Fast Fact about Missions (10/40 Window)

I have been studying a course on missions in seminary this semester and the statistics on the lostness of certain parts of the world are absolutely staggering. Here are some good numbers for you to think about:

1. 25% of the World's Population has never heard the gospel and have absolutely no access to the Gospel. That is over 1.5 billion people.

2. The 10/40 Window as pictured in the image on this post contains 60% of the world's population or 3.6 billion people and include 37 of the 50 least evangelized countries on the planet.

3. The three dominant religions in this region of the world (Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism) account for the following population:
a. 1.1 Billion Muslims
b. 1.0 Billion Hindus
c. 600 Million Buddhists
d. Add that together and it totals over 75% of the total population in the 10/40 Window.

4. Although ovr 60% of the world's population live in this area of the world and a vast percentage are unreached by the Gospel, only 8% of evangelical missionaries work among them.

5. 82% of the poorest of the poor live in this area of the world.

6. Of the 2,161 people groups (or approx. 1.7 billion people in the 10/40 Window who have NO access to the gospel):
a. less than 10% have the New Testament translated into their language.
b. Less than 10% have the complete Bible translations in their language.
c. Less than 20% have the Jesus film in their language.

*these statistics were taken from lecture on the 10/40 Window

Bible Reading Plan

Church Members: don't forget to access the email that I sent today about the new bible reading sheet for the months of May - August 2009!

God hates the sin, but loves the Sinner

Below is a post recently submitted to my Old Testament class in a collaboration this past week. Here is the question as posed by the professor (in red) and then my response (in black):

The obvious theme of Psalm 2 is Yahweh’s use of “his anointed” (v. 2) to control rebellious nations. However, not all mentioned in this Psalm are pictured as rebellious and thus as objects of divine wrath. The Psalm closes on a positive note: “How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!”
Clearly, the Psalmist believes that the wicked will experience God’s wrath, not his grace. On the other hand, those who bow before him will experience blessing. In light of the Psalmist’s presentation, evaluate the statement: “God hates the sin, but loves the sinner.”

I believe that we talked about this somewhat in an earlier collaboration for Old Testament II, but I am glad to see singular treatment using the 2nd Psalm as the context. I think the previous collaboration discussion was on the equality of God's love - the thought that God loves the entirety of humanity in the same way, equally. There is a sense that in an individualistic and largely democratic society that we live in today, that the thought of equality is certainly a major factor in our idea of freedom. The Declaration of Independence declares that all men are created equal. This has been the clarion call for all disenfranchised persons in the American tradition and it has also had somewhat of an impact on our view of God's approach to the sinner and sin. We run to John 3:16 and read, "For God so loved the world..." or I John 2:2, "He is the propitiation of our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world", and then say that God LOVES the world and LOVES the sinner. God LOVES you and me. When HE was on the cross YOU were on his mind (and in our minds, there is no qualification to that thought - no limitation). Therefore, God even LOVES the unregenerate sinner. But I cannot go that far. Ephesians 2:3 states that we are by nature children of wrath - all humanity. By nature, all humanity is subject to the wrath of God. This is a holy stance against the sinner! Yes, there is an effacacious condescendence by God through Christ to the world because of God's love for the world so that he might save the elect, but God still must stand in holiness against sin and thus the sinner. God hates sin - with wrath and judgment - and the nature of the sinner is SIN. Therefore, God hates the very nature of the sinner. But this is not an EMOTIONAL hatred that we usually attach to the word in human terms. WRATH is not an emotional response from God - it is a response of holiness and according to the sake and glory of HIS NAME. This HATRED is wrought out of the perfection of God's holiness. The only people that the phrase, "God hates the sin, but loves the sinner" would apply to is the regenerate believer - not the unbeliever.

An apology is in order

I must say that an apology is in order, in regards to my complete neglect of the moore4christ blog. I have been in extreme business with school and other obligations, that I have not contributed, but I am making the commitment to make almost daily posts on this blog each week. Each week, I will have a posting in regards to the weekly scripture memory verse for the Dresden First Baptist Church and then the other days will be comments and observations of everyday life, my scholastic work (and questions posed and answered there), and the ministry.

