Tuning In to the Power of Radio

WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) – Discussing the impact Gospel ministry through radio in Asia continuously brings to more than one million listeners each year, bringing them hope in the love of Jesus.

I can’t remember the last time I owned a stand-alone radio. I remember evenings as a child, sitting on my grandfather’s lap and listening to the stories, the news and the music emanating from the speakers in that mysterious piece of furniture.

I remember hearing the choir singing “Jesus Saves” as Dr. Charles E. Fuller and the Old-Fashioned Revival Hour came onto the air. Rudy Atwood was at the piano and the Old-Fashioned Revival Hour Quartet was always ready with an inspirational song. The entire congregation singing “Heavenly Sunshine” was a treat every week.

I was once in New York listening to the uplifting music and Bible lessons aired across the entire continent from Pasadena, California.

But today, technology has lured most of us away from anything as “old-fashioned” as radio. There are just too many other things to occupy our times and our minds. Who needs radio?

People in Asia Need Radio

Radio is one of the least mentioned but most enduring ministries supported by Gospel for Asia. Gospel for Asia (GFA) has been producing and airing radio programs in Asia since 1986, speaking hope and truth into areas with extreme need.

Religious, social, and political barriers often make ministry challenging in various regions. Rough terrain can also hinder national workers from bringing aid and comfort to the residents of rural villages. Even illiteracy, which is high in many regions of Asia, can make it hard for people to learn about Christ. But a family doesn’t need to know how to read to listen to their radio, and radio broadcasts can cross treacherous terrain to share with people who are hungering for a love greater than the world can offer. Walls cannot keep this faithful messenger away, so hope-filled programs can be heard within prisons, hospitals and even brothels.

Even in the most remote areas, radio waves can bless whoever tunes in. And in Asia, it is still one of the most cost-effective tools for sharing the message of Christ’s redemptive hope. For so many people, a radio program may be their first and only exposure to the love of Jesus.

Gospel for Asia’s radio ministry supports broadcasts in more than 100 different Asian languages. Each year, more than one million listeners contact Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported radio teams to ask questions about Jesus Christ or about how to live for Him.

While many of us may consider radio a thing of the past, to those in Asia whose lives are being transformed by the hope it brings, radio is helping shape their future—even their eternal future.

Now is a good time to reflect on the global impact of radio when used by followers of Christ. It’s not time to tune out. It’s time to tune in and pray.