Kingdom Concerns--This Week: Where Is Your Jerusalem?

I am of the strong persuasion that mission is the heartbeat of God. Just as strongly, I am convinced that mission does not only mean fields of work in far off lands. Mission fields are right outside our front doors, maybe even right inside our own households. The Pacific Northwest, for example, covers 40% of the entire land mass of the US. Yet only 10% of the people that live there go to church. It remains the most unchurched region in all United States.

In Acts 1:8, the LORD Jesus Christ pointed out a geographical order of priorities, if you will, in witnessing: first in Jerusalem, then all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. To me, it raises the concern that if believers do not take care of their Jerusalem (homes, neighborhood, school, workplace, church, city of residence and vicinity), they might not even be around later to take care of their Judea and Samaria (their state, their region) and their ends of the earth (wherever else the LORD may lead them.).

A couple of bright mother lodes of information that affirm this came to my attention one morning last week. And, what do you know, one of them is a website called Back To Jerusalem. I picked all these up from that morning's broadcast of Home Word, a youth ministry radio program hosted by Dr. Jim Burns airing at a local station. His guest, Dr. Ron Cline, commented on how other missionary-sending nations (China, Korea, etc.) are adequately covering the 10/40 window, where all of the 50 least witnessed countries in the world are located. Listening to Dr. Cline makes one wonder why we in the US insist on sending our workers that far out when from just what we perceive in the news, we could really use them right here within our borders.

Check out this link to "Back To Jerusalem" and be prepared to be surprised because it is not about what you might think it is:

http://www.backtojerusalem.com/

Here's an excerpt from the website's vision page:

As you read these pages, please remember that the Back to Jerusalem movement is not a crazy pipe-dream of a few fanatical Christians that may or may not happen. It is something that is already happening! Right now there are already hundreds of Chinese missionaries working outside China in the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, and Southeast Asia. Thousands more are in training, learning languages such as Arabic and English that will be put to use on the mission field.

A team of thirty-six Chinese missionaries departed China in March 2000 for a neighboring Buddhist country. They were the first contemporary team of Back to Jerusalem missionaries, the first-fruits of a great flood to come. Few people around the world knew of this event, but their going was the result of years of prayer and planning. On that day China once again became an active participant in worldwide mission.

During the training and orientation for those 36 pioneers, each one was asked to give their testimony. Many tears flowed as they told their stories. All of them had suffered much for the Gospel in China. Most had been arrested, imprisoned, beaten and tortured because of their testimony for Jesus Christ. They had all faced extreme hardship, separation from family, forced starvation, sleepless nights and perils on every side.

Despite tremendous opposition, all 36 of these house church missionaries had faithfully preached the Gospel throughout China for years, establishing churches and seeing more of God’s power manifested through their ministries each month than most Christians see during their lifetimes.

As the Back to Jerusalem vision unfolds, you may start to hear reports of Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists coming to Christ in places where the Gospel has long struggled to make an impact. When this happens, don’t be amazed at the Chinese Christians, we are just sinners saved by grace and undeserving of any attention. Rather, be amazed at the wisdom and manifest beauty of God’s plan. “For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.” 1 Corinthians 1:25

We hope you will be encouraged and challenged by the Back to Jerusalem vision, and moved to prayer and involvement in the fulfillment of the Great Commission in these last days, until "the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever." Revelation 11:15"

More on this next Monday, April 4, 2005, when we will feature Dr. Jim Burns of Home Word and some of his own tips on how to serve the mission field right in our own backyard. There's plenty more where this comes from.