for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. For it is the power of God unto salvation, to every one that believeth, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." Shalom and welcome to the Everlasting Nation broadcast, a radio ministry of International Board of Jewish Missions in Hickson, Tennessee. I am Aaron Broughton, your host for today. Adoniram Judson is often referred to as the Father of American Missions. He was born August 9, 1788 in Massachusetts. At the age of 25, Judson became the first American Protestant missionary to the country of Burma, known today as Myanmar. During his time of service, he was instrumental in translating the Bible into the Burmese language. In fact, the Judson Bible is still widely used today among the Burmese. Through years of hardship, the loss of family, and even dire imprisonment, Adoniram Judson remained faithful to the Lord's calling on his life. As a result, he was able to start many Baptist churches in Burma and was responsible in recruiting many more missionaries from America. One fact about the life of Adoniram Judson is something that most people do not know about. Judson had a great desire to reach the Jewish people with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Shortly before his death, his wife read to him a report in a publication. One of the many writings that Judson published was a tract concerning his sufferings for the cause of Christ while he was in prison in Burma. Apparently this tract made it to Germany where it was translated into Yiddish. It was then discovered by a group of Jewish people in Constantinople, which is modern-day Istanbul, in Turkey. Upon reading this tract, God moved in their hearts in a special way, and they requested that a missionary be sent to them. According to Mrs. Judson, Adoniram's eyes began to tear up when he heard this news. He confessed to his wife that his faith was small. Adoniram Judson was quoted as saying, This awes me. This is good news. When I was a young man, I prayed for the Lord to send me to the Jews in Jerusalem as a missionary. but he sent me to Burma to preach and to suffer the tortures of imprisonment. Now, because of my sufferings, God had brought some Jews in Turkey to repentance." God blessed the life of Adonaium Judson as he pioneered a special mission work in one of the most difficult areas of the world to minister. At the time of Judson's death in 1850 at the age of 60, Judson had translated the Burmese Bible. He compiled the first Burmese English Dictionary and started over 100 churches and led over 8,000 souls to the Lord Jesus Christ. He was also instrumental in starting the first National Baptist Association in America. Today, Burma has the third largest Baptist population worldwide, after the United States and India. He is still honored in Burma even today for his life and legacy among them. There is a Judson Chapel there. In fact, the Baptists there celebrate Judson Day in early July every year. Indeed, he is a beloved figure among the Baptists there in Burma. I have had the pleasure of pastoring several precious Burmese people over the years. Some of these people have been led to the Lord by other Burmese people whose descendants were touched by the life of Adoniram Judson. God blessed Judson as he simply followed the call of God on his life to reach the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. He understood that the message of the gospel needs to begin in Jerusalem. In his heart, Judson went to the Jew first. Now, do you have this heart, my friend? Are you willing to go wherever the Lord sends you, just as he did with Judson? As you go, I encourage you to have a heart for the Jewish people. They are a precious people in the sight of God, and they need to hear the gospel of their Messiah, Jesus Christ. Will you go, my friend? Will you answer the call of God for your life? I pray that your heart has been stirred upon hearing the testimony of Adonai Aram Judson and his heart for the Jewish people, even as he went to Burma. He definitely believed what God said in Genesis 12, 3, where God says that, I will bless those that bless the seed of Abraham. And indeed, Adonai Aram Judson was blessed in his life. You've been listening to The Everlasting Nation, a ministry of International Board of Jewish Missions. For more information, you can contact us at 423-876-8150 or go online to ibjm.org. Until next time, may God bless and shalom.