Three thousand years ago, David profoundly captured the essence of humanity’s sin problem in Psalm 74:20: “For the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty” (KJV). The Hebrew word for “full” means not just being physically filled with violence but also irresistibly yearning for violence and cruelty. This is the natural state of fallen humanity. No relationship is immune to our lust for violence. The psalmist here was echoing the described state of humanity just prior to the flood, which uses the same Hebrew words: “The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence” (Gen. 6:11 KJV). Likewise, just before the coming of the Son of Man, the earth will again be filled with interminable violence (Matt. 24:37).

Despite the glossy tourist brochures, unreached people groups worldwide suffer endlessly under this interminable violence. But God has not left His children without hope. We have a rescuer, Jesus Christ! John 1:5 states, “And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not” (KJV). Throughout His life and ministry, culminating in His agony in Gethsemane and death on Calvary, Jesus experienced the hatred darkness has for light. Though darkness tried to snuff it out, the Light of the world still shines today in the person of our risen Savior!

What, then, is our role? On their first missionary journey, facing rejection by the Jews, Paul and Barnabas replied: “. . . the Lord has commanded us, saying, ‘I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles, so that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth’” (Acts 13:47 NRSV). Their words echoed the prophetic pronouncement of Simeon as he blessed the infant Jesus (Luke 2:32). Simeon, in turn, was quoting Isaiah’s description of the salvation role of Israel among the nations (Isa. 49:6). Now the fulfillment of this prophecy was to be found in the work of the apostles. By extension, it continues today through our efforts in the body of Christ to rescue the unreached, bringing not only the Blessed Hope of Jesus’ future coming, but a transformation of life today!
With this in mind, AFM’s purpose for being can be summarized in three simple questions:

1) Do we believe God’s promises will always come true? Yes!
2) Do we believe that the Good News of the Kingdom will go to the ends of the earth? Yes!
3) Do we believe God’s promises will come true through us? By God’s grace, yes!

Thank you for your prayers and sacrificial support throughout this past year. As 2014 draws to a close, I pray that the glow of God’s love will continue to shine through us in ever more powerful ways among the unreached peoples of our dying world—a glow that one day soon will be overtaken by the glory of Jesus’ return!

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