Recently Global
missionary Joe Jones visited the Bronx, New York. His assignment
was to follow up the "Ground Zero" attack on America.
Crossway Christian Center had an urgent need for a tract that gave
a clear plan of salvation, and asked for our help in providing materials.
Global's Center for Evangelism and Discipleship responded overnight
by sending evangelism materials
Pastor Mark
Gergori of Crossway recently held the annual Missions Convention.
About 25 people attended a training session in preparation for a
Monday night outreach at a newly established prayer center. This
center was located at a local subway station in the Bronx. More
than half the study group showed up at six o'clock to pray and pass
out The Great Questions of Life tracts.
What a different
attitude the people of New York displayed. They received the tracts
with thanks, and some even asked for special prayer. Hundreds of
people were touched that night in spite of the near-freezing temperatures
and wind. One young lady asked for special prayer. "I'm so
afraid", she said. "I just can't seem to shake it, ever
since September 11th it's so hard to sleep."
That evening,
two girls stood waiting for a bus. One of the girls read the GQL
tract aloud to her friend until the bus arrived. As they were seated
on the bus she was still reading the lessons to the other girl.
The outcome
of all the efforts of the outreach are unknownonly time and
eternity will tell. But, we do know one. A young man named Franklin
had just joined the Navy; he was excited. One of the prayer counselors
asked him, "Do you want the prayer team to pray for you?"
"Yes," Franklin replied, "Please do." Before
we prayed for God to guide and protect him he said; "Now I
believe there's a God!" Franklin accepted Christ right there
under a street lamp with the wind and the crowd moving past him.
Yes, evangelism works, if we work to evangelize.
The clean
up phase of "Ground Zero" will end some day! Every last
scrap of iron, concrete, glass and human remains to be found will
be accounted for. But, the human tragedy, emotional and spiritual
trauma will not soon be forgotten.
Incredible
multitudes of people have been affected by this terrorist attack.
Initial estimates state that more than 700,000 people in American
and abroad have lost someone. As a result of the collapse of the
World Trade Center Towers, 15,000 children have lost a mom, dad,
brother, sister, uncle, aunt, or grandparent. These children will
never forget, and we as a church cannot afford either to forget
September 11th.
It will be
years before families are stabilized. The church must come alongside
the lost and the hurting. We cannot to tell them about Jesus. The
churches across America have a window of opportunity to reach these
souls. We have the responsibility to show them a God who loves them
and sent His Son to die for them.
George Gallop
Jr., in his recent book, "Surveying the Religious Landscape
of America" said, "The church just might be the greatest
surprise of the 21st century." What will we do with the unique
opportunity we have been given? More than ever, Global University
is helping to take the healing gospel of Jesus Christ to a world
battered and scarred by the horrendous attacks-not simply attacks
on a nation, but attacks on people.
