The 10-40 window

Here in China, you can have independence, but it’s earned. One thing, which is forgotten by many in the Christian faith, is that with independence or liberty comes an equal responsibility for discretion and discernment. Once it’s used and put into practice one can have the same successes that Joseph, Erza, Nehemiah, Mordecai, Ester, Daniel and even Paul enjoyed when they were able to go before Kings concerning who and what they were.

Today many who arrive just want to preach without adding anything to the people. Joseph didn’t even preach but made the king great. Ezra and Nehemiah didn’t preach, but open doors for the future. Mordecai and Ester didn’t preach, yet there were some thing they were preparing for others to come, which was Daniel.

I do have a strong group established, but I’ve put as much, if not more time, in teaching Conversational English. Many of my past students are now teachers, and even now government workers. What does the future hold? I don’t know, but if a Christian comes to China, he needs to be prepared to work among the people before trying to preach to them. If not, it will look like “rice bowl” religion to them or a “Westernized religion” where the Westerners arrives to only promote a foreign religion among the poor Chinese. America has been unknowingly guilty of this.

Our seminaries properly prepare us for teaching the “good news”, but when presenting the good news cross culturally, we seem to fail miserably. There is a difference in preaching the Gospel to fellow citizens as to preaching the Gospel to those from other cultures.

The tragedies I’ve witness here in China are alarming. Many are baptized with little or no actual discipleship, little or no concerns given to their real understanding of Christianity, and sad to say, many who have arrived are just interested in reporting numbers back to the churches in America.

Christian’s sincere desire to help has actually become a greater wall to scale than the Great Wall of China. Let’s help with the right resources, right teaching methods and right heart and we will see more done and hear less of the stories of supposedly 25,000 being saved every day in China.

 

God's blessings. I sure hope Paul & Jan Crouch &/or Kenneth Copeland never make it over there.

 

I've not really thought deeply about it. Without going into deep detail, it's taken me a while to see and feel that I'm worthy to do God's work. I've supported missions in the 10/40 window, but never really thought about going. I'm a teacher in the public school system and have always joked but have been serious about being a "missionary" at work. I work in inner-city schools with children that are difficult, at best, to work with. I'm hoping they can see God's love through me.
That's a round about way of answering your question....but, for the moment...my answer. God may change it.

 

One of the difficulties (and perhaps the major reason why this part of the world is so unevangelized in this time) is that even if you were willing, even if you were fully funded, even if you already speak the language, it is highly unlikely that you would be allowed to enter as a missionary.

In past decades missionaries entered under other auspices; medical missions, teachers, humanitatian aid workers etc... but now even these visa are being closely examined and often rejected.

Many governments in the 10-40 window are hostile to Christian missionaries and want to protect their people from its influence.

Rob

 

Exactly right, Rob. Sad but true.

 

Those of the Copeland and Baker groups are alive and flourishing here in China. For a year, I've been holding private lessons with some who hold the ideas of tongues and healing and though they have changed alot in their thinking, they refuse to let go of it completely.

On young man, who supposedly has been saved for about two years, has been "filled" with the spirit and spoken in tongues. He also supposedly has witnessed many healings, though he himself is dying of lung disease (TB).

We have asked him why he hasn't been healed. He claims he has since he almost died twice. We asked him why he had to be healed twice and why he is still sick if he's been healed. All he could do was to look at us funny. We had to explain to him that recovering from a hospital stay is not the same as being healed. Once you are healed in a biblical sense, you are healed completely and immediately.

Since he has not been healed completely and immediately, we've tried to tell him that he's recovery from parts of his sickness by the grace of God and thats all. He's having a hard time understanding the difference between recovery and healing.

Any way, please pray that more Baptist will come. These others are coming in by the plane loads. The Seven Day Adventist have already set up shop, the Church of Christ had a whole airplane load of students who spend the summer in various locations of China, the Mormons are ever where, and even the Jehovah's Witness are handing out their trash.

Where are the Baptist? Where are those who believe in the Great Commission? Where ever they are, they are not in the 10/40 window, but the cults are!

We need to be on knees praying and on our feeting getting the gospel out. If we don't, the cults will.

Today I had a meeting with several house church leaders from a poor rural area. They are ready to build a building to hold training for rural preachers from their local area. They need about 90,000 yuan which equals about $12,000 US dollars.

What will the Baptist do? Maybe some will pray about it, maybe some will talk about it, but who will respond?

We know the need, God has opened the door, the building can be built, but will God's people respond?

 

It breaks my heart, His in China. I'll be visiting with my Baptist pastor and others.

 

Bingo! I've heard that so many times when talking about the 10/40 window.