“He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.” —Matthew 11:1
An Amazing Fact: By the year 1800, fewer than six percent of America’s five million citizens lived in towns with more than 2,500 people. But today, over 80 percent of its 330 million souls live in cities.
Over the years, I have experienced my fair share of large cities. I was raised in L.A., Miami, and New York. I’ve also been to nearly every capital city in North America and a majority of the world’s giant cities—Beijing, London, Moscow, Madrid, Mexico City, New Delhi, Paris, Shanghai, Seoul, Sydney, Tokyo … just to name a few.
But with all of the congestion, noise, confusion, and chaos, I try to avoid being in these huge urban areas for long.
This is the reason I first ran away from home. I fled from a noisy city to the tranquil mountains. I still love “God’s country.” So you might wonder—if I dislike cities so much, why have I been living on the fringes of California’s capital for 25 years?
It’s simple: Cities are where most of the people are … and I love people. I love them because Jesus loves them so much that He suffered and died to save them. So we urgently need to reach the millions of lost souls who are perishing in sin-sick urban areas.
Do you remember when God called Jonah to preach in Nineveh, the Assyrian capital? At first, the reluctant prophet ran away. But after an unpleasant detour in a fish, Jonah finally obeyed and preached in that “exceedingly great city.”
The result of Jonah’s evangelistic meetings brought on such a tremendous reformation, the entire city was saved from imminent destruction. In much the same way, I believe that in these last days, God has called Amazing Facts to bring salvation to cities … and we can’t run from the call!
METRO Mission 2020
Why are cities such hotbeds of evil? Most people in the world are lost, and the Bible says that the unconverted heart “is desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9). So wherever there is a concentration of sinners, there will be a concentration of sin.
The good news is that “where sin abounded, grace abounded much more” (Romans 5:20). And reaching the lost in the cities is the example of our Savior and Lord: “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also” (Luke 4:43).
Jesus went to the cities, and so must we!
That’s why in the last half of 2020, Amazing Facts is launching a mega-sized outreach initiative called METRO Mission 2020. METRO stands for Metropolitan Evangelism, Training, Revival and Outreach.
Our plan to reach the big cities for Jesus will combine every tool in the Amazing Facts evangelism arsenal, but we need you to help make it all happen. There are four facets to METRO Mission 2020: Distribute, Demonstrate, Declare, and Disciple. Let me briefly explain each step …
Step 1: Distribute. The plan’s centerpiece is to spread present truth like “the leaves of autumn” to the teeming masses in the cities of America and beyond. To do this, we are preparing our most effective sharing magazines and documentaries in formats that can be easily mass-mailed to millions of homes. These mailings will direct people to a special evangelistic program in the fall called Countdown to Eternity.
Step 2: Demonstrate. Next, we’ll provide enthusiastic believers, like you, with Bible study resources, online training, and AFCOE seminars showing how they can be involved in seed-sowing in their cities and neighborhoods. Step-by-step, we offer practical instruction on how they can develop interests and invite friends and family to participate in Countdown.
Step 3: Declare. Next, we’ll proclaim the complete three angels’ messages through the compelling, 20-part evangelistic series, which I will present live this fall from the new Amazing Facts W.O.R.D. Center. Countdown will be broadcast to cities and churches around the world on satellite, Internet, social media, cell phones—everywhere possible!
Step 4: Disciple. Jesus’ great commission is to make disciples of every nation and people. So not only will we proclaim present truth, but we will also disciple the new believers into a deeper spiritual experience and teach them how they can share their faith too. Each new believer will receive an invitation to join a local congregation and to enroll in our AFCOE online and Bible School courses.
To make METRO Mission 2020 possible, Amazing Facts has already stepped out in faith—planning and moving forward to prepare and print the materials that will be mass shipped to homes across the country and purchase additional media time for the promotion and broadcast of the Countdown meetings. The Lord has laid it on our hearts to reach the “exceedingly great” cities, but we can only do this with your prayers and financial support. We’re expecting Him to work a miracle through loving souls like you!
Here’s the Plan
We’re starting this August by offering the truth-packed Final Events of Bible Prophecy magazine on every media outlet—as a gift—to begin reaching the masses. We’ll also make it affordable for you, your church, and local business owners to illuminate every home in your neighborhoods with God’s truth. These magazines can be given out door to door or even mailed to the neighborhoods in your city.
Let me stress: METRO Mission 2020 is not limited to America. People in every city need to hear about Jesus. Rajeev writes from New Delhi, India: “I learned a lot about Jesus and the Bible through your course. I’ve decided to join the church by baptism. I’m a Hindu, but I want to become a part of Jesus’ remnant church.” Stories like this one are repeated hundreds of times in our office every month!
That’s why I’m asking you to support our multimedia ministry today and month by month until this work is done. In these chaotic times, what’s more important than for us to proclaim the gospel as clearly, widely, and boldly as possible? Whether you can send $50, $100, or $250, know that your gift this month will be used to share Christ in the most effective ways possible—from the biggest cities to the most desolate places.
Finally, there is one massive city that I am planning to move to—the beautiful New Jerusalem, a spectacular place without pollution or crime and populated by the redeemed! But if you and I want to be in that glorious city then, we need to show our love for Christ now by bringing salvation to the people in the cities of this dying world.
So I ask you, from my heart, please give generously to Amazing Facts and METRO Mission 2020 today and in the months to come.
Yours for winning entire cities to Christ,
Pastor Doug Batchelor
President, Amazing Facts International