The People: “A family of nations loving God together.” After graduating from high school, I was led by God to study and train for ministry at Columbia Bible College (now Columbia International University) in Columbia, South Carolina. The four years I lived on campus were foundational for both my life and subsequent service to the Lord. I loved every day of my time at Columbia and was greatly impacted by many dedicated and wise professors. At that time, the President of the College & Seminary was Dr. Robertson McQuilkin, son of the founding President, Robert McQuilkin. Robertson was passionate about reaching the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. His chapel message were always challenging and his writings were anchored in the authority of Scripture. He believed that all those without Christ are lost. The Bible says that Jesus came “to seek and to save the lost.” Robertson penned this wake-up cry: “In a world in which nine of every ten people are lost, one of four never heard the way out, and one of every two cannot hear, the Church sleeps on. Why? Could it be we think there must be some other way? Or perhaps we don’t really care that much.”
That name is Jesus, the One who died for the sins of humanity and rose from death on the third day to prove His sacrifice at Calvary was sufficient for our forgiveness.
I remember many years ago, as a boy, I was hunting partridge with one of my brothers (I have seven brothers). The day was drawing to a close and we realized that we had become disoriented and were lost in the woods. Fear began to rise within me and together we began to run, trying to find a familiar trail to get back home. Thankfully we struck a path that was familiar and we made it out just as darkness was closing in. It is a terrible thing to be lost.
The Apostle Peter, upon being interrogated by the religious establishment of his day, responded to their concerns about the way of salvation by saying, “There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” That name is Jesus, the One who died for the sins of humanity and rose from death on the third day to prove His sacrifice at Calvary was sufficient for our forgiveness. People need the Lord. We are the mission-aries.