Once again, please accept my apologies for the neglect and thank you for reading the blog.

Tuesday Night at Paris First Baptist Church

Yesterday, I had the privilege of spending time at the Paris FBC where the Tennessee Baptist Men's Chorale performed during their 2009 concert tour. As many of you may know that my dad, Tommy Moore, is a member of this choir. I must say that this was some of the finest Christian choral compositions I have ever heard and I must say that I indeed worshipped yesterday evening!

I especially like the songs "How Deep the Father's Love for Us" and "Midnight Cry". The song "Midnight Cry" almost made me a Pretribulational Premillennialist (Brother Don would like this). All joking aside, "Midnight Cry" was powerful and warming to my soul as was "How Deep the Father's Love for Us". My dad knows I have an affinity for the "celtic" style hymns.

It was also a pleasure to run into Trent Bullock again. Trent is now the pastor of First Baptist Church in Paris, TN, being elected by the church in January of 2009. I got to eat supper with him and Lori and also got to meet many of my father's compadres in the chorale. I must say that all of them are class acts. There are several other local personalities in the chorale including Barry Keithley of Second Baptist Church in Union City (and, of course, Five Seasons Men's Shop) and also Elwood Doss and Jackie Vaughan of Weakley County.

I was proud of our contingent that attended the event, and it seemed like a bus full. I am sure that they all were blessed.

Jeremiah 31 - The New Covenant

The following is a posting I made a couple of weeks ago in my Old Testament II class, that I would like to share to the church for your edification. If you have any questions, please let me know. Thanks! jtm

Perhaps the finest expression of Jeremiah’s prophetic preaching is found in 31:31-40. Jeremiah describes the new covenant as “permanent” (see especially 31:35-40). If this new covenant is “permanent,” what is its relationship to the covenant made at Sinai? Does the new covenant supplant the covenant at Sinai? Can this new covenant be broken as was the one at Sinai? Can Jeremiah’s new covenant be equated with the covenant established by Christ’s blood? Why, or why not?

Clearly, the context of Jeremiah 31:31-40 illustrates and describes a permanent, new covenant between God and His people.
First I want to quickly answer these questions and then make some observational points in more detail.

What is the relationship to the covenant here described and the covenant made at Mount Sinai? I would say that new covenant does not SUPPLANT the Mosaic Covenant, but it fulfills the covenant. In other words, the covenant made at Sinai is fulfilled ultimately in this new covenant.

Can this new covenant be broken as was the one at Sinai? No, not in an ultimate sense.

Can Jeremiah’s new covenant be equated with the covenant established by Christ’s blood? Yes, I have always equated the two in my interpretation of Jeremiah 31:31-40. I see the covenant provided by the atonement of Christ for our sins and the justification that is found in grace and through faith and repentance to be equal with the new covenant described in Jeremiah 31.

With these brief responses, I would like to make the following points of observation:

