Missionary Martyr

Chris Leggett was killed last week in West Africa admittedly by Al Qaida for allegedly trying to convert Muslims to Christianity. I went to high school with Chris. You can read some of the articles below.

http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=217599325703&h=iG30_&u=3TJQ7&ref=mf

http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=95353935035&h=jXtjF&u=PErwg&ref=mf

http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=99135150492&h=j26ki&u=P_M8d&ref=mf

I have been convicted all week, well feeling guilty really, for not doing enough to spread the gospel to the world. In my Bible reading this week, I kept coming across this idea of abandoning those who reject the gospel. I have so many people on my prayer list to whom I have personally shared the Good News. I still pray for them because they have yet to enter into relationship with Jesus Christ. Should I abandon my prayers for their salvation and move to others who have not heard?
In 1 John 5:16, John writes that "if anyone sees his brother committing a sin that does not bring death he should ask, and God will give life to him--to those who commit sin that doesn't bring death. There is sin that brings death. I am not saying he should pray about that." While it is true that John is writing to Christians in this letter and even in this verse, he is explaining that the sin that leads to spiritual death is the sin of unbelief. John seems to be saying that those who have heard and rejected should not even be prayed for. In Acts 19:9, Luke writes that Paul was tryingto persuade people to Christ "but when some became hardened and would not believe, slandering the Way in front of the crowd, he withdrew from them . . ." and in Acts 18:6 Luke writes that Paul preached to the Jews "but when they resisted and blasphemed, he shook out his clothes and told them, 'Your blood is on your own heads! I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.' So he left there . . ."
So my question is this . . . has everyone in the Bible Belt heard the gospel? I contend that the majority of the persons in the Bible Belt have not heard the simple gospel. I am not talking about the easy gospel that many of our conservative churches have been teaching for the last 60 years.
This easy gospel that I write of is this: "If you want to go to heaven and don't want to go to hell then say this prayer . . ." Jesus never spoke the words "go to heaven" when he shared the gospel. Our society is so Mecentric (the universe revolve around me) that we have even made salvation about us. Salvation occurs so that we may give glory to God the Father and God the Son. We are a means, not the end. I do not accept salvation to go to heaven. Yes, it is a perk that I will not burn in hell and will get to enjoy Christ forever in paradise, but God's purpose for our salvation is to spread the good news on earth of God's saving us from what we deserve-hell. We are Ministers of Reconciliation and Ambassadors for Christ. We are now part of the Army of God, telling what we have seen and heard of this Christ who loved us so much that He died in our place and now wants to work and live through us-guiding us to live, act, and speak for Him. John 17:3 says that eternal life is knowing God and His Son. This is the simple gospel: we deserve to burn in hell for eternity because we are born an enemy of God. God has a perfect home where only perfect people are welcome. Our sin convicts us and God (the Judge) will sentence us to hell. In order to become a friend of God we need Someone to rescue us. God loved us so much that He sent His perfect God-Man-Son to live and die on earth. God allowed all of our sin to be piled onto Christ where he literally became sin in our place. He was punished unto death for our sin, reconciling us to God. Jesus defeated sin and death in His resurection from the grave and ascended to heaven where he waits to be united with His bride (the church). In the mean time, if we believe and commit our lives to this Christ and accept His gift of rescue, agreeing with God that we are sinners and asking for forgiveness from the Only One who can give it then we can have a relationship with the God of the heavens and the earth. Committing means that we have to be obedient. That obedience begins with falling in love with God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength and loving our neighbor as ourselves. We must attempt to reconcile our neighbors to God to allow them rescue from their eternal hellish destiny.
My rationalization with not going overseas as a missionary is that I have a wife and three children. I am a father to them. I am biblically responsible for their safety. Surely God would not call me to a dangerous, foreign land and allow me to endanger my family???? I learned last night that there is a difference between the words "rational" and "rationalizing." I rationalized in college that I that there were no absolutes (that what is wrong for one person might not be wrong for another). I realize now that that is not rational. See the differnce? My point is that I don't want to be 80 years old and look back and think that I am rationalizing not going to the world with the gospel because of danger. I don't want to look back and see that my thoughts were not rational. Chris Leggett was killed doing God's work--doing God's will. How could he be more secure and safe than in God's will? How could his children be more safe than in God's will? I am just not talking about physical safety--none of us are ever promised that--in or out of God's will. I am talking about spiritual security. Are Chris Legget's children more secure in their faith because of their daddy's faith in action? I guess the real question for me is whether or not God is calling me to foreign missions when the U.S. is the third most lost nation in the world.
Right now, I know that God has called me to NW Georgia to plant churches filled with new Christians. I have quite a target audience that have not heard the simple gospel. Lord, please guard my heart with Your Word and keep me before You and Your will. I want more than anything to be used by You and for You!

I am thankful for Chris Leggett for reminding me to persevere in the Way. He knows now that "blessed is death, since it, through the divine power, disrobes us of this workday garment, to clothe us with the wedding garment of incorruption. Blessed are those who 'sleep' in Jesus." (Charles Spurgeon)