Blessed Friday. We’re seriously thankful that you’ve joined The Commission, and hope the Lord’s used it in your life in some small way. For some of us on the team, 2024 has been calmer than previous years. And yet for so many others it’s been just the opposite. So, would you join us in praying Isaiah 26:3 for this coming year? 

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”

In today’s edition:

• What God imprinted on David’s heart in 2024

• Afghans are getting baptized everywhere

• The mission needs fuel

❤️‍🩹 On my heart after a hard year

2024 has been a hard year. I won’t go into all the specific ways it’s been hard, and even as I write this, I realize that many of you have experienced far harder days in 2024 than I can begin to fathom. But for anyone who’s had a hard year in any way, I simply want to encourage you with three truths that God has gently imprinted on my heart amidst the hardship in deeper ways than I have ever experienced before.

First, his Word is good. It’s so, so good. I could write for days of all the mornings when I woke up needing to hear a Word from God, and the Holy Spirit spoke to me so clearly, so powerfully, and so personally through my Bible reading that day. So many days, I found myself journaling, saying, “This is amazing! This is exactly what I needed to hear! Thank you, God, for speaking to me!” Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that I’ve woken up to personal revival every day this year. But I am saying that I really don’t know how I would have gotten through this year standing without God’s Word each morning.

Second, his purposes are good. This fallen world is filled with circumstances that are hard and hurtful, frustrating and confusing. But I have seen God’s sovereignty over all things. The God we worship has the power to take that which is broken and miraculously make it beautiful in his time. The God we serve has the power to take even what people intend for evil and turn it for good in our lives. How awesome is that? And how comforting is that? To know that nothing can happen to me apart from the God who promises to work all things (meaning everything, even the hardest things) together for the good of those who love him and are personally called and cared for by him.

Finally, God is the goal. If the goal of my life this last year was to be at ease in this world, with circumstances the way I wanted them, then this year was a failure. But if the goal of my life this last year was to know more of the glory of God and become more like the Son of God, then even hard days have helped me toward that goal. Actually, I should rephrase that. Hard days have helped me tremendously toward that goal. And God is the highest and greatest goal. For he is the One who reigns over this fallen world and guarantees all who trust in him a future world where he will wipe every tear from our eyes, we will be with him, he will be with us, and hard days will be no more.

I don’t know how hard (or easy) your 2024 may have been. And I obviously don’t know how hard (or easy) any of our 2025s might be. But I want to encourage you as we close 2024 and start 2025:

Spend time with God’s Spirit listening to God’s Word each day like your life depends on it. Because it does. 

Take comfort, knowing that whatever has happened and whatever may happen, you know the God who is always working for your good. Always.

Ultimately, keep your eyes fixed on God as your goal. If the Lord tarries and gives you and me life, may we experience deeper intimacy with him in 2025 than we’ve ever experienced before, no matter what this world brings our way.

— David Platt

🇦🇫 Afghans are getting baptized everywhere

After the fall of Afghanistan into the hands of the Taliban, most Christians and church leaders were relocated outside of Afghanistan. Radical works with an organization that develops online content for these displaced Christians as well as Christians who remain in Afghanistan. 

The content is developed by mature and competent leaders with experience leading Afghan churches. They use targeted social media, multiple podcasts, online women’s ministry, and a discipleship program to reach out to and follow up with seekers and new believers in Afghanistan.

In 2023, they recorded that they were in gospel follow-up conversations with over 6,000 Afghans around the globe. Hundreds of them have been baptized in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, the U.S., Brazil, and Canada. 

How To Pray: Pray that God continues to make this work fruitful. That hundreds, if not thousands of Afghans’ eyes are opened to the true gospel of Christ and, regardless of their current circumstances, they come to know Jesus to be enough. Pray that this organization can broaden its reach, however slow or difficult it may become due to persecution.

🤲🏼 There’s potential, but few resources

Have you ever stopped to think what a miracle it is for us to have the Bible, God’s Word, available to us in our own language? That we’re able to read it, listen to it, and have access to it whenever we want?

Sadly, that’s not the case for everyone. 

Aahan and his wife live in an unreached community in India. They were given a copy of the New Testament that, while reading it, stirred their hearts with curiosity. Through the ministry of a believing neighbor, who bore witness to them of what they had already been reading in that book, they came to faith in the Lord.

Now, as a gospel leader in training, Aahan hopes to record an audio Bible in his native language. He’s driven by his community’s prevalent illiteracy and recognizes the transformative power of the Bible in conveying the message of faith.

Just like Aahan, there are many other believers in hard-to-reach places with potential for leadership, but most of all, a heart for Jesus and his people. They need resources to further the gospel and nurture healthy, sustainable, multiplying, national churches.

As we each consider how we can work to get the gospel to all nations, we may not all be called to go overseas, but we can all consider helping believers who are already overseas or planning to go. 

In 2025, we have the opportunity to support 10,000 gospel leaders to make Jesus known in hard-to-reach places and engage 30 million people with gospel truth. If we work together, we can support more people like Aahan to become gospel leaders.

But this can’t happen without you.

Your giving directly fuels this mission. These gospel leaders are ready to go, but they need the Church’s support to make Jesus known. 

We are working to raise an additional $500,000 by the end of this year. And by God’s grace, through the generosity of others in the Radical family, from now until the end of the year, every gift will be doubled to help us make Jesus known around the world in 2025!

Let’s make Jesus known together, knowing multitudes of lives depend on hearing the good news of Jesus. Give today to make an eternal impact.

📍 Attention Worthy

• While spreading the gospel is always valuable and needed, getting the gospel to the unreached requires more concentrated attention. Mark Dever urges us to consider the “fourth lane” of missions and how pastors and churches can participate in this work.

• Alan Shlemon explains how the Quran gets crucifixion wrong, and why false ideas are the greatest obstacles to the true gospel. 

• For those who feel that Jesus may welcome others but their sin is too great, there’s good news. Dane Ortlund reminds us of one thing Jesus will never ever do.

THIS WEEK’S COLLABORATORS:

Selah Lipsey, Steven Morales, Jairo Namnún, David Platt, Camille Suazo

MAKE YOUR LIFE COUNT!