Blindness

One of the messages last week at our Annual Missions Conference really broke my heart. It was a message called "Blindness". The missionary challenged us to open our eyes and see the world the way that God sees it. He went on to say that he was legally blind in one eye, but could still see things around him. The application of the message urged us to give ourselves a Spiritual Eye Test.

People all over the world need to hear about our Savior, Jesus Christ.

My burden, as you know, is for the people in Africa. Africa is called the "Dark Continent". The people there, as well as, all over the world need someone to show them how to be saved from thier sins. My burden becomes greater with each day that goes by until I can get to the mission field. Matthew 9:37, 38 encourages us to pray for more labourers. My prayer is that others would open thier eyes to see that need in Africa and all around the world.

Acts 26:18 "To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me."

My mission field in Durban, South Africa consists of the Valley of a Thousand Hills. As you look across the valleys and hills, you can see the homes of the people who need to hear about Christ.

In the Valley of a Thousand Hills is the village of Embo. Our church is at the top of the hill in Embo. It is a place for people to hear from God's Word. We teach them how to be saved and to grow in the Lord by obeying His Word and serving in the local church.

If you open your eyes you will see people everywhere who need to be saved. The ladies who sell things at the roadside have time to hear about what God has done for them.

Zulus schools have hundreds of children who have been so confused by cultural traditions. They are in need of hearing the truth from God's Word.

Durban, South Africa is known for the second largest Hindu Temple in the world. The largest group of Indians, outside of India, live in that city. Who will go to South Africa to work with those Indians?

The Zulus believe that they will go to Heaven if they pray to thier dead ancesters and the ancesters are not angry with them. Animism (believing unanimated things have souls), witch doctors, and charms are what they think they need to help them get into Heaven.

When I look around, I see many children who will soon be adults. Each one of those kids could become a Christian and raise thier children for the glory of God.

Some are hungry to know more about the Bible and salvation.

Others have received Christ as thier Savior.

And still there are more to tell.

A while ago, as I was driving through town,God opened my eyes again. I was sitting at a stop light and watched a very long line of cars go by me. God broke my heart for those people. I wondered, how many of them were saved? How many were hurting Christians who needed to be fed by His Word? Where are they going in such a hurry? Who will tell them? This was not the first time I sat in traffic with tears running down my cheeks for the lost souls who were all around me. God opened my blind eyes.

Our missionary speaker said that we could not see as God wants us to see until we have two things in order.
1) We must have the proper view of God. Is.6:1-10, I Peter 1:15, Mt.6:24
a) God is Holy!
b) He wants us to desire to serve Him.
2) We must have the proper view of the world. Jn.4:31
a) Weep for the world. Lk.19:41
b) Pray for the world. Mt.9:36-38
c) Go out into the world. Mk.16:15

Help me, O Lord, to see the people around me as You see them. May they one day be able to reflect what the below verse says, because one of us opened our eyes and went out to tell the dark world of the Light.
2Corinthians 4:6 "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."