Missions and...Why not the and?
Missionary efforts are funded and they do work as we "Christians" are programmed to respond.
But Missionaries are now being sent from here and other countries to America. We are now the mission field needing missionaries.
If I have heard it once I have heard it too many times when pastors say, "We have adopted ministries in our cities so we cannot support other U.S. ministries.
Whoever came up with the idea that caring for lost people was only a local thing? Lost people are lost people and wherever they are, they matter to God and should matter to us.
Jerusalem, Samaria, Judea and the world is our priority. Sell out Judea and America loses in our ability to reach the world because we will predominantly be lost ourselves.
Why do local churches and leaders in America miss this?
Do we have the right to pick and choose our priorities? Jesus made it clear: Jerusalem, Samaria, Judea and the world. We do not have a release by God to pick which ones. We must invest in all of them.
Why can't we see the Word as the Word of God was intended. We have grown cold and calloused to the truth of God's Word. That grieves my spirit but not as much as it must grieve God.
If you leave out the beyond your local church in other needed areas of America, you and your church will suffer in ministry effectiveness. Do you know why? God's Spirit is grieved. Look it up and see for yourselves.
Do we have the right to fund our own ministries in our own local areas alone at risk of losing America? Oh, why not do our local thing and world thing? Why America? What will it hurt? It will hurt because God clearly addresses this issue and to not obey is the result of leading your church in disobedience. Does that bring joy? NOPE! And yet reaching Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the world always bring eternal reward, peace and joy.
When a pastor says we are just going to do our local outreach and overseas outreach they cease to be obedient ministers of God in line with the mandates of God's Word. Give up America and lose the world outreach as the end result. America needs investment ALSO in AMERICA. Can anyone see this as a priority?
I am pessimistic and saddened by the answer. I did not say negative.
posted by Bob Carder @ 12:05 AM
2 comments
2 Comments:
Hey Bob, I like your wholistic reflection on an inclusive local to far-away missional aim, "We do not have a release by God to pick... We must invest in all of them." Good words.
As in all things, God's leading is preeminent. Relationships are relationships; people are people. God cares about all of us everywhere; and He longs to connect us to one another and to His own global redemptive perspective.
The progression of local to far-away is a reasonable one considering the organic flow of relational connection. We see those directly in front of us. As we invest into them, God affords us opportunities to extend ourselves in His providential leading and power to other connections farther away. At times, He simply calls us far away to remove us from our own comfort addiction.
We have a Chicago friend who became increasingly convicted to go to Calcutta for a destiny she wasn't clear about. Eventually she simply went, unable to shake His forceful motion in her spirit. The results have been dramatic, including a multiplying missional presence in India aimed at redeeming women locked into the pervasive sex trade there. Amazing. And all because she didn't overthink her local vs. far-away priority. She was simply committed to obediently following the Spirit's leading.
Cool story that always moves me whenever I think of it. May the Lord move us toward those He seeks to redeem... both next door and those across innumerable borders in our nation and world.
Thanks for the post. Press on, brother.
John, it is always great to hear from you. I have missed your comments.
How true are your words. It all starts with praying because we want a deepening relationship Jesus and not out of duty. It continues as we begin to listen (and learn to listen) to the voice of God flowing through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is giving "rhemas" or revelations to us all the time. Our problem is - we are not taking the time to listen. We do all the talking or we do not understand how and why we pray.
When we pray and listen to the revelations of the Holy Spirit, obedience is always our next course of action.
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