I Will Make You a Light for the Nations, That You May Bring Salvation to the Ends of the Earth
A Global Surge of Migration Since the Mid-20th Century
Following the collapse of imperialism and colonialism in the first half of the 20th century, a new wave of migration began in the 1950s. European nations, in need of cheap labor after World War II, brought in workers from former colonies in Africa, South Asia, and Türkiye. Wealthy oil-producing nations in the Middle East also accepted unskilled workers from South and Southeast Asia. This migration extended beyond short-term labor and led to large-scale family migration, resulting in the formation of settled diaspora communities.
Rise of Refugees, Asylum Seekers, and Undocumented Migrants
In the final two decades of the 20th century, wars, famines, natural disasters, and economic collapse further increased the movement of refugees and political asylum seekers. Many of these migrants were undocumented.
In the 21st Century, Migration Has Become Broader and More Diverse
As the 21st century began, the migration trends of the late 20th century expanded and became more diverse. In 2014, migration numbers reached their highest since World War II, with about 3% of the global population classified as migrants. Though the percentage may seem small, when applied to the global population of 7.9 billion as of March 2022, it amounts to roughly 238 million migrants—likely even more in reality. Migration has now become a central issue that academia, governments, and the media can no longer overlook.
Fulfillment of Missions Through the Diaspora
Diaspora missions came to the forefront at the 3rd Lausanne Conference in 2010. The 1st and 2nd events emphasized missions to unreached people groups, led by Donald McGavran and Dr. Ralph Winter. However, at the 3rd one, Sadiri Thira from the Philippines presented diaspora missions as a major shift in modern missions, highlighting a “paradigm shift from traditional to diaspora.” Enoch Wan from Hong Kong explained the importance of diaspora missions in three distinct stages.
▪ The first stage is preaching the gospel to diaspora groups (mission TO diaspora).
▪ The second stage is when a missionary movement arises through or by the diaspora (mission THROUGH diaspora).
▪ The third stage is taking the mission beyond the diaspora to reach all nations (mission BY/BEYOND diaspora).
The diaspora, like a farmer sowing seeds with purpose, is God’s intentional plan—not a coincidence. The global mission prophesied in Acts 1:8 began as Jewish Christians were scattered as a diaspora. They preached the gospel to the Jews and Samaritans (Acts 8:1–4), and then to the Greeks, or Gentiles (Acts 11:19–26). Ultimately, the diaspora is a strategic instrument in God’s plan to spread the gospel to the ends of the earth.
》Scripture Prayer
(Matthew 28:18-20, NIV)
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
(Isaiah 49:6-8, NIV)
6 He says: “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”
7 This is what the Lord says—the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel—to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation, to the servant of rulers:“Kings will see you and stand up, princes will see and bow down, because of the Lord, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”
8 This is what the Lord says:“In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances.”
》Pray that the Word may become the Conclusion.
1. We cannot fully understand how God orchestrates global history to fulfill His plan of salvation. Though the massive wave of globalization since the mid-20th century may appear to be driven by poverty, disaster, war, or persecution, the Lord is receiving these migrants at the ends of the earth. Let us pray that the Lord will remain with immigrants, refugees, and all diaspora until they experience salvation and restoration.
2. Let us pray that churches and mission organizations, the body of Christ on earth, will see God’s missionary work with eyes of faith through Scripture and history—and obey. God uses the church as a light to the nations, spreading salvation to the ends of the earth. By allowing immigrants to move into many countries, He has made this work even more accessible. Let us pray for more churches and mission groups to rise in obedience to God’s dynamic diaspora mission.
3. The diaspora, now more than 3% of the global population, represents a vast mission resource. They have been despised, rejected, and treated as slaves—but now the Lord has saved and chosen them. Let us pray that God would protect and strengthen them, raise them as His army in the Kingdom, and give them an inheritance in lands that were once desolate.
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