The Gospel Changes Everything

(First appeared in SIM Niger Newsletter, November 2015)

We live in a world permeated by an evil that has invaded and corrupted every aspect of life, leaving mankind separated from the Creator and hopelessly trapped as slaves to sin. This evil has infected the world and now the world is part of the evil system. The Gospel is the only way out. It changes everything. The Gospel is the most powerful force in the world and we have it!

No one should live and die without the opportunity to hear the message that delivers us from this terrible, pervasive evil. And yet there are over 17 million people in Niger who are doing just that. People are born, grow up fearing the worst, attempt to appease the anger of the One who holds the key to death and life and in the end die having unwittingly served to perpetuate the reign of evil to the next generation. On and on it goes. Only the Gospel of God’s love through Jesus can break the cycle of bondage. The Gospel changes everything and we have it.

This is the reason that we spend years away from our passport countries and away from our families. Simply put, we believe that in our hands has been placed a way to escape the corrupting evil in this world. We have been healed by it ourselves and we are sent here to share this message with the people of Niger.

At the heart of all the endeavors of SIM Niger—before anything else—we make disciples of Jesus. We confront barriers and when the last barrier is overcome, people come to faith in Christ and that changes everything. We introduce the Savior. We walk with people into a new life apart from the domination of evil. As they grow in this new freedom, their lives touch other lives and again barriers are confronted. When the last barriers come down, more people step into the light and the evil is pushed back further.

The Gospel is the greatest force in the world. It reverses the curse. It changes everything and we have it. But the truth is this message is not well known in the country of Niger. Millions here are living and dying without it. Jesus said, “Go, make disciples.” That is all He had to say. That’s why we are here—to make disciples where He is least known.

Yours in Christ,

Steve