[I have been actively working to try to expand and engage my circle of influence.  I wanted to share with you today some news from a mission field where the true gospel is outlawed.  For safety, I intentionally left out the name of my friend and the country he is in.]

I got a newsletter from one of my great friends who is doing some unbelievable ministry behind enemy lines.  My buddy is actually teaching at secular university in a communist country.  He raises his own support to go, but the university has invited him to come back for the past three years.  He uses this teaching assignment to build bridges to the gospel…bridges that are otherwise non-existent in this communist country.

So what is he teaching?  Business?  Economics?  No.  He is teaching: New Testament, Bible, Writings of Paul, etc.  How in the world would they allow this?  Not only do they allow it, they beg for it.  Why?  Because the communists in that country want what they have seen as prosperity in the West.  I know in our economic times today this may be hard to swallow, but we are still viewed as a very prosperous country.  They link our prosperity with Christian values.  They don’t want the cross, mind you, but they want what comes economically with Christian ethics.

Now (possibly temporarily) the door is wide open for my friend to boldly proclaim the truth.  It is true there are scoffers and those who ridicule from their atheistic perches.  But no one is telling my friend to leave.  So he keeps teaching…the truth…behind enemy lines.  And there are those who are tuning in.  There are seekers.  They are asking questions.  They are pondering the ramifications of the truth…the gospel.  Consider this one student:

One student recently came by my office with her Bible in hand.  I had assigned only a few chapters from Genesis, but she could not stop reading.  Mesmerized by His Word, she wanted to know more about this God.  So, I spent two hours answering her questions about His justice and mercy.

And the reach of this ministry could not be greater.  Read this excerpt from his newsletter:

Our young brother “Jacob” continues to mature in wonderful ways.  He came to faith just last year, but he is already taking a leadership role in his house church [this would be an underground church since natives are not allowed to practice evangelical Christianity]. He is a brilliant science major, and the faculty have groomed him for doctoral study.  As a research scientist or professor, his Christian influence could ripple throughout this culture for generations.  God is fulfilling the vision for our mission: evangelize the nation by evangelizing its leaders!

That is awesome!  My friend is doing this in a communist country.  Why are we not more proactive in using our gifts to evangelize our circles of influence in this free nation?  Come on laborers!  The harvest is ready!