God has commanded those who follow Him to proclaim His word to the world. As a result, Gentiles turn from their false worship and turn to obeying God. As believers seek to spread the good news around the globe, their target audience is those who have not yet heard that good news.
Those who have not heard are not another’s foundation.
Paul strove to preach the good news to people in places where the truth of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection had not yet been told.
Those who have not heard must see and understand.
One man who saw more than mountains. One man dedicated to His God. One man expending His life to bring the gospel to the lost. One man who knew how to pray. J. O. Fraser spent the majority of his life trekking up and down steep mountain passes working among a people often ignored by the outside world. The Lisu people. Their villages dotted the sides of the mountain ranges located in the southwestern corner of China. They themselves were bound by the dark cords of their heathen beliefs and their desperate worship of the demons that wreaked such fear and havoc in their lives. Such a people so steeped in Satan's darkness. Would the light of Christ ever break forth among them? Who would be the torchbearer? J. O. Fraser was God’s chosen man. Fully believing that it was his job “to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (II Corinthians 4:6), J. O. Fraser left behind his home in England and traveled to China to work among the Lisu people.
Paul’s statement in Romans 15 is both a paradigm for the work of pioneer missions as well as a challenge to follow his example. This challenge calls for dedication and determination. However, along with the seemingly daunting task comes also the reassurance of Christ’s own words that He has all authority and that He will be with us, “even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:18, 20).
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1 comment:
I went looking for you on FB and realized you're definitely not on there! Just checking in on "old" friends. :) I like this post because I'm planning to read J. O. Fraser 's biography on an upcoming trip in a few weeks. I found him through Isobel Khun. I hope all is going well!
-B Chmil
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