Pastor Jackie sharing the gospel in French.

A key goal of Global Media Outreach is to share Christ’s message in the top internet languages: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese (Mandarin), Japanese, Russian, Arabic, Italian, German, and Swedish. Over 80% of internet communication is in one of these languages. Our hope is to reach even more people in their primary or secondary languages. Since we’ve seen such a great response from using video on the internet, our ministry is trusting God to provide committed and telegenic people to present in each of these languages. (For a some languages, this also means finding a native speaker who won’t be put at risk by being identified as a Christian on the internet.)

Recording and editing video in a foreign languages is an interesting and challenging experience. For the French videos, I could pick out maybe one out of every twenty words Jackie spoke — mostly ones that were similar in English. I had to rely upon my French-speaking coworker to operate the teleprompter and make sure my directions — “sit up, straighten your shirt, and smile” — were sufficiently communicated.
As GMO’s sole videographer, I’m hoping that God will give me opportunities to record the other languages in the near future. I’ve already recorded some videos in Spanish and Arabic, but not the full number we need. While this could bring some new adventures my way, and let me meet more truly neat people like Jackie, the most important outcome is allowing more people to hear the gospel.

Would you please pray that GMO could soon complete this translation process? Pray that God would bring us the right people to do presentations in each language. I’ve said it many times, but it’s very true: there are many times each week that I can sense, in a way that’s difficult to put into words, that people are praying for me, my work, and the ministry of GMO. I sincerely and humbly thank you for your prayers. And I ask that you continue to pray that God would give me provision, guidance, strength, and resolve in pursuing His will.

These words — God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life — summarize the powerful and true motivation for the gospel story. It points to God’s heart for all of humanity, His desire to liberate each person from the consequences of rebellion and restore them to the glory of being fully alive in Him. God’s plan, driven by the unfathomable depth of His love, is about victory, redemption, healing, wholeness — a spiritual and, someday, physical return to the intimate paradise of Eden.

Talking about “God’s love” and a “wonderful plan” affirms the nature of God and connects to the longing in every heart… somehow, there’s got to be more to life than this. Yet we must be clear how “wonderful” is truly defined, both for our sake and for those who need the gospel. “Wonderful,” according to the dictionary, means “excellent; great; marvelous; of a sort that causes or arouses wonder; amazing; astonishing.” Genuinely understanding the wonderfulness of God’s plan means that we must see it spiritually, through the revealing work of the Holy Spirit. In awe, we humble our hearts and accept, then proclaim, the gift of salvation.

Can it be said that God has a “wonderful plan” for every single person? What about a person suffering a painful disease? The countless victims of natural disasters? AIDS orphans in Africa? Martyrs? If I knew a person would die a horrific death tomorrow, could I tell them today that God has a wonderful plan for their life? Absolutely “yes.”

The Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 1:5 that “God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.” The moment a person decides to trust Christ, he or she is destined for heaven. By following Christ and living a life filled with the Holy Spirit we can receive the power, grace, love, and direction to live in this world. Yet bad things still happen, even to the most faithful believer. When we choose to put things into the eternal perspective, we realize that nothing that happens to us in this life can make God’s plan any less than marvelously, astonishingly wonderful.

The plan that God offers each person is woven like a thread in the rich tapestry of His master work to redeem all of Creation. Continuing in Ephesians 1:10, Paul reveals God’s endgame strategy: “At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ — everything in heaven and on earth. Furthermore, because we  are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.” The adjective “wonderful” seems insufficient — as if human language could ever adequately describe God’s plan.

In Matthew 28:19-20, the Great Commission, Jesus Christ gives his followers the task of evangelism and discipleship. Specifically, in verse 20, Jesus instructs us to “Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.” Jesus’ commands are instructions on living an eternal lifestyle in the realities of His Kingdom, in both the present and future; through obedience a person experiences the fullness of God’s love and power. And, of course, one of Jesus’ commands is the Great Commission – His Kingdom grows through continuous cycles.

In nature, virtually every plant produces fruit with seeds containing the potential to grow into more plants. Similarly, spiritual fruit bears spiritual seeds: evangelism results in discipleship, and discipleship results in more evangelism. I’m excited and blessed to be a part of what God is doing through internet evangelism, yet I’m really, really excited by the opportunities He’s given us for internet-enabled discipleship.

