Participants: John Bradshaw
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW001375A
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00:01 [theme music] It has stood the test of time.
00:12 God's book, the Bible; still relevant in today's 00:18 complex world. It Is Written, 00:25 sharing hope around the globe. 00:29 [music] 01:04 The uttermost part of the earth seems like 01:07 an appropriate way to describe Mongolia, 01:10 sandwiched between China and Siberia. 01:14 The capital of Mongolia is Ulaanbaatar. 01:17 In the 13th century Mongolia ruled a fifth of the world's 01:22 land area and a quarter of the world's population. 01:29 Bold Batsukh was one of the first Mongolians 01:32 to become a Christian minister after the fall 01:35 of communism, and today he's passionate 01:38 about sharing Jesus with the people of Mongolia. 02:17 [John Bradshaw] Mongolians are proud of 02:21 their heritage and of the fact that at one time 02:24 they pretty well ruled the world. 02:26 But Mongolia has broken with its past in many ways. 02:32 So what kind of future is Mongolia looking toward? 02:36 You could answer that from a variety of angles. 02:39 You could talk about education and economics 02:42 and politics and a hundred other things. 02:45 But in terms of the Bible, what sort of future 02:49 is Mongolia looking toward, in terms of what 02:53 matters most? How is Mongolia doing 02:56 in terms of faith in God? 03:22 [John Bradshaw] Elbert Kuhn is a 03:26 South American missionary who spent 10 years 03:29 living in Mongolia. 03:54 [John Bradshaw] About 40% of Mongolia's 03:59 three million inhabitants are non-religious, secular. 04:05 A little more than half are Buddhist, 04:08 Tibetan Buddhist. Of the remaining 9%, 04:11 a third are Muslim, about the same amount 04:15 practice shamanism, which is a Mongolian folk religion, 04:19 and a smaller amount are Christian. 04:24 [music] About two and a half percent 04:28 of Mongolians are Christians. Or to put it another way, 04:33 Mongolia is 97.5 percent non-Christian. 04:39 [music] 05:11 [John Bradshaw] Do you think God 05:19 is satisfied with any country being two 05:22 and a half percent Christian? Is that really God's plan? 05:26 Now, for some perspective, per capita there are less 05:30 Christians in Mongolia today than there are 05:34 in Saudi Arabia. Official statistics say 05:37 there are more Christians in North Korea than there are 05:40 in Mongolia. Again, there are more than 05:44 likely more Christians per capita in Iraq than 05:48 there are here in Mongolia. Now, Saudi Arabia and 05:52 North Korea are extremely challenging places to 05:55 share the Gospel. But not Mongolia. 05:58 Now, while Christianity in Mongolia doesn't enjoy 06:01 the same privileges or the same operating structure 06:05 as, say, the United States or the Caribbean or 06:08 the South Pacific, Christianity does 06:11 operate here. Churches do exist here. 06:14 Churches do grow here in Mongolia. And they are 06:18 growing--at least for now. [music] 06:33 In 1989 there were four Christians in all 06:37 of Mongolia. Today there are around 06:40 50,000 in Mongolia who call themselves Christian. 06:44 That's impressive growth in one sense. 06:47 But that means there are still 2,950,000 non-Christians 06:53 in Mongolia, a large amount of whom are entirely 06:56 non-religious. No religious faith 06:59 whatsoever. There's simply very little 07:03 knowledge of Christianity in Mongolia. 07:20 [John Bradshaw] I'll show you 07:25 what I mean. I wanted to find out just 07:28 what people here believe. 07:31 Who were David and Goliath? 07:43 What was Noah's ark? 07:53 Who were Cain and Abel? 07:59 What can you tell me about the Bible? 08:12 You will see church buildings here in Ulaanbaatar. 08:15 But this isn't Mississippi. You won't see a cross 08:18 or a steeple on every street corner. 08:21 However, there are churches. But the church hasn't 08:24 made real inroads here. And according to the Bible, 08:28 somehow or other Mongolians will all be 08:31 given an opportunity to know Jesus. 08:35 In Matthew 24:14 Jesus said, 08:38 "And this Gospel of the kingdom shall be 08:40 preached in all the world, for a witness unto all 08:42 nations, and then shall the end come." 08:46 Now, if we're to take Jesus at his word, 08:48 what that means is that He's not going to come back 08:51 to this world until everybody in the world, 08:53 including Mongolia, has heard the good news. 08:57 Now, we know Jesus is going to come back. 08:59 Which means people all across this great nation, 09:02 Mongolia, are going to hear the Good News. 09:05 And you can be part of making that happen. 09:08 I'll tell you more in just a moment. 