By Rankin Wilbourne, Lead Pastor

I just returned from a weeklong trip to East Asia, training house church pastors, which was an incredible privilege and honor. Revelation 1:5 says that Jesus is “the ruler of the Kings of the earth.” And in politically oppressive regimes, where persecution and imprisonment is a very clear and present reality, verses like that spring off the page.

One of the many reasons to spend time EACH YEAR on a short-term missions trip is that we are reminded the Kingdom of God is so much bigger than our little lives, our little church, our city, our nation.

Not to mention how inspiring it is to look into the eyes of men and women who are risking so much to follow our King. To an entitled generation like ours, a comfortable church like the Western church, we must be reminded by our brothers and sisters around the globe that the call to follow our Lord is a whole-life call. “Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.”

Albert Shim, at his last staff meeting before heading out with his family to Cambodia for this new chapter of ministry in their lives, told a story from Hudson Taylor. After Taylor had shared the gospel with a group over many weeks and months, one of the men said to Taylor, “This is such great news. Such important news. So urgent to know. How long have you known about this?”

“A long time,” was the reply.

“Why didn’t anyone tell us sooner?”