If God continues to bless GMO’s evangelism efforts, we’re likely to see well over 2 million indicated decisions for Christ this year (we’ve already seen 545,123 in the first quarter)! Imagine if just 5% of the people we might reach in 2008 are “good soil” – a humble guess, since only God knows the real number. That’s over 100,000 people this year who, being equipped through effective discipleship, could go out and share the seed of the gospel with even more people!

Discipleship brings “spiritual multiplication” – exponential increases in the people hearing and responding to the gospel. And God has been increasing GMO’s evangelistic response exponentially. This is why I steadfastly believe that God may use the internet as a tool to multiply these two exponential factors together to fulfill the Great Commission. While we cannot reach everyone through digital technologies, but we can reach the connected and equip them to reach the un-connected.

In 1 Corinthians 3:6 (NIV), Paul writes, “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.” We are currently planting many seeds through internet evangelism. Many of those that “sprout” will ideally be “watered” in the context of a local church body – though there are still many ways that God can use our online ministry as a growth factor. Yet there may be a number of people for whom our internet ministry is both the planter and the waterer, at least for a season. Above all else, regardless of people or process, it is God alone who causes good soil to produce good fruit.

I’ve wondered for a while if internet ministry may be giving Google to much focus.  Google may have the largest audience of any web audience, so it’s natural to think about how it can be leveraged for our mission. But if we’re trying to reach everyone… what about the other search engines and portals?

Consider this: Yahoo! may have a larger presence with some key groups we’d want to reach than Google. I came across this post from Hitwise [via TechCrunch] that gives credibility to my thought.

The top left quadrant shows that Yahoo! excels with demographics that weould want to be reaching. In addition, Yahoo! tends to reach a younger audience.

I’m not saying that Google isn’t a major consideration in web ministry. Only that it’s probably not going to reach some audiences we’d like to reach as well as Yahoo! and, perhaps, other web portals.

In my own experience, about two-thirds of the messages are easy: the person simply indicated their spiritual decision, and I can use a standard, pre-written responses. Other message may contain a comment or question I need to respond to more directly. Sometimes these are relatively straightforward, while others require more thought and a detailed response from Scripture. In any case, my hope is that the person I’m communicating with will write back and so I can further help them.

Some recent emails we’ve received have said:

I want to experience the fullness of the spirit. I want to accept forgiveness of sins and settle with God. How can I stay free from sin? — Lagos

I am a sinner and dishonest with everyone in my life, I lie and cheat. Is there any forgiveness from the Lord for the horrible way I have treated others?” — Massachusetts, USA

Does God love a sinner like me? Does God get tired of helping sinners? I wish God can change my ruin and sinful life and make a miracle in my life. I life now a miserable, full of questions, sorrowful, and meaningless life. I just can’t fight temptation. I hope you pray for me! — Philippines

I want to change my life. I want to receive Jesus Christ into my heart. — India

All I know is all that I’ve tried to do so far isn’t working and I need God. — Washington, USA

You, too, can join GMO as an online missionary. The basic requirements are simple: internet access and a sincere desire to help people find and grow in their relationship with God. GMO also provides basic training and regular coaching to help each volunteer. This is a very urgent need: in 2007, GMO responded to over 257,000 emails, and we’re believing that God could soon double this number.

One of my coworkers recently shared this note from Sharon in Nebraska, an online missionary and one of his ministry partners:

This has been some of the most rewarding work. I never dreamed that I would be answering questions and giving Biblical counsel to people over the internet… never in a million years! Biblical counseling is answering questions or comments, for the most part, with Scripture. It has really kept me on my toes, and my knees. I’m being blessed by this ministry. It’s hard to tell just how many people are helped, but there is a reward when someone says, “Thank you for caring.”

Being an online missionary only takes a small part of your day — you can answer emails anytime. I want to encourage you to consider joining our efforts. You’ll get to see firsthand what God is doing around the world. To apply as an online missionary, go to www.gmojoinus.com.

