On the surface, it was depressing. On the surface, it was depressing. We visited one European city after another whose spiritual climate is darkening, whose church buildings have been converted into museums or mosques, whose existing churches are aging and unable to fill their sanctuaries. The fire of Anabaptism that swept Europe 500 years ago barely seems to have an impact today.

I was with a group of intercessors from Africa, Asia, and the American continents who had gathered to pray for Europe. We prayed as a whole group and as six different teams who traveled to various countries and locations. We recalled how the Moravians had fostered a 24/7 prayer movement that lasted for 100 years. We cried out to God to reignite the flames that once burned so brightly and sent thousands of European missionaries to carry the message of Jesus to the ends of the earth.

While it’s true that the church in Europe is in serious decline (and yes, we’re on a similar path here in America, though not as far along in the decline), it’s also true that the fire from Europe years ago spread globally so that today, vibrant fellowships of believers around the world are sending missionaries back to Europe. This “prayer drive” that I was part of was a small expression of this.

This brings me to the deeper reality, which is far from depressing: the gospel is advancing with power around the globe. Only 50 years ago, an estimated 200 million people were followers of Jesus (one in 20 globally), and most lived in Europe and North America. Today, there are an estimated one billion followers of Jesus (one in eight globally)! And it’s probably no surprise that the majority live outside of Europe and North America.

50 years ago, 60 percent of the world’s people lived in nearly total isolation from the gospel; virtually no believers lived among them. Today, only 25 percent of the world’s people live in such isolation.

Of course, there’s still much to do—and that’s why Rosedale International continues to send workers to some of the people groups in this last 25 percent. It’s hard work, and we don’t always see an immediate “return on investment.” But I am inspired by the amazing fruit, planted and tended to through the sacrifices of earlier generations, that is only now becoming obvious. What future fruit will come from the current labor of our faithful servants on the field?

As this year draws to a close, I invite you to invest in the greatest cause on earth: bringing Jesus to the world, and the world to Jesus.