Every Nation, Tribe, and Tongue

‎And this gospel of the kingdom

shall be preached in all the world

for a witness unto all nations;

and then shall the end come.

(Matthew 24:14)

Disclaimer: This is merely the reflections of my heart as of late. I encourage you that the best thing you can do in your life in order to bring God glory is to live in obedience to Him... whatever that looks like! So please read knowing that this is not trying to convince you of anything, but merely to testify of what God has put on my heart.

I can remember the first time I learned that there were people around the world who had never heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I was 14 years old. All of us youth gathered around the projector screen in the youth room, as Jeremy (youth pastor) played a video series called Travel The Road. The series showed real life footage of two young men who traveled around the world to preach the gospel. It was through that video series that the call t0 reach people with the gospel became even more solidified within me.

My friend Grace let me borrow one of her books this summer called Mission Possible. In essence, it is how God used a Wycliffe Bible translator, named Marilyn Laszlo, to translate Scripture into a language it had never been in before. There were a few parts in this book that really stirred my soul. They are as follows:

" 'Marilyn, look at me!' Nokiyin said one day. 'I'm an old man, and my skin is wrinkled; my eyes are poor; my fingers have arthritis.' He rubbed his brown wrinkled neck and chest with a gnarled hand. 'I've been watching you as you walk through our village with your banana leaf, carving my talk.' He paused and leaned forward. 'My father and many of my relatives died many years ago. They knew nothing about God. And for me, it's too late! I'm too old to read my own talk.' Looking intently into her eyes, he asked, 'Did you know a long time ago, when you were a little girl, that there were people here in Papau New Guinea like me?' 'Yes, I read books,' she answered, 'I knew about Papau New Guinea.' 'Then, Marilyn, why did it take you so long to come?' Marilyn drew in a breath to give an answer, but she had none. She felt broken. Inwardly she cried, Lord, O Lord, please don't let others wait like this man had to wait. "

and...

"Among the earliest converts were Kaku and his wife, Yanomok. Together, they renounced old ways and sought to know Christ's truth. As Kaku held his cherished Yanomok in his arms before her death, she whispered, 'It's all right. I'm going home to be with Jesus.' She was the first Hauna Christian to die, and her peaceful testimony was a momentous event."

and...

"The five guest were greeted enthusiastically by the leader, who visited Hauna. He then led them for a half hour deeper into the rain forest, where they came to a small clearing. Most of the village houses were perched high in the trees as protection from invading enemies. A couple of houses on thin, unstable stilts were built close to the ground, but they were in disrepair and obviously unused. However, at the far edge of the clearing was a sturdy, newly built building on the ground. 'What is that building,' Marilyn asked. 'Oh, that is our sios,' the village leader proudly told her. 'Your church? Do you have a missionary here?' 'No,' he answered sadly. 'We don't have a missionary yet.' 'Has a national pastor come to teach you?' 'No, we don't have any pastor; we have no books. We have no one to teach us,' the headman told her. 'Then why do you have a sios?' 'When we visited Hauna, we saw everyone going to church. We saw people learning to read God's Talk and singing songs about God and Jesus. When we came back here, we told our people all about your church. We decided we needed to build a church so Papa God will see we're ready. We're just waiting now.' "

After that part of the book, I literally cried tears for the lost in this world like I never have before. I felt the very anguish of God's heart... knowing that there are those whose glory He deserves... just simply waiting to hear the truth.

I know that my calling as a believer in Jesus Christ is to make Him known. I am zealous for His glory. I have a growl in my soul that cries out that He must receive the reward of His suffering! I know that my life is but a vapor... and I do not want to waste a single moment of it! May every moment of my life be wholly spent for the glory of Jesus Christ... and as a result, may those who have never heard receive the Gospel! I am desperate that others know Him!

Holy Father... I yield my life for you to do with whatever You will. I only ask that it bring you glory! I surrender my all, I give everything I know to give. God take this life, use it as you see fit. I declare that I am nothing apart from You. Jesus, my soul is zealous for Your glory. May Your Spirit work in and through me to that end! In Your precious name, Jesus, Amen.

After this I beheld, and,

lo, a great multitude,

which no man could number, of all nations,

and kindreds,

and people,

and tongues,

stood before the throne, and before the Lamb,

clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;

And cried with a loud voice, saying,

'Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne,

and unto the Lamb.'

(Revelation 7:9-10)