Yours in Christ,

As Christ-followers we’re a part of another economy: the economy of heaven, which is 180-degrees opposite of earthly markets. Where else but in heavens economy do you lose in order to gain? (See John 12:25) The reality is that someday all that constitutes the world’s economy will be gone, but heaven’s economy lasts for eternity. And in this economy, there are no recessions or downturns! With that perspective, Jesus gives us the best investment advice ever: “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be”(Matthew 6:19-21 NLT).

What we know about the world’s economy influences both our attitudes and actions. How much more then for heaven’s economy? In the world’s economy, a person exchanges his or her labors for money that can then be used for both the necessities and luxuries of life. In heaven’s economy, we can exchange our labor and finances for eternal reward.

When it comes to the Great Commission, I believe two things are clear. First, no one can come to Christ apart from the Holy Spirit. Second, no one can hear the gospel unless we tell them. I don’t fully understand this equation, and indeed this is the subject of much theological debate. Yet like so many of God’s mysterious ways, He gets the glory and we get the benefit.

In 1 Corinthians 3:12-15, Paul is speaking of believers when he writes, “If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.” The “foundation” he speaks of is the gospel of Christ. Accepting the gospel and believing in Christ gets us into heaven — and that’s an incredible truth in itself. The work being tested here, the only work that’s of any value in the economy of heaven, is the work of sharing the gospel with others. The “quality” of that work is seen in our motivations, our attitudes, and our results.

I see the realities of heaven’s economy at work every day through Global Media Outreach. A total of 1.3 million people indicated a first-time or recommitment decision for Christ in 2007 — a 280% increase from the year before. In faith, we’re expecting an even bigger harvest this year. Our bottom line is this: God uses money that people invest in our ministry to populate heaven with people who have heard His message and responded to His love. And that’s the true reward for the people who partner with me in ministry.

Thanks again for your prayers and support.

Yours in Christ,

One million is a big number… and a small one. It represents a tremendous response for online evangelism, and yet is just a sliver of what we believe is possible. It’s a great return on investment for a team of 23 staff and a few hundred volunteers, but is only one example of the many wonderful things God is doing around the world.

An “indicated decision” means that someone has clicked a web link saying they have trusted Christ for the first time, or made a recommitment. Whenever I talk about GMO’s results, I apply the “Parable of the Sower” (Matthew 13). As we see people respond, only God knows the true intent of their heart. In some cases the seed of the gospel has fallen on “hard” soil, will be choked out by weeds, or otherwise perish. But we can trust in faith that, yes, that some decisions will represent “good” soil where the seed of the gospel will grow and multiply.

One example of good soil is Ayanda, a young woman from Africa who visited a GMO web site:

“I have recently made the decision to follow Jesus Christ. I don’t remember in all my life a time when I’ve felt this good. It’s a bit difficult especially with the life I used to lead, but I read new scriptures everyday to help me grow in faith. I think I came very close to self destructing, but I’m happy that God has shown me the way in time, and saved me from myself.

“I’m so hungry for the Word and all I want is to get closer to God and obey him and speak, walk and live by faith. I’m grateful for this website because it just shows how many people out there serve this living God. It feels amazing to be part of this righteous family.”

In the Old Testament, God promised Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky (Genesis 22:17). This was, of course, an allegory for the unimaginable numbers who would become “spiritual children” of Abraham through faith in Christ.

Abraham could have never comprehended the fullness of God’s plan to bring His promise to reality — and honestly, neither can we. Yet it’s truly exciting to be living in an age where God is bringing so many people to himself in so many ways, online and in person. The one million plus decisions we’ll see this year are part of a much larger harvest taking place today, and the first fruits of what will be reaped in years to come.

Thank you for joining in the harvest with me.

Yours In Christ,

The last few weeks have been packed — so much so that my October update is coming to you in November. Two weeks ago I visited our Silicon Valley office to shoot some video with the new equipment I mentioned in my last prayer letter. Our tools functioned well and I realized I wasn’t as “rusty” as I feared. However, it’s become clear that our process needs a lot of refinement.

We recorded several clips that will be used on the upcoming iChristianLife.com. I also shot 13 new gospel presentations intended to reach people with specific interests or needed. I’ve been involved in producing a fair amount of video, yet this is the first time I’ve had the privilege of recording material that God could directly use to bring someone into a relationship with Himself.

