News and Views
We have our fingers on the pulse of modern missions. Mission work is changing rapidly as the world's cultures and global conditions are changing. Ease of travel and communication impact how the Gospel is spread. But at the heart of missions, there is the work of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, and the obedience of the Church to carry out Jesus' command to go into all the earth.
We want to present challenging biblical truths, insights into today's missions environment, and progress reports on reaching the entire world with the Gospel. Please keep checking our blog regularly for updates, stories and challenging thoughts from Scripture!
Eight days after the birth of Jesus, Mary and Joseph took Him to the temple in Jerusalem to be dedicated to God. As they entered the temple, an old prophet named Simeon approached the family, saw the baby, and said, “I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!” (Luke 2:30-32). This was a confirmation of everything they had been told by the angel who had appeared to them.
Simeon was referring to the prophet Isaiah, who clearly stated that God intended for all the earth to hear about...
"…in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
It isn't easy to be thankful for everything. That's a fact! In general, we struggle with gratitude. Our parents had to teach us to say thank you. Someone would give us candy, and mom would say, "Say thank you." And how we didn't want to say it! Sometimes, parents had to insist and force us to say those difficult words, "thank you," several times. And it's good if our parents were persistent and we learned to be grateful for the good things they gave us in life.
Our Heavenly Father...
When the Holy Spirit is preparing hearts, and believers are obeying God’s command to go and tell, the Church on earth will continue to grow. God is presenting a new opportunity for Reach A Village to be part of that growth.
“As believers share the Gospel in Albania, Reach A Village is now ready to come alongside them and support them,” said Bob Craft, founder and president of Reach A Village. “We are already engaging with new ministry partners there. Strategic planning is taking place, and excitement is growing. There is a great need for people to know Jesus in this predominantly Muslim...
Reaching the “unreached people groups” (UPG) has become the buzzword for Christian mission efforts in recent years. But that idea raises some good questions. Where did this idea come from? What defines an unreached people group? Does Reach A Village work to reach the unreached people groups?
These are very important questions for those engaged in trying to reach the world with the Gospel. Jesus commanded, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit...
I have two sons, and I know them well. When I enter the kitchen, I know exactly who ate the last meal there. One son cleans up everything after he eats, and there is no evidence he has even eaten there. Everything has been washed, wiped and put away.
After a long process of upbringing and correction, my second son now also cleans up after he eats at the table. But he continues to leave something unfinished! He may leave his chair pulled away from the table. He may wash the dishes but leave a dirty pot on the stove.
Yes, I know my sons well. And I have no doubts about who has been in the...
Truth and wisdom sometimes come from unexpected sources. Consider the Old Testament story of Balaam (Numbers 22). Balaam had a reputation as a mighty prophet. A king from a nation hostile to Israel sought his services. This king wanted Balaam to curse the Israelites, hoping that would enable him to defeat them in battle and run them out of the land. Though Balaam knew that God would not allow him to curse Israel, he eventually agreed to go with the king's men.
Balaam rode on a donkey, and along the journey, the donkey suddenly refused to continue down the path. Three times, the donkey...
Jesus Christ is undeniably an inspirational figure. The Bible and Christian tradition indicate that Jesus is the Son of God and that supernatural circumstances surround everything about Him, from His birth all the way to His death and beyond. In spite of that, He accepted a very humble position during His time on earth. He was born into the family of a poor craftsman in a small, insignificant village. Rather than being born in a palace, as would be fitting for a king, He entered the world in a place where animals were kept, and He was laid in a manager, an animal feeding trough. He refused to...
I am pleased to announce that we have expanded ministry into Venezuela, our first nation in South America! Over the past year, the Lord opened doors through one of our board members to build a strong relationship with two Venezuela pastors.
Economically, the country is in shambles due to hyperinflation, corruption and human rights abuses. Many are physically and spiritually starving. The difficult situation has caused great openness to the Good News of Christ.
The church planting and discipleship are accomplished in several ways, including:
• Door-to-door witnessing • Ministry...
“He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and He is the glory of your people Israel!” (Luke 2:32).
Those words spoken by Simeon when he first met the Messiah remain true. Yesterday, today, tomorrow, always.
Since Oct 7, 2023, the world’s attention has been riveted on Israel. Not because that was the day the Jewish nation was celebrating Simchat Torah, “the joy of Torah” (the end of the annual cycle of the reading of the books of Moses). But because that was the day of an unprecedented and brutal attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists. This is an attack on every good thing God’s law...
"And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Matthew 9:35−38 ESV).
On my recent visit to the Philippines, I stood beside Jocelyn, our Philippines national director, and...
