Who Lord?

Dear Lord,

How Long O Sovereign Lord?  How long must we wait for your return?

"Until all have heard!"

Who hasn't heard Lord?  From where I sit, I see churches on every street corner.  Sometimes more than one.  And they are big churches Lord.  Some with over 10,000 attendees. 

So who exactly hasn't heard?
 
I can turn on the TV and hear any  number of different TV evangelists.  Take your pick...conservative, charismatic, man , woman...you name it, we have it! 

I can go into a book store and legally buy a bible, chosen from over a dozen different versions no less.  Who exactly hasn't heard?


We even have chapel services in our preschools. I know, cause I just took my class of eleven 2-year olds to sing and hear about Jesus yesterday.  Heck, we even have Christian music playing in our fast food restaurants.

Again I ask who hasn't heard?

My dad and brother in law are in Uganda this week.  My dad's teaching men and women about the bible and about what you say about them!  They have never had a pastor come and teach them.                  

                

My brother in-law is using his gift of film to capture what life is like in Uganda.  He is capturing stories of men, women and children.  Many have lost parents to the HIV epidemic, many have lost children to the militia or worse yet to a curable disease like Malaria. 

Despite the gravest of circumstances, the Ugandans are coming to know you.

                   

 They are singing and dancing in honor of you. So many of them know you, yet there are so many that still haven't heard.

Probably be kinda hard for them to get to a bookstore with bibles huh?

               
My sister spent her annual two weeks in Africa this summer.  She worked with several other volunteers to facilitate teacher workshops.  The schools in Africa don't normally have access to teacher development programs.  Her team is making a difference in the lives of the students and teachers in at least one school!

That's not my sister.  But it is one of the other teachers on the team. You get the idea!  My sister says these teachers are some of the best and they truly love their students.

                

Those teachers and students probably don't get to make it out to a fast food restaurant?  Not one that plays praise and worship music anyway.
         

St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. 

Chip and I have applied to go on the mission field to Europe. We have been told that there are over 821 million people that live in Europe, yet 2% of them know you. 

I suppose that means that there isn't a church on every street corner?  Or at least not a church by the true definition of church.  A church is a people made up of believers. Believers of The Way.  Not a building sitting empty.

Until All Have Heard!

I get it.  You are waiting.  Waiting for the whole world to know you.  Not just 2% of a population or one small village.  You are waiting until all your children (according to your will) have heard.


Maybe today I am asking the wrong questions.  Maybe today it's not about who HASN'T heard.  It's about who HAS heard. 

Who has heard the good news?  Who knows the truth about love?  Who knows the power of a life when Christ is in the center?

Maybe it's about what YOU want me to do.  What YOU want to do through me.


Lord, please take my heart and make it look like yours. Search me and know me. You say that the way others will come to know you is through love.  But just so we are clear... loving people doesn't always come easy to me.  So you are going to have to do this for me. 

Please take my heart and make it look like yours. But remember...I don't like change.  Change scares me.  So be gentle...umkay?

PS - I love our little chats.  You are such a good listener.  Did I do all the talking again?

             See this picture?  Yeah you are right.  It has nothing to do with this post!  But I wanted to give you a sneak peak.  These are very special advent calendars and I can't wait to tell you about them.  I will have all the information ready by Monday so check back.