Two days after returning from California I headed for Austin, Texas. I spent a few days last week in training for the software tools we’re using on iChristianLife. Put simply, we’ll be using a system that will allow us to follow a person from the time they indicate a decision through the basic levels of discipleship. It’s really not that much different than what we’d be doing if we met a person face-to-face rather than online.

At some point this week GMO expects to see the 1 millionth indicated decision for 2007. This means that we’ve our faith goal for the year has been realized – and there are still several weeks left to go! This is a truly exciting indication of what God is doing through our ministry — and to Him alone is the glory!

Though we haven’t done any actual production yet (that starts next week), getting back to my video production roots has been gratifying. I’m really excited about the potential for the videos we’ll be creating to reach people via the internet and other means. GMO has already seen a tremendous response from a simple, 60-second online video explaining how to become a Christian.

When I was in grad school ten years ago (gasp!) there was a lot of talk about the “convergence” between the internet and other media — especially television. Yet only in the last 18 months has internet video emerged as a truly viable option. Sites like YouTube.com have enabled anyone with a digital video camera to create and share online. And multiple media players, like the iPod, let people download video and watch it anywhere. While most internet video is entertainment, these technological advances are creating new opportunities for us in evangelism and discipleship.

Whether online or in other formats, GMO’s use of video will be very strategic in sharing Christ’s message. Though internet users are basically literate, written words may not be the most effective way to communicate with them. Many cultures have strong oral traditions that rely on story telling and other verbal means to communicate information and ideas. Even in the U.S and other highly literate cultures, many people respond better to sight and sound than written word. The bottom line: a three-minute video on the internet is likely to be more effective at communicating a spiritual concept than a page of text.

Increasing the use of video on GMO’s web sites means we must also find the best way to bring it to the 1.3 billion internet users around the world. That’s why I’ve also been researching various methods available to us for distributing internet video. Simply put, delivering text and graphics on a web page requires a row boat; video content, by comparison, comes via an ocean freighter. So as I’ve been applying what I know about video production, I’ve also been learning a whole new set of terms and concepts we need to complete the solution.

One significant way we’ll be using internet video is iChristianLife.com, GMO’s forthcoming discipleship web site. My involvement with this project is going to be increasing considerably in the next couple of months — I’ll also be working with the “relationship management” tools and other technologies we’ll be using to disciple people online.

Please make iChristianLife a specific prayer focus for the next few months. Pray that our video production would go well, and that God would supernaturally guide and protect our steps in creating this new ministry tool.

Yours In Christ,

Trusting God to provide financial resources also builds the spiritual qualities I need for ministry. As I see God provide the funds I need to live on, how much more am I able to trust Him in reaching the lost? Over and over, God has shown me the importance of my relationship with Him in pursuing the ministry He’s given me. And few things encourage one’s dependence on God like finances!

My time away from the office has also been good for reflecting on my ministry experiences and future ambitions. God has helped me to recognize that one of my greatest challenges in ministry doesn’t come in the form of finances, hardened hearts, or even software bugs. Rather, my biggest hurdle is simply yet completely walking and serving in the power of the Holy Spirit. In retrospect, I can honestly say that much of the frustration and angst I’ve experienced in ministry has originated with, or been amplified by, my failure to do rely on God’s power. Looking forward, the picture is very disturbing without my increased attention to this fact: any work not done in the power of the Holy Spirit is doomed to failure.

Quite simply, you can’t expect to do something for God — living a Christ-like life or sharing the gospel — without earnestly and sincerely relying on God. Ephesians 2:10 says God “has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” And just how are we going to do this? Through “the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him… the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead…” (1:19-20).

Practically speaking, my ministry role requires both technical expertise and creative skills. It’s a huge temptation for me to fall back on my own abilities to produce “passable” results. But when I am working in the power of the Holy Spirit, I find myself accomplishing things I’d never imagined I could. And the process is much more enjoyable, too. As Ephesians 3:20 says, “[God] is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” That’s an incredible thought to this big-thinking guy working in a ministry with an incredible vision.

Yours in Christ,