Jesus definitely represents and enacts a new covenant, one that is synonymous with the covenant described in our focal discussion. The writer of the book of Hebrews makes this plain in Hebrews Chapter 8. Starting in verse 6, “But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second.” (Hebrews 8:6-7). The writer then quotes verbatim Jeremiah 31:31-34 in Hebrews 8:8-12. Thus, it is obvious that the writer of Hebrews through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit equates the Then the writer wraps up the discussion of the covenant by saying in verse 13 of Chapter 8, ‘In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.” This verse raises the earlier questions in the issue – is the Sinai Covenant now abolished or overthrown and to be forgotten?
Since Jesus inaugurates this new covenant in his life and ministry, which is fulfilled ultimately in his death, burial, and resurrection, we need to see what Jesus said about the old covenant. Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount said in Matthew 5:17-20: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heave and earth pass away, not an iota, or a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus in this passage clearly is connecting his ministry with the old covenant in that he will be the fulfillment of that covenant. Reading the old covenant (the Law and the Prophets) is not abolished, it is fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
But what about Hebrews 8:13? The ESV translation says that the old covenant is obsolete. This at first glance seems to be synonymous with “abolished”. But I believe that this is not what the writer of Hebrews is saying. The writer is not saying that the old covenant is abolished, but that many aspects of the old covenant, heavily dependent on the sacrificial system, is now obsolete given the complete and victorious work of Christ on the cross.
Can this new covenant be broken like the old one could? The language of the new covenant in Jeremiah is totally opposite the language of the Sinaitic covenant. This new covenant illustrates a loving God actually doing the action of creating the new covenant “within” the believer. No longer is the covenant externally focused on the obedience of a nation or chosen race. This covenant is forged within the individual believer. We must be careful however to make the distinction that the Old Testament believers were not saved because of their works or in obeying the Law to the letter. Legalism has never saved. Paul in Romans 4 makes clear that even before the Law was instituted on Mt. Sinai, the righteous were saved through faith. Justification has always been through faith alone by grace alone. The difference in the Sinaitic Covenant (the best I can see it right now), is that it encompassed both the remnant of Israel (those who truly believed) and also “nation” of Israel, even including those who were unregenerate. In the new covenant, there is no distinction. In the universal church, there is no such thing as a visible church and invisible church. Yes, there are some denominations that want to place this moniker on the church, but the new covenant will NOT be broken. Once you are regenerate, once you are justified, and as you are sanctified, you will persevere to the end. Yes we are subject to sin, but we will not break the covenant.

Ye Must be Born Again

John 3:3: “Jesus answered him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.’” (ESV)

This verse opens up the famous discourse between Jesus and Nicodemus, the Pharisee. This statement by Christ in verse 3 is a truly startling revelation. We will talk about one of his other most startling statements (John 14:6) in the next blog, but I do want to highlight that in some regards, this verse is even more abrasive than 14:6. For not only are you to know who Jesus is and what he did to be saved, but one must be born again. Being born again is a requirement for true and genuine salvation. Without the new birth, there is no redemption from sins.

There is no way to fake the new birth, you are either born again or you’re not. You can’t mask your way into eternal security. You cannot pay your way into eternal life. You cannot join your way into eternal life. You cannot do enough good works to earn eternal life. You cannot deprive yourself of enough luxuries to attain eternal life. The only way you can inherit eternal life is through the new birth. As it is stated in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” In order to inherit eternal life, you must be born again.

This seems extremely basic to many of us. I mean, come on, what’s new here? I thought the same thing until election night on November 4^th, 2008. As I watched the election returns come in on CNN, something struck me. At various times throughout the evening, they would cut to Bill Schneider and Soledad O’Brien over on a “magic wall” highlighting the exit polling numbers and statistics that they were getting. At one point in the presentation, Bill Schneider was listing about 20 demographics that they were tracking in the voting. One of the demographics was “Evangelical / Born Again”. What was more startling is that they were treating this demographic (which I am proud to be a member of, by the way) as if the members of this demographic were somewhat less than erudite (i.e. polished, full of knowledge and wisdom and instruction). The effect of his words was that he and by implication the “mainstream media” and postmodern society was putting us, the evangelical / born-againers, into our little corner of the world and showing how we voted.

Friends, the world does NOT know what it means to be born again. There are literally millions of Americans walking the streets today that believe the word born again is synonymous with radical religious and Christian fundamentalism. But yet, it is the only way you can come into the Kingdom of God!

If you are reading this blog today, I want to ask you a question. Do you know that you have been born again? You MUST deal with that question. You have to take care of that before you do ANYTHING else. Are you born again? For if you are not, then you cannot enter the kingdom of God. And if you do not enter the kingdom of God, then Jesus will say to you at the last day, “Depart from me for I never knew you” (Matt. 7:23).

This is an extremely important passage in the road to conversion. We all must realize that there is but one way to eternal life, and that is through being born again, through being a new creation in Christ Jesus.