ABIDING FRUIT IN MISSIONS!

With Dr. John H. Musser – Missions Strategist

You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you. (John 15:16)

Today was a special day for me in blessing my memory and encouraging my heart in praise to my God for a work accomplished over 27 years ago! Never did I imagine this would happen. It’s a total surprise from the Lord!

I got some pictures of a library we sent via container to northern Nigeria that was used by hundreds of pastors and Christian leaders in Kano State. I was told that leaders came from three other countries to visit and spend time at the Library.

Preparing the Container

Getting the container ready took months of work. I remember God’s people giving us the best Christian books you could find anywhere. I packed many of them myself. When I saw the pictures, I remember some commentaries and very rare old Christian classics from my own library.

Reaching gateway countries through Christian libraries – a powerful Missions strategy!

Part of a strategy GRM employed years ago with outstanding success was called GATEWAY COUNTRY LIBRARIES with two major locations and this was one of them. A powerful missions strategy that exceeded our dreams.

We would place a very expensive Christian library in a region that accesses one or more strategic nations within the 10/40 window. Then we would, in time, link up with hidden native leaders. The library became a safe meeting place and also a strategy room. We began to support and equip leaders who were reaching the last of the Stone Age people of Kano and even cannibal tribes deep in southern Sudan.  We have many stories of how this library was like a magnet to great leaders of leaders. In this region Christian books were like gold. Twenty seven years ago a Strong’s Concordance would cost a leader the equivalent of seventy US dollars. They could never afford one!

A portion of the library moves to Abuja State, Nigeria – The Fruit abides!

After all these years, we have just learned that a portion of this library was taken to Abuja State, Nigeria due to the unrest of Kano. It’s been in an Isis like stronghold for many years. It’s one of the most persecuted places on the planet for Christians. You won’t hear this on the news.

Then today I got some picture via Facebook from a past employee and co-worker in the gospel.  The very person who helped take the books off the container and still watches over this library. Leaders are still being blessed by this material sent by GRM with the help of God’s people almost three decades ago. I wonder how many sermons have been preached and books written with the aid of these books.

One day we will get a surprise in heaven!

I think some of us will really be surprised in heaven. People will run up to us and say thank you for reaching me with the gospel and we might say, “How did we help you?” And they will share how an evangelist who was blessed by the library was preaching, resulting in the family coming to Christ.

Do you think such conversation will occur in heaven? Yes I do. One leader from Nigeria told me that he took a book from what we sent him and made hundreds of sermons from it and preached in campaigns as an evangelist. To my knowledge, after 27 years he is still preaching in crusades. Praise God when we sow in good soil, we see a return on the harvest some thirty, sixty, and one hundred fold.

Consider providing Bibles in an unreached area today!

Would you like to sow into Urdu Bibles? We need hundreds for new converts in Pakistan. We can buy them for around $7 a volume for both Old and New Testaments. We need hundreds of Bibles, but they are given one by one, so a gift of any size will help.