Isaiah 9:7 states "Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end…" This verse, of course, is part of a longer section that speaks prophetically of the Lord Jesus. What catches the attention here is that the author is not saying that Christ's government will have no end, though that is true. He is stating that there will be no end to the increase of His government. His rule, His dominion will increase forever. Whatever implications this may have for eternity, its application to us now is one of great encouragement.

The church of Jesus Christ continues to grow, continues to extend into new territories and new lives ceaselessly. This has been true throughout history and is true today. There have been times of great advance and there have been periods where the advance was slower, but there has never been a time when Christ's Kingdom has not been advancing, growing, increasing. The advance of His Kingdom encounters resistance. In areas the Good News of His benevolent Kingship is held back. Messengers are turned away, rejected, beaten or even killed. Nevertheless, His Kingdom continues to grow, year upon year, region by region, life by life.

This reminds one of Priscilla Leonard's moving poem, "The Tide is Sure to Win":

On the far reef the breakers recoil in shattered foam,
    While still the sea behind them urges its forces home.
Its song of triumph surges o'er all the thunderous din:
    The wave may break in failure, But, the tide is sure to win!

The reef is strong and cruel upon its jagged wall.
    One wave, a score, a hundred, broken and beaten, fall.
Yet in defeat they conquer, the sea comes flooding in,
    Wave upon wave is routed, But, the tide is sure to win!

Oh! Mighty sea, thy message in clanging spray is cast.
    Within God's plan of progress it matters not at last
How wide the shores of evil, How strong the reefs of sin.
    The wave may be defeated, But, the tide is sure to win!

The town of Santa Maria de Valle is an example. With a population of 3500, it sits in the geographical center of the Jalisco Highlands and is part of the county of Arandas. There is no Christian church or Bible study in this town, but the extension of Christ's message and Kingdom is beginning to impact this town. Consider these happenings:

• The Jesus film, presenting the life of Christ from the Gospel of Luke, was shown in the main plaza of this town one year ago. This was the first time a public event for the announcing of the Gospel had ever taken place there.
• Francisco Miranda, a successful rancher who was born in Santa Maria and came to Christ several years ago, regularly loans his large ranch in Santa Maria for Christian outreaches. Recently, he offered 25 acres for a conference ground on the edge of town. He also showed us a piece of property one block off the main plaza which he has reserved for many years to be donated to a congregation that the Lord raises up in there.
• Radio Encounter has proposed establishing in the Highlands a Christian radio station, and the ideal spot for a small station appears to be Santa Maria del Valle. A group of believers from the area are soon to meet to consider the possibility of taking the next step in this project.
• While attending a meeting at Francisco's ranch, we spoke to lady about Christ and found her very open to the Gospel. She had been reading a Bible, had many questions and has been receiving the Word like a sponge. We have been able to follow her up, and a couple is spending this weekend with her family, at their invitation, to explain more about the Good News.
• A couple from St. Louis, Missouri, Juan and Pat Guerra, came to see the Highlands with the intent of moving here as church planters. They visited several cities, towns and villages, but were most impressed with the open doors in Santa Maria del Valle. While walking the streets there, they made friends with a family who invited them to their home for a birthday party! Juan is an Hispanic who retired from the military some years back. He has started and owned his own business and he and his wife have planted a church among Spanish-speakers in the US. They have rented a home in Santa Maria and hope to be living there by the beginning of February.

• Only 20 minutes away is San Miguel El Alto, with 28,000 people, where one young family struggles to see the Good News take root there.
• Jalostotitlan, 45 minutes from Santa Maria, population 28,000, has no Christian church. Carlos, the young man in San Miguel, is starting a Bible study there.
• 30 minutes south, in San Ignacio Cerro Gordo, population 9,500, three families are meeting in a small Bible study which they hope will blossom into a functioning congregation.
• Yahualica, Valle de Guadalupe, Mexticacan, Villa Hidalgo, Uni_n de San Antonio, San Julian, San Diego de Alejandria, Pegueros and hundreds of others - towns, cities and entire counties - are still among the desolate communities of the Jalisco Highlands, unreached with the Good News.

Please join us in praying that the Lord of the Harvest would send forth laborers to this section of His harvest.

Steve and Linda Montgomery