Thankful for Missionaries
Monday, November 23, 2009
by Dr. Paul Chappell
"O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth. Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people. For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens. Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. Give unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts. O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth. Say among the heathen that the LORD reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously."
Psalm 96:1-10
Missionaries are the cream of the crop of Christianity.
A few decades ago, a missionary was working hard at spreading the Gospel in China. Impressed by the advances he was making with the Chinese government, the Standard Oil Company offered the missionary a weighty sum of money to work for them in developing a branch of the company in China. The missionary promptly turned them down. Shocked, the company doubled their offer, giving him a sum of money that would draw even the strongest of people to consider the life of luxury it could offer. Again, the missionary refused the job. Puzzled, the company asked him what it was he wanted. "We can't offer you any more money." The missionary replied, "The money's not too small; the job is."
If your church is like ours, each year we have a Missions Conference. Missionaries come, meet the church family, and present their vision for their field. But do you realize what revered servants of God these people are? These people are willing to inconvenience themselves for the sake of the Gospel. These are the true heroes of the Christian faith.
God has called us all to be missionaries. He has called us all to "declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people." Yet God calls many Christians to travel to other parts of the world to spread His message to people who have never heard.
Missionaries are the cream of the crop of Christianity. Thank God that His servants are willing to face difficulty so that others can hear of salvation. As "homeland" missionaries, we should be willing to do two things for missionaries. First, and most importantly, we must pray. Each day, we should pray for missionaries. Our missionaries face situations we will never face-wars, famine, hostility, government opposition, and paganism. They need our prayers on a daily basis.
Second, our missionaries need our financial support. Without the funds of God's people, missionaries wouldn't be able to continue ministering. As our economy has downturned, the economy of many mission fields have downgraded worse than our own. It is so important that during this time of difficulty, we continue our giving to missions.
Spend time thanking God for missionaries who are traveling to the ends of the earth so people can hear of Christ. If you don't already, I would encourage you to pick up a list of missionaries from your church and begin praying for them on a daily basis. Pray for God's protection, provision, and working in their land. Never forget the great sacrifice of these heroes of the faith.
Monday, November 23, 2009
by Dr. Paul Chappell
"O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth. Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people. For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens. Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. Give unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts. O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth. Say among the heathen that the LORD reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously."
Psalm 96:1-10
Missionaries are the cream of the crop of Christianity.
A few decades ago, a missionary was working hard at spreading the Gospel in China. Impressed by the advances he was making with the Chinese government, the Standard Oil Company offered the missionary a weighty sum of money to work for them in developing a branch of the company in China. The missionary promptly turned them down. Shocked, the company doubled their offer, giving him a sum of money that would draw even the strongest of people to consider the life of luxury it could offer. Again, the missionary refused the job. Puzzled, the company asked him what it was he wanted. "We can't offer you any more money." The missionary replied, "The money's not too small; the job is."
If your church is like ours, each year we have a Missions Conference. Missionaries come, meet the church family, and present their vision for their field. But do you realize what revered servants of God these people are? These people are willing to inconvenience themselves for the sake of the Gospel. These are the true heroes of the Christian faith.
God has called us all to be missionaries. He has called us all to "declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people." Yet God calls many Christians to travel to other parts of the world to spread His message to people who have never heard.
Missionaries are the cream of the crop of Christianity. Thank God that His servants are willing to face difficulty so that others can hear of salvation. As "homeland" missionaries, we should be willing to do two things for missionaries. First, and most importantly, we must pray. Each day, we should pray for missionaries. Our missionaries face situations we will never face-wars, famine, hostility, government opposition, and paganism. They need our prayers on a daily basis.
Second, our missionaries need our financial support. Without the funds of God's people, missionaries wouldn't be able to continue ministering. As our economy has downturned, the economy of many mission fields have downgraded worse than our own. It is so important that during this time of difficulty, we continue our giving to missions.
Spend time thanking God for missionaries who are traveling to the ends of the earth so people can hear of Christ. If you don't already, I would encourage you to pick up a list of missionaries from your church and begin praying for them on a daily basis. Pray for God's protection, provision, and working in their land. Never forget the great sacrifice of these heroes of the faith.
RSS Feed
