Romans 10:13-15 tells us: "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!"
If you are saved, then at some time in your life someone told you about Christ. It may have been your parents when you were just a child; or a teacher, a coach, a minister. Someone told you the stories, shared their faith, proclaimed the Gospel. The Scripture tells us; "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." None of us were born Christian, nor did we simply dream up our faith. It is based on the foundation that goes all the way back to the garden of Eden. We are what and who we are because of the witness and nurture of brothers and sisters in the faith, from the Prophets to the Disciples to our Sunday school teachers and our Christian friends. We do not stand alone, we are all part of the One Body of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Apostle Paule wrote: "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things." When we are 'babes in Christ' we require the nurture of others. But as we grow in the faith, our responsibilities grow as well. We become the nurturers of new 'babes'. We must go forth and spread the Word as generations before did for us. We can not simply revel in the Joy of our own salvation, we must develop a burden in our hearts for the Lost. We must be the Lightbearers of the Next Millennium.
For centuries, missionaries traveled, often by foot, from city to city carrying the Light of the Gospel with them. Hand written letters were carried by courier. Yet the Gospel spread like wildfire in the ancient world. It has only been a few hundred years since the first printed books appeared (the first of which were Bibles). Christians have always been on the forefront of communication technology as they search for new ways to reach the Lost. Aviation was still in its infancy when missionaries began to fly into areas unreachable before. Radio was adopted early on, and still plays a powerful role in many areas. And of course TV (regardless of the excesses and false doctrines of days past) has powerfully proclaimed the Word to many who would have heard it no other way.
The Internet is the new frontier of mission work. The World Wide Web is becoming the communication source of a new generation. Millions surf the web. Most having little, if any, real knowledge of the true Gospel. Most have heard about Jesus, but this is not the "hearing" which the Bible speaks of. They may have 'heard' about the Babe born in Bethlehem, some may even know that this same Jesus died on a cross two thousand years ago, but what they need to hear is about the Living, Resurrected Lord, who is active NOW among His people. They need to see His Light shining in You. A hundred years ago, a missionary team would fight their way through trackless jungles to minister to a handful of men who had not yet heard the Gospel. Today, in the limitless expanse of cyber-space, a lone missionary, with a desktop, can have a thousand (or more) visits to their website in a day.
Christian Underground Ministries is leading the way into cyber-space. We are building on the foundations set by intrepid cyber-missionaries who have gone before. An awesome Christian Web is developing, giving nurture to the faithful and bringing the Body together in fellowship across denominational lines. But with the growth of the Christian Web comes the danger of segregation. Who surfs the Christian Web? Christians. Very few are lost. Of course some seekers find their way onto Christian sites, but most have already had seeds planted in their lives and are searching for more. If we are to impact the Internet in a real way we must be prepared to leave the well traveled road, and head out into the Jungle. It is time to leave the 99 and seek the sheep that is lost.
This is not only true of the Internet, but also in our Churches. Many are unwilling to seek the Lost of our world. They are content converting those of rival denominations. Baptists try to get Presbyterians 'saved' , Pentecostals try to convince Baptists to get 'filled with the Spirit'. We are so busy fighting each other, and trying to prove our own dogmas, we don't have time for the Lost. Most Churches would freak if a young cyber-punk with tatoos and pierced nose (among other things) walked into their Church. But why would he walk in? No one is going to ask him in. They are not out looking for that type of new convert. None of their 'outreach' programs reach out to him. Didn't Jesus say ALL THE WORLD and EVERY CREATURE ?
The Christian Web is in danger of the same fate. Denominational arguments flare up in chat rooms, brothers and sisters fight over dogma, stomping on 'babes' and seekers who dare ask the wrong question at the wrong time. If you have been in the rooms you know what i mean. i have often followed some wounded soul, after they have left a room, to try and heal the damage caused by some well meaning dogmatic crusaders. With all the millions of lost souls surfing the net we are often too busy flaming each other to notice.
Across the Net, and in the World, it is time to show 'em Jesus and Get 'em saved. Time is short. The fields are ripe to harvest, and the Lord is calling His workers. There is no time for us to be arguing about methods of reaping, we need to be about our work. Let's get to the harvest !!! Let the Lord of the Harvest judge who is most productive. Use the gifts the Lord has given you and Shine Your Light ! He has called you to ALL THE WORLD. Share the Gospel: at home, at work, in school, on the street corner, in the subway, on the web, every where you go in every way you can. We must become "all things to all people that some might be saved". Christian Underground Ministries is here to help you in any way we can.
Over the next few weeks in the underground newsletter we will be sharing the lives and ministries of some great servants of GOD. From CORE Ministries planting churches in India to Pastor Brett and eXtreem Faith, we will highlight cutting edge ministries making a difference in our world. We will also post these testimonials in a special section on the Web Site. If you want to receive the newsletter just e-mail me and ask to be added to the list. We would also love to hear your testimony. Send it to me and i'll post it on the site.
Now go out there and Storm the Web for Jesus !