"We must aim higher"
"As God's people we must aim higher. I believe it is because of a lack of vision, reality, action, prayer and hard work that the world is not evangelized 2000 years after Jesus gave the command. About 25 percent of the world's population has not even heard or read the Gospels. Is this God's fault? Has He failed? No! This is our fault and the fault of every believer who has lived since Pentecost. ... We must aim higher." -- George Verwer, May 1999
Is this true? I'd be interested to know what you think.
Followup. Saturday, October 7. I want to continue this post because, prodded by Jill's comment, I don't believe this is the whole story. In fact, it isn't even (at all) the whole story with respect to George because, if anyone is pressing on, year after year after year, working to reach the lost and encouraging others to do the same, it is him.
The story is told of a boy who was walking along the beach, throwing starfish into the ocean. One by one. He was doing this to save them - because, with the tide going out, the starfish would die on the beach; without the water they needed, they would die in the hot sun. So throwing the starfish back into the ocean was the only way to save them.
Someone asked the boy: "There are millions of starfish; you're barely making a dent here. You'll never be able to save all these starfish. Miles and miles of starfish will die anyway; what you're doing just doesn't matter."
The boy picked up another starfish. "It mattered to that one," he said, as he threw it into the ocean.
...
I want to tell you: even though so many are asleep to the reality of the lost, I am totally fired up. God is carrying out His Will, in His time, despite our weaknesses and failures. His Story is happening, and God has always known the day and the time that Jesus would return. We have failed, but God is unceasingly gracious, and He is on schedule. His Story is happening, and we can be part of it. Praise the Lord.
You may not know that the total number of people who have ever lived is 10 billion. Ever. And 6 billion of them are alive today. And most of them have heard of Jesus' sacrifice. True, 20% of the world has never heard, but 80% has.
So let us press on. Let's reach the remaining 20%, let's keep reaching out to those of the 80% who have not yet accepted Christ, let's desire to see our fellow believers deepening in their faith and walk with the Lord.
Yes, we must aim higher. There is no doubt about that. But "higher" simply means "Jesus." We need more of Him. And the more we get of Him through things like prayer and obedience, the more of Him will overflow out of us to others who desperately need Him.
Is this true? I'd be interested to know what you think.
Followup. Saturday, October 7. I want to continue this post because, prodded by Jill's comment, I don't believe this is the whole story. In fact, it isn't even (at all) the whole story with respect to George because, if anyone is pressing on, year after year after year, working to reach the lost and encouraging others to do the same, it is him.
The story is told of a boy who was walking along the beach, throwing starfish into the ocean. One by one. He was doing this to save them - because, with the tide going out, the starfish would die on the beach; without the water they needed, they would die in the hot sun. So throwing the starfish back into the ocean was the only way to save them.
Someone asked the boy: "There are millions of starfish; you're barely making a dent here. You'll never be able to save all these starfish. Miles and miles of starfish will die anyway; what you're doing just doesn't matter."
The boy picked up another starfish. "It mattered to that one," he said, as he threw it into the ocean.
...
I want to tell you: even though so many are asleep to the reality of the lost, I am totally fired up. God is carrying out His Will, in His time, despite our weaknesses and failures. His Story is happening, and God has always known the day and the time that Jesus would return. We have failed, but God is unceasingly gracious, and He is on schedule. His Story is happening, and we can be part of it. Praise the Lord.
You may not know that the total number of people who have ever lived is 10 billion. Ever. And 6 billion of them are alive today. And most of them have heard of Jesus' sacrifice. True, 20% of the world has never heard, but 80% has.
So let us press on. Let's reach the remaining 20%, let's keep reaching out to those of the 80% who have not yet accepted Christ, let's desire to see our fellow believers deepening in their faith and walk with the Lord.
Yes, we must aim higher. There is no doubt about that. But "higher" simply means "Jesus." We need more of Him. And the more we get of Him through things like prayer and obedience, the more of Him will overflow out of us to others who desperately need Him.
posted by Nigel Paul at 5:01 PM
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