09:11 Announcer: "Every Word" is a one-minute, 09:13 Bible-based, daily devotional presented 09:15 by Pastor John Bradshaw and designed especially 09:18 for busy people like you. Look for "Every Word" 09:21 on selected networks, or watch it online 09:24 every day on our website, itiswritten.com. 09:29 [Rythmic Melody] 09:36 JB: Do you believe today that God can transform a life? 09:39 Listen to what the Apostle Paul wrote in I Timothy 1:15. 09:42 He says, "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all 09:45 acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save 09:48 sinners; of whom I am chief." Now, this is the converted Paul 09:53 writing, but he writes with a deep sense of his unworthiness. 09:56 He knows where he's been and what he's capable of, and how 09:59 he's persecuted the church and opposed the God of heaven. 10:02 He recognizes that he is chief of sinners. 10:05 But this is the same Paul who raised Eutychus from the dead, 10:08 who survived a shipwreck and a poisonous snake bite 10:10 and being stoned. This chief of sinners became a 10:13 great leader among God's people. That's what God can do 10:17 in a life. That's what God can do 10:19 in your life. I'm John Bradshaw for 10:22 It Is Written. Let's live today by every word. 10:25 [Rythmic music] 10:29 [Serious Musical Strain] Mongolia is not only remote, 10:32 but it's cold. The average mean 10:35 temperature is zero degrees Celsius, 10:40 - 32 Fahrenheit. That's right. 10:42 The annual mean temperature in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia 10:47 is freezing. The summers are warm 10:51 but they're short. This river, 10:54 the Tuul River, which flows through 10:56 Ulaanbaatar, is frozen for five months out of the year. 10:59 When the weather turns cold here, 11:02 it does so with a vengeance. 11:05 [music] Noyon Taiwanbat 11:10 is a farmer in rural Mongolia. 11:13 The day we met, it was minus 10 degrees 11:15 Fahrenheit. Almost 24 degrees 11:19 below zero Celsius. How do you keep 11:23 warm out here? What do you wear 11:25 to keep warm in the cold? 11:33 How cold does it get out here? 11:46 Eight hundred years ago, Genghis Khan would have 11:49 lived in something much like this. 11:51 One-room gers are still common in Mongolia. 11:55 And even in the capitol city, Ulaanbaatar. 11:58 Why is it that you live out here in 12:02 the country while your family lives in town? 12:19 [music] Ulaanbaatar has grown 12:22 dramatically over the last decade. 12:25 The city was designed for half a million people. 12:29 But today there's a million and a half 12:31 people here. Traffic is a nightmare, 12:35 pollution is absolutely terrible. 12:39 And there's grinding poverty in Ulaanbaatar. 12:47 According to a report in the UB Post newspaper, 12:50 the average Mongolian was earning in 12:52 the year 2013 less than $350 a month. 12:57 Now, that's the average, so you know there are 13:00 a lot of people earning a whole lot less 13:02 than that. People living in urban 13:05 ger communities are eight times more 13:07 likely to live in poverty than those living 13:10 in apartment buildings. Ger dwellers work 13:12 more often in construction and manufacturing, 13:15 while the apartment dwellers are more likely to work 13:18 in white-collar jobs. During winter, it takes 13:22 a lot of money simply for people to be able 13:24 to heat their homes. So how much does 13:27 a person in this community earn in a month, 13:30 and how much of that would they spend on 13:32 heating their home? 14:03 [music] Mongolia is a country 14:06 steeped in rich and often violent history. 14:11 Even in recent history political upheaval dominates. 14:15 Following the Mongolian democratic revolution 14:18 in 1990, and the collapse of the communist regime, 14:22 religious and personal freedoms increased, 14:25 but the standard of living for ordinary Mongolians 14:28 decreased significantly. 15:35 I met Josue Orellana, the director of an NGO 15:39 dedicated to improving the health and welfare 15:42 of the Mongolian people. And the task he's facing 15:46 is no easy battle. 16:14 While Mongolia is leaving its past behind, 16:17 it's surging toward an undefined future. 16:21 The question is, will that future include God? 16:26 Now, let's remember, Jesus said that we're 16:29 to go to the uttermost parts of the earth. 16:31 And before he returns to this earth, 16:33 the Gospel will go to every corner of the planet. 16:37 The people of this country must hear the Gospel. 16:40 And in order for that to happen, it's going 16:43 to take resources and personnel. 16:46 And you can help make that happen. 16:48 As you support Mission Mongolia, 16:51 you'll make it possible for the Word of God 16:52 to reach people here in Mongolia who otherwise 16:55 would not be reached. To support Mission Mongolia, 17:00 I want to encourage you to call 1-800-253-3000. 17:05 That's 1-800-253-3000. Call now, and whatever 17:11 you give will be used to share the Gospel 17:14 of Jesus Christ. 1-800-253-3000. 