanning short emails or clicking through news headlines on the Internet, a long text that demands sustained thought can quickly become a source of boredom, impatience, or frustration......

In some respects, a decline in literary reading poses little threat to the church, where literacy has never been a prerequisite for understanding the gospel. In fact, most of the early Christians were unable to read the Bible for themselves. Literacy was a social benefit that only the educated elite were privileged to enjoy. In those days communication generally took place through the spoken rather than the written word. Nevertheless, people could still hear the Bible read in the public worship of the church. They could also understand the Bible. Although the Old and New Testaments contain many deep truths about God, the basic plan of salvation is something even the simplest person can understand. Christianity is not intellectually elitist.

Nevertheless, it still needs to be said that reading the Bible for full comprehension requires a higher level of proficiency than bare literacy. To begin with, the Bible is a long book, and people need to have the confidence to read it in full. Furthermore, nearly all of the literature in the Bible has a rich depth of complexity. The biblical writers are rarely ever content to say only one thing at a time; more typically they invest their stories, poems, histories, epistles, and other literary forms with layers of meaning that require careful scrutiny and quiet reflection for full understanding. The Bible both demands and rewards our best reading and thinking.

Literacy and the Gospel (part 3)

I am on to day three in my look at literacy and the gospel. I do not know how much longer I will continue to look at this issue. But my heart has been pricked. Today I want to ask whose responsibility it is to teach the children to read.

Whose responsibility is it to teach kids and adults to read? Many have said it is the schools systems and the government's responsibility. My question is why is it their responsibility?

Shouldn't it be the parents responsibility? I believe it is their responsibility. But what then about parents who are functionally illiterate themselves. Should they just allow themselves to remain illiterate and not be able to teach their children? Well, I have no easy answer. I am still thinking about all this and struggling through it all myself.

I know I am speaking as one who was blessed to have parents and grandparent who taught me to read from an early age. I did have decent schools that aided my parents in helping me learn. I do not have children of my own, so who I am to say that it is a parents responsibility to teach their child? I know life is busy and parents have to work to support their families, leaving what seems like little time to sit to read. It's nice to just sit and relax in the evenings and not have to work on kids homework or read to them.

It has been my prayer that the Lord would reveal to me ways I can help this problem facing our county. I have no answer yet, and I know one person cannot begin a ministry for everything that they see as important. I know what I would like to do if I have children one day, but what about until then. How can I use what the Lord has gifted me with to make His name be known and His word read in Hancock county.

Literacy and the Gospel (part 2)

I've been reading a lot of the statistics on literacy in the United States. Some of the statistics greatly surprise me, but further my concern for those who are functionally illiterate in the US and Hancock County.

Statistics from Begin to Read

• Two-thirds of students who cannot read proficiently by the end of the 4th grade will end up in jail or on welfare. The fourth grade is the watershed year.
• 85 percent of all juveniles who interface with the juvenile court system are functionally illiterate.

Statistics from National Right to Read Foundation

• The number of functionally illiterate adults is increasing by approximately two and one quarter million persons each year. This number includes nearly 1 million young people who drop out of school before graduation, 400,000 legal immigrants, 100,000 refugees, and 800,000 illegal immigrants, and 20 % of all high school graduates.

Statistics from Education Portal

• 44 million adults are now unable to read a simple story to their child
• 20 percent of Americans are functionally illiterate and read below a 5th grade level.

• 3 out of 4 people on welfare can't read.
• Approximately 50 percent of Americans read so poorly that they are unable to perform simple tasks such as balancing a checkbook and reading prescription drug labels.

One statistic that really hit close to home with the number of drug and abuse problems in our county...

• To determine how many prison beds will be needed in future years, some states actually base part of their projection on how well current elementary students are performing on reading tests.

Literacy and the Gospel

This past weekend's sermon at Lakeshore Baptist has really stirred me to prayer. My mind has constantly wandered back to what Pastor Don said Sunday while preaching from 1 John 2:12-16. He reminded us that God has revealed Himself in the written word, therefore literacy is a gospel issue. Being able to read allows us to know God through reading His word. There are a lot of thoughts I have on the topic of illiteracy. It breaks my heart to read the literacy statistics in the united states. I know Literacy is often thought of in third world countries especially when we think of taking the scriptures, translating, or translating a Bible for a group of people who have no written language.

Surprisingly illiteracy is a problem in the United States, but especially to where my heart is drawn, Mississippi. I knew there was a literacy problem, it's not been a sceret. But I was shocked when Pastor Don mentioned statisics (sea coast echo article & MS Department of Education ) from recent tests for elementary students. In our county almost 70% of the elementary students passed the profiency test in language arts. That means over 30% failed.

That number is alarming to me. There are a lot of other statistics linking literacy to crime, work, etc. Maybe I'll post some later.

This leaves me wondering and praying. What can do I to help? I see the importance of being able to read and growing in Christ through reading his word. Join me in prayer, pray that the Lord would reveal to me what it is that I can do. I want to see Hancock county come to faith in Christ and see each of them grow in their relationship with Him through reading His Word.