There was a time when China 'only' had four hundred million people, and still accounted for almost a quarter of the worlds population. About this time, 1865 or so, a brother in Christ who had spent six years there seeking to win the lost and establish the Gospel of Jesus Christ in this vast heathen nation, became overwhelmingly burdened by the need. (At that time there were only. around a hundred missionaries in China, restricted to coastal enclaves and not reaching most of the population.) He had returned from his initial mission a physical invalid with little hope of returning to the mission field. He did not waste his forced furlough however but completed a medical degree, a new translation of the Chinese New Testament and a complete vision for reaching China with the Glorious Gospel.
During J. Hudson Taylor's five year stay in England, he who had put his faith in God to the test and found God absolutely faithful to His Word, was brought to see how he might lead others in a faith endeavor called the China Inland Mission (now OMF) built upon a simple trust in God for power and supply. Their goal was obedience to God's command; to preach the Gospel to every creature. Their purpose was to reach China with the Gospel of Jesus Christ with only God receiving the glory. Their supply was to be from God alone. They would take and use anyone who believed the Word of God and willing to trust God completely. There were no high educational standards nor specified denominational affiliations. No appeals for funds. No fund raising events. Prayer alone was to be their appeal. God alone their supply. Of course God uses His people, but no emotional appeals were to be made to people, only to God. In order serve with the C.I.M. one had to believe that the Bible is the Word of God and be willing to put that faith to the test in obedience to the Great Commission and the Command of Jesus Christ.
And God heard and, using the China Inland Mission as His lead invasion force, sent thousands of missionaries, through C.I.M. and other agencies and denominations, to the proclamation of the saving Name of Jesus across China. In spite of the eventual Communist conquest and the forcible expulsion of the missioinaries (1949/50), there is a church in China today because of the faithfulness of those who went out trusting God alone.
J. Hudson Taylor could not rest until he had set in motion God's call and vision, returning over nine times himself to the land of his burden, and going to the Lord from there on His tenth visit. This life of faith is a great challenge to us.
Today there is a 'nation' that remains mostly unreached and suffering, spread across the world and living in our midst. They are not restricted by borders. The reality of their presence among us is an increasing burden. In all the great cities and in overwhelming numbers in most of the developing countries this 'nation' lives in the streets and under the bridges, in hovels and shacks, it labors in factories and fields and sweat shops, clothed in rags and give away clothes and seldom shod with shoes. Many times they are abused and exploited bearing the pains, hunger and trials of other's poor choices. Often they are sold and indentured to pay other's debts or to meet degraded passions. Most do not know the Living Hope that is found in Jesus. They learn not to trust and become hardened to any overture made by an adult. So often they have been misled.
Of course this 'nation' I speak of is the vast numbers of children (for our purposes 18 years old and younger) living in our world without loving parental care. The numbers are staggering:
- In our day there may be two billion children under eighteen years of age.
- 90% of the children being born are being born into the developing world.
- 100 million street children
- 150 million orphans
- 100 million indentured or slaves
- 120 million blind or deaf children_
- (most of whom will never receive
- any special help)
- 10 million child prostitutes
- 300,000 child soldiers
- 10 million refugee children
- Half the population of sub-sahara Africa is fifteen and under.
- Hunger directly or indirectly kills more children than any other cause.
- Half the population of Haiti is fifteen and under. The Haitian government educates 5% of the children of Haiti. Half the children of Haiti do not eat on any given day.
- 47% of children in sub-Sahara Africa and 34% of children in Asia do not attend school.
- There is estimated to be twenty-thousand orphaned or abandoned children in the Port au Prince metropolitan area alone...
Most of these children have not been led to faith in Christ Jesus. There is no one loving them, feeding them, clothing them, educating them and modeling the Love of Jesus before them. They constitute a most populous 'nation of need'.
We praise God for those whom God has raised up to reach these 'least ones'. There are ministries and orphan homes reaching out in some of the hard places. Praise God.
But the vast majority of the children most in need are not being reached. The streets in the large cities of South America are full of street kids, unreached. The child prostitutes in Thailand and Cambodia and the temples of South Asia are unreached. The millions of Aids related orphans in South and East Africa are mostly unreached. The war orphans of Central and West Africa are mostly unreached. The indentured and enslaved children of Cote D'Ivoire, Pakistan, Bangledesh and other nations are unreached and without advocates.
The numbers of the needy children are in the many millions and we serve thousands. And they need Jesus more than food or clothes or education or shoes. And we reach fewer with the Gospel than with physical help. There are millions who will die this year without the hope of Christ.
How should we then live?
How should we then pray?
How should we then give of our time, talents and treasure?
What then can we do with such a vast nation of need before us?
It seems to me that we have little option other than to throw ourselves down before the Father of the Fatherless and seek His enabling power and sure guidance. We cannot ignore the need. He knows that we have been made aware of the need and so cannot ignore it.
We know His will; preach the Gospel to every creature, even the small ones. We know His will; to meet the physical needs of the least of these His children in the Name of Jesus. We know His will; to so act that in everything the Glory may be God's through Jesus Christ.
I am not J. Hidson Taylor or George Muller. Nor do I think I will ever grow up to be. I do not aspire to be a Mother Teresa or an Amy Carmichael, or any of the many other great men and women of God who have set before us a standard of faith and trust in God that is very high. I stand in awe of their faith and their amazing persevering love. To be able to reach a few children or a small city with the Gospel would be more than I could hope to do, over the course of a lifetimes work, with what little faith I have and that being limited by my old weak flesh. So God knows I do not seek followers nor do I plan to build some vast ministry.
But in view of the 'nation of need' spoken of above, I think we need to stand up and claim for God solace for His children and food for His hungry orphans. Clothes, shoes, school & books, clean water, a safe place to sleep and freedom from abuse and exploitation for His children too. We ought, I think, believe that He who fed and watered three million Jews and all their animals in the wilderness for forty years can provide for His orphaned and abandoned children all these things and the Gospel of His Son Jesus Christ.
We'll follow those who have gone before us, some have become famous most remain known only to heaven, and we'll trust God, for we have no other source of help or supply, and here declare that, ' WE'LL TURN NONE AWAY.'
In My Father's House in heaven there are many dwelling places. Enough for all who will be with Jesus there. We are absolutely certain that Our Heavenly Father Who is the Father of the Fatherless will provide enough houses, here and now, for His children, if only His people will trust Him for them.
Will you join us?
In Christ with you
For His friends
Even the least of these...
Jason & Sharon Nightingale
Wordsower