17:18 Or you can write to It Is Written, P O Box 6, 17:21 Chattanooga, Tennessee 37401. 17:25 Or you can support online at itiswritten.com. 17:31 [music] Things in Mongolia 17:41 are changing dramatically. Especially in Ulaanbaatar. 17:47 Historically, Mongolians have been a nomadic people. 17:50 But Western-style prosperity and Western culture 17:54 has recently flooded into Ulaanbaatar. 17:57 Here you'll find fashion stores, billboards with 18:00 glamorous European models gazing down 18:03 on Mongolians. And American fast food 18:07 has also arrived. It's this Westernization, 18:13 coupled with ever increasing urbanization, 18:16 that's driving the change. 18:51 Od Altankhuyag is a Mongolian 18:53 television personality. He spent time living abroad 18:56 and recently returned to his home 18:58 in Ulaanbaatar. He's seen firsthand 19:01 the negative impact that Western culture 19:03 is having on the Mongolian people. 19:47 And it's not just the culture that's suffering 19:49 as a result of this Western shift. 19:52 Now, when it comes to health, the average Mongolian can 19:55 expect to live around 69 years. 19:58 Now, that's longer than in Papua, New Guinea, or in 20:01 Uzbekistan. But only just. 20:05 Bangladeshis live longer than Mongolians. 20:08 So do Solomon Islanders. The leading cause of death 20:12 in Mongolia is stroke. The second leading 20:15 cause is liver cancer. In fact, Mongolia has 20:19 the highest incidence of liver cancer in 20:22 the world. It also has the world's 20:24 second highest incidence of stomach cancer, 20:26 and the third highest rate of esophageal cancer. 21:44 So with all these immense changes 21:46 Mongolia is experiencing, where does that leave God? 21:52 The mining industry is bringing a lot 21:54 of wealth into Mongolia. Mining is so big 21:57 the country is being referred to as Mine-golia. 22:01 So where does that leave Mongolia's future? 22:05 Well, typically, a measure of prosperity sees people 22:07 turn further from God rather than closer to him. 22:12 Which means the door may well be closing for 22:14 the Gospel in Mongolia. Now, let's remember. 22:20 Jesus said we are to go to the uttermost 22:23 parts of the earth. And before he returns 22:26 to this earth, the Gospel will go to every corner 22:29 of the planet. Everyone is going 22:32 to hear the Good News, even here in Mongolia. 24:12 It Is Written's Mission Mongolia 24:14 is bringing the Good News of Jesus Christ to the people 24:17 of Mongolia. People here must be 24:20 reached, and they are being reached 24:23 with Mission Mongolia. People are having their 24:27 health needs met. Those who need clothing 24:30 to protect themselves against the brutally 24:32 cold winter are being helped also. 24:36 And your support makes this happen. 24:40 Your support of Mission Mongolia 24:42 will bring the Gospel to more Mongolians 24:44 than ever before. 25:10 [music] 25:39 Your support of Mission Mongolia 25:41 will make it possible for It Is Written 25:44 to send teams of missionaries to Mongolia, to share 25:46 the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Doctors, nurses 25:49 and other medical workers will minister to those 25:52 needing medical attention. Bibles are needed 25:56 in the Mongolian language. And your help will make 25:58 it possible for people to own their very own Bible 26:01 for the first time, and learn of Jesus. 26:05 Other humanitarian needs will also be met, 26:08 as Mission Mongolia provides for many people 26:11 who are being left behind by a society relentlessly 26:15 rushing forward. Don't leave Mongolians 26:18 in the dark. Your help will make 26:21 it possible for Mission Mongolia 26:23 to introduce people to Jesus. 26:27 Call now, 1-800-253-3000. 26:31 That's 1-800-253-3000, to support 26:35 Mission Mongolia. Or visit us online at 26:39 www.itiswritten.com. Or you can support 26:44 this work or learn more about it by writing to 26:46 It Is Written, P O Box 6, 26:49 Chattanooga, Tennessee 37401. 26:55 I'm grateful you've joined me today. 26:57 Let's take a moment to pray together. 26:59 Our Father in heaven, what an enormous mission 27:02 field is still before us; 97 and a half percent 27:06 of the people in this nation, Mongolia, don't know Jesus. 27:10 There is a work to do, and thank you for calling 27:13 us to be part of this work. I pray, Lord, that you'll 27:16 allow us to be mission-minded and to care about those 27:20 who don't know you, whether they're in Mongolia 27:22 or across the street or in our home. 27:26 Bless us, Lord, bless Mission Mongolia, 27:28 we pray. We thank you in Jesus' name, 27:32 Amen. [music] 27:49 I look forward to seeing you again next time. 27:51 Until then, remember, it is written, 27:54 man shall not live by bread alone, 27:57 but by every word that proceeds from 28:00 the mouth of God. 28:04 [theme music] |
Revised 2015-09-14