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What a year!
As workers together with God, we thank you in Jesus' name for your part in it all.
Our minds and hearts are overwhelmed as we attempt to reflect on how God has multiplied and blessed the resources and projects He has put into the hearts of His servants around the world to do. The sheer quantities are mind boggling – and we only hear "a whisper" and see "the mere edges of His ways" (Job 26:14) of His work in the lives of people of all ages and cultures – in families, communities, and nations.
To the glory of God, time and space would fail me to tell of what He has done in and through country-specific ROCKids projects this past year – from Niger to Senegal to Tanzania to a populous land in South Asia where a team of ROCK-connected workers have begun to invest their lives. For some glimpses into various ROCKids projects, you can scroll through ROCK International’s monthly updates by clicking here. As you join us in prayer, you may want to make it a monthly habit to read each new update, posted on ROCK's home page no later than the 3rd of each month.
If space permitted, we would share with you some of the heart-thrilling comments posted this last year on our KING of GLORY YouTube channel, flowing from a worldwide audience that registered 3,436,000 views in 50+ languages for an average view time of 51 minutes per click (that's 3,377 years of non-stop watch time, all in the past 365 days). And sharing such stats does not take into account what is going on other platforms and ministries through ROCK's hundreds of worldwide partners using ROCK's multi-language media tools, or what is taking place in so-called closed countries where ROCK's resources are being distributed and/or broadcast on national TV/radio stations to untold millions in their heart languages. To give one example, KoG's 52nd language, which was released this week in another Arabic dialect, is scheduled to be broadcast on the national TV station on December 24, 25, and 26 in a majority-Muslim nation in Africa.
"For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries."
(1 Corinthians 16:9)
Amid all these opportunities have been the daily challenges that we, our coworkers, and worldwide partners have faced. To illustrate, as reported in this month's update: "At least 32 new-language resources reached their finish lines in 2022" (and then we go on to name each). But what we didn’t tell you in that report was that if we average the elapsed time FROM the day an individual or a team first expressed their wish to translate and produce one of our resources in their heart language TO the release of that finished tool – the average production time works out to about 2½ years per resource. Some of these new-language tools (movies, radio series, books, audiobooks, etc.) were produced in less than a year while others involved a 6 or 7-year process. Yet simple math reveals that, on the average, in 2022, a new language tool reached the finish line every 11 days [365 ÷ 32 = 11.4].
"This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes!" (Psalm 118:23)
In wishing you a merry Christmas and blessed new year, we close with this Word:
“You shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins ...
Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name IMMANUEL,” which is translated, “God with us.” (Matthew 1:21, 23)
If asked to summarize the central story and message of the Bible in one word, what might you choose? Here is one option.
Immanuel.
Immanuel is a Hebrew name composed of two words: El [God] + Immanu [with us]. From Genesis 1 to Revelation 22, the Bible reveals the story of “God with us” and the message of what He has done to rescue us from our sins and welcome us into a relationship with Himself for time and eternity. This God-with-us theme is also central and crucial in our service for Him.
Q: After their first missionary journey (Acts 13-14), what did Paul and Barnabas report back to their sending church in Antioch?
A: Acts 14:27. "They reported all that God had done WITH them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.”
In Greek there are various words for “with”. For example, to do something WITH (en) your hands or with a tool is different from the “WITH” (meta) in the above verse. In this context, WITH infers: “in company with.”
That same word meta used in the translation of Jesus’ name Immanuel (“God WITH us”), and is the word the Lord Jesus used in concluding His Great Commission: "...and lo, I am WITH you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 1:23; 28:20).
Immanuel!
Stay encouraged in Him and WITH Him,
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