I had no idea how many people are hurting; no idea how many people are in need of help. I was naive, or simply turning a blind eye. They’re right there, in my day-to-day life. At my job, in my home, at my church. How many people can it be? It seems that there’s an all-out assault on the Body of Christ, and we’re sitting around taking it.
I had lunch with a friend today; I wanted to talk to her about a mutual friend of ours who has been living for the world. But we ended up talking mostly about her life and all that’s going on with her. She needed that today. And who wouldn’t? When you’re going through the fire, there’s nothing like a good friend to talk to, to let you know that it’s going to be all right and that you’re going to pull through. God’s not done with you, yet!
I was so happy to be able to speak with her today, but on the way home I began to see the vastness of this situation. Nearly everyone around me is going through a tough trial. A lot of people need our help. We have small groups at our church, and the one that meets at our house is nearly full of hurting people. There has to be a solution.
Being a missionary, I tend to associate my ministry as one being overseas-only. I’m also a volunteer in my local church, yet it’s like I’ve somehow separated that portion of my service from my “real” job. But we have to understand that America is the mission field, too. Your church is the mission field. Your job, your home, the gas station … all mission fields. There are hurting people everywhere. Can we differentiate between the folks we’re “called” to reach and the folks we’re close enough to reach?
God says we’re to reach out to those around us. I’m reminded of what Oswald J. Smith says: “The light that shines furthest, shines brightest at home.” You’re not going to be truly effective in the “uttermost parts of the earth” until you’re effective in “Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria”. You can’t have the duality of a passion for the lost souls of the nations of the world, and no remorse for the lost souls of your hometown. We have to reach out to those around us, too.
~Jonathan
June 3rd, 2007 · Permalink · Back to Top · Comments (2) · Tagged: Articles, Missions
I’m frustrated. How hard would it be for a local to do my job? How much effort would it take them to go on the street and win souls in their neighborhood, rather than me? Do I have to fly to the other side of the planet to do their job for them?
There’s one of two reactions people will make to this: either that I’m tired of being a missionary and am only looking for an out, or that it’s time to come up; it’s time for the church to do her job. For the sake of argument, I’m going to ask you to assume the latter.
Now, If I were a betting man, I’d say there’s not one place I’ve traveled where there wasn’t a plethora of churches already established. That’s okay; you have to learn missions somewhere. But the real meat of my job hasn’t been realized. I’ve not yet preached to people who have had no light available to them.
I don’t want this anymore. I can’t bring myself to take my supporters’ offerings and go to a village where there are already Christians who should be doing what I came there to do. Is there still a place for missionaries there? Yes, of course. I’m just talking about me, here. There are folks overseas in towns that are more thoroughly churched than my hometown in America and that are in the perfect will of God for their life. I’m not saying we should all pack up and move to the 10/40 window.
But what I am saying is that’s what I’m supposed to do. Sometimes frustration comes right before your time is up in a certain environment. My frustration, however, isn’t concerning my physical locale; for me, it’s a clear change in the direction of my entire ministry.
That’s not to say I’ll never go back to Thailand or Brazil or any other thoroughly-churched country, either. I don’t know when this is going to happen; I don’t think it will be tomorrow. God usually leads me way out ahead of when the time is right for me to make the jump. But He does that for a reason. It’s the same reason the frustration is there: I’m not ready for it. I’m frustrated because I know there’s a change coming up, and I haven’t done nearly enough praying for it.
~Jonathan
May 29th, 2007 · Permalink · Back to Top · Comments (0) · Tagged: Articles, Missions
Feeling skippy, I took the bus downtown to spend the afternoon in the park. I decided to bring my Bible along; I wanted to read in Revelation under the shade of my favorite Oak tree and observe the ocean of people, each minding his own business and simply trying get through the day. The bench under that Oak is the kind made of wooden slats and no back, perfect for a five-minute rest, but slightly uncomfortable for any further lounging.
Finding my book of choice, I began reading. I didn’t hesitate, I didn’t pause, I didn’t even look up. I read through the entire book in one fell swoop. I often consume entire books like that, but never before had I done so with part of the Bible, nor in a public park. I was surprised when I reached the end; the words of the book had gripped me like they never have before, sucking me into the storyline completely. I momentarily forgot where I was, for two seconds maybe. Then I heard someone call my name. I looked over to my right toward the voice. A huddled mass had just crossed the street and were now making their way to their respective destinations, and amidst the crowd stood my father.
My heart pounded; could this be real? Are my eyes deceiving me? Every ounce of sanity told me it wasn’t true, but my eyes and ears confirmed it: yes, he was real. He had to be real. But how did he find me? How did he know? It’s impossible … he couldn’t have … could he? And as I questioned, he faded and disappeared. I was torn with grief. I had been going through anxiety already because of our separation; at that time, I had been in Brazil for two months. But this pushed me over the top. I began to cry as I walked down the street, searching for something, anything. I need an Açaí.
Continue Reading This Story
March 12th, 2007 · Permalink · Back to Top · Comments (15) · Tagged: Articles, Brazil, Missions, Relationships
It came to me the other day while thinking about my relationships with God and with my parents that these three are not the only people with whom I have a close link. First of all, though, here’s how it started. Have you ever asked yourself why we choose the word “closeness” to define the strength of a relationship? Your physical adjacency actually has nothing to do with it. We “feel” close to a person with whom we have a strong relationship, regardless of their location.
It’s a very accurate expression. Two friends can be separated by a span of many miles, and yet feel close. And a husband and a wife can be separated by a single stride and yet feel as distant as those two friends. It’s not about proximity. In the spirit realm there is no distance. At least, not distance as we’re accustomed.
Continue Reading This Story
March 6th, 2007 · Permalink · Back to Top · Comments (4) · Tagged: Articles, Relationships
When I was a child, one of my favorite things was helping my dad fix stuff. He had a workshop at the house, and was always tinkering with something. But usually, the extent of my assistance was simply holding the flashlight. In hindsight, I was probably just in the way. But I thought I was the biggest helper. Dad and I fixed the toilet. Dad and I repaired the faucet. Dad and I changed the oil. No matter how small my part-to-play was, it was still both of us, collectively, who fixed it.
Continue Reading This Story
February 12th, 2007 · Permalink · Back to Top · Comments (4) · Tagged: Articles
Burn this feed.
