Daily Topic for May 11, 2007
Imagine Abraham’s situation. He was 100 years old, with a wife of 90, and God told them they were going to have a son! The circumstances were certainly hopeless from a human standpoint. Yet, “he did not waver through unbelief…but was strengthened in his faith, and gave glory to God” (v. 20). The task of penetrating nearly 10,000 unreached people groups may seem impossible to some. But God has clearly promised to redeem men and women from every nation, people and tongue.
Pray that the Holy Spirit will make us strong in our faith, and bring glory to Christ as we trust in His promises.
The Zapotecs, the largest indigenous people group cluster of Mexico, live primarily in the southern state of Oaxaca. This people group, however, reaches across much of Mexico. The number today is 300,000 to 400,000 once you have combined all the subgroups.
When the Spanish first arrived in Mexico in the 1500s, they set about to convert the indigenous peoples to Roman Catholicism. Rather than abandoning their own religion, many Zapotecs simply combined it with the new religion in a way that does not allow for the lordship of Jesus. Today, most Zapotecs profess Roman Catholicism, but belief in spirits and myths still persist. Zapotecs claim that they originated from trees, rocks and even jaguars.
Many Zapotecs are among the poorest of Mexico’s citizens. The primary sources of income are farming and various crafts such as pottery and weaving. Many still speak only their native language, not Spanish.
Learn more at joshuaproject.netPray especially for the Tejalapan subgroup, which remains unreached. Pray for audio helps such as gospel cassettes, Christian radio and the JESUS Film in the Tejalapan dialect. Pray that they will allow Christ to set them free from paralyzing fear and bondage, and make them alive in Him.-MH
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