BATTLE FOR THE UNREACHED PEOPLE By Andrew Abah

Introduction

Souls are very valuable. Jesus estimated the value of one soul as worthier than what the whole world could buy. His words: “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” Mark 8:36-37. It does not matter the background of the person, whether rich or poor or from a reached or unreached tribal group. The soul of a very poor person from the unreached mountain tribe in Africa is as rich as the soul of a church-going Canadian from Vancouver.

It is therefore not surprising that the devil fights so hard to maintain his hold over every human soul on earth. In view of the importance God attaches to the human soul, He did not hesitate to spare His only Son to leave the comfort of heaven and pay the supreme price of redeeming man.

Keeping the Unreached People from the Gospel

The devil's fight to retain his hold over humanity is multi-dimensional. One of the dimensions is to prevent the people from having access to the gospel. It is therefore not surprising that after over two thousand years of Jesus commissioning the Church to take the liberating gospel to the world; several millions are yet to hear, not to talk of responding to the gospel. Out of the 11,263 people groups in the world today, about 6,478 are still unreached. Out of these number, 4475 have population of over 1000,000.

The Challenges of Sects and Cults

One other way the devil is fighting so hard to retain the souls of humanity for eternal damnation is through worldwide growth and spread of missionary cults of western origin. It had been a striking phenomenon in the 20th Century, and is continued into the 21st century. It is important to take note of the following developments:

· Jehovah's Witness have grown worldwide from 916, 000 members in 1960 to 6, 036, 000 in 2000. There are well over 14. 5 million affiliates today. Many give sacrificial hours in door- to door work to proclaim a false message in almost every nation and in 400 languages. In some nations such as Austria, Poland and Spain Jehovah's Witness out number Evangelicals, and splinter groups abound.

· The Mormons (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) have similarly grown from 1. 4 million adherents in 1960 to 11 million in 2000. The short term missionary work of the Mormon puts evangelical churches to shame. Many parts of Polynesia are rapidly becoming majority Mormon, and its growth in Latin America is remarkable. Mormon missionaries numbered about 60, 000 in 2000, working in 150 nations.

· Hindu Buddhist group have made remarkable inroads among young people in the West with some gurus gaining large following. Many lives have been damaged by the misuse of drugs, promiscuous sex and exposure to demonic influences.

The Hare Krishna (ISKON) movement has rapidly gained a large following in former Soviet states since the ending of Communist rule.

· New Age beliefs have swept modern cultures in the West and East. In the West, a worldwide shift to acceptance of eastern mysticism, reincarnation and “self” awareness together with renewed interest in old Western paganism and occultism poses a serious challenge to Christianity and the whole basis on which Western society was been founded. A large minority of church goers would accept some New Age premises.

· New religious movements that mix Christian concepts and terminology with indigenous non Christian beliefs and practices have gained following of tens of millions Christo paganism in Latin America, indigenous syncretistic churches in Africa (with millions of followers), and other new movements in China.
· The following are particular challenges we need to concentrate our prayers on:
· Those who have been led astray into quasi Christian movement often through ignorance and the failure of born again Christians to reach them first. Praise God for thousands who have left such cults and found liberty in Christ.
· The removal of bias in Western media towards New Age and Eastern religious concepts and against biblical Christianity. Pray that Christians may be well taught and discerning concerning these errors.
· Truth to fill the spiritual vacuum in the former atheistic states, such as the former Soviet Union. This is being filled not only by true Christians but also by numerous eastern and western sects. Pray for the truth to be proclaimed so that all may see and discern error.
· The preparation of suitable literature and videos in major languages to help Christians understand and evangelize cultists,, and warn potential cultists. The need for apologetic literature in Eurasia is particularly acute. The organization below can provide help.


Afflictions of the Righteous

One other way the devil fights to prevent the spread of the gospel is by mounting numerous attacks on the missionaries. Ps 34:19 has become a familiar passage for many missionaries Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all”. In the past few years, we have seen several missionaries come under all kinds of afflictions. We have come to terms with the reality that one way God delivers His own from these multiple afflictions is death. We have in this edition the story of a trailblazer's encounter with cancer.

He won through death. He is resting in heaven today. Clement Anegbe, an able General of God's kingdom was called home through plane crash when the church needed him most. Few years earlier, he lost his first wife through motor accident. The commonest of these afflictions is sickness. Space will not permit us to give a run down of missionaries battling with one sickness or the other.

In mission history, we were familiar with havocs wrecked by malaria fever and direct physical attacks by those who resisted the gospel. Now it is different stroke. The devil is full of wrath knowing that He has but a short time (Rev. 12:12). He has changed gear. He is more determined to reduce the already few labourers by whatever means possible. The Church must rise up to the task of labouring in prayers for the missionaries.


Pray for the Unreached People

Since the ultimate goal of the devil is to make sure that the souls of the unreached are not saved, the church must make it a priority to pray for their salvation. They cannot pray for themselves. Your prayer will tear off the veil the devil had used to cover them. Your prayer will cause their heart to yearn for salvation. Your prayer will produce labourers to take the gospel to them. Your prayer can do what money cannot do. “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” James 5:16-17.