I interviewed NFL legend Bill Glass and founder of the Bill Glass Prison Ministries in January and I asked him what his greatest achievement was. He was an All American football star in college, All Pro in the NFL, played in a Super Bowl (and his team won), he raised a beautiful God fearing family, graduated college and seminary, founded the Bill Glass Prison Ministries 40 years ago (and over a million have come to know Christ through it since its inception).
So with all of that and more, what does he consider to be his greatest achievement? His answer surprised me. I thought he would point to the million, but instead he said that he feels his greatest accomplishment was training hundreds of thousands of laymen to lead others to Christ.
Prior to every Bill Glass event there is a freshman training session for those new volunteers who have never personally led anyone to Christ. Once these teammates are trained they will typically individually lead a dozen or so men and women inmates to Christ during the course of a weekend event. It is a very rewarding experience and one that they will never forget. In fact when they get back to their homes they will use this training to witness to family members, friends, folks in their church, and others whom they encounter in casual contact throughout their lives.
Bill’s ministry is responsible for training hundreds of thousands of disciples for Christ. Just imagine for a moment how many people these disciples will lead to Christ during the course of their lifetimes. Exponentially it will result in many millions. When he gets to heaven Bill will need a new glorified body in order to have enough stamina to shake all of the hands of those grateful to him for establishing such a disciple oriented ministry that helped plant the seeds that sprouted in their lives.
All four of the Gospels command us to “Go therefore and make disciples of all of the nations”. I met yesterday with a pastor who is likewise fulfilling this commandment. He’s moved to Scotland and is training ministers to evangelize that nation. He told me that in the United States polls reveal that only 40% of our population say they would be receptive to possibly attending a church function. In Scotland it is much worse and over 90% say they would NOT attend a church related function under any circumstance and only single digits would be receptive. He said that Scotland has almost completely turned its back on God. As a result alcoholism, drug addiction, violence, prostitution, and hopeless desperation abound. Scotland has one of the highest suicide rates in the world.
It seems odd to me that he is in Scotland as a missionary. Haiti, Rwanda, Ethiopia, China, Somalia, Cuba, yes, but Scotland? I would never have guessed that apocalypse had struck that seemingly venerable society with such a vengeance.
What about the 60% of those who would not attend a church related function under any circumstance right here in the USA?
That is disturbing. It is obvious that the world needs evangelism in the worst way. Scotland’s moral demise is an indicator of what happens when a society turns its back on God. If God takes His hand off someone or even an entire country bad things happen.
We’ve started a worldwide ministry and one of our basic tenants is to make disciples out of men and women in an effort to do our part to fulfill God’s great commission, (“Go therefore and make disciples of all of the nations”).
It is obvious to me that this mission field is enormous and apocalypse is a worldwide problem. I might get overwhelmed just thinking about the enormity of this project were not for the last part of God’s command to take action; namely He assures us that He is with us and will remain so to the end, and that my friends is all of the encouragement that I need.
Matt. 28:19
Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations,baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”