[Via Youtube.com and Justin Taylor]

Tags: Jesus, Missionary Life

J.D. Greer posted "Why We Plant Churches Overseas When There is Plenty to Do Here" and to be honest, I thought it was going to be another rant against international missions. I had my guns up ready for a fight. But as it turns out I didn't have to. His explanation of why missions is so important is a thing of beauty.

"Christ is glorified not simply by the total number who worship him, but also by the fact that this number includes representatives from every tribe, language, people, and nation. Therefore, we must be making concerted efforts to see that missionaries, whether from our country or another, reach the "hidden" people who have not yet heard the gospel."

Tags: Jesus, Missions

Moving back to the states from Ireland was a difficult transition, especially because we were desperate for a car. After searching fruitlessly at the local car dealerships (too expensive) we started perusing the want ads for cars more in line with our price range (cheap) and finally stumbled across one that seemed perfect, a 2001 VW Turbo New Beetle. The car had a few minor cosmetic issues but nothing that really stood out, especially in the shadows of an outdoor garage which was where we went to look at it, at night. Common sense stepped aside for expediency on that one. Had we been thinking straight we would have taken that car to a mechanic to be examined, not purchased it with no knowledge of its history. No less than a few months after purchase we started having major issues with just about every aspect of the vehicle. Our mechanic told us time and again to sell it because we were heading for ruin and every time we shrugged and hoped that it would be fixed. Every thousand dollars we gave to him was traded for his advice to ditch the car, but we didn’t listen. Finally after a year and a half we took his advice and got rid of the demon car that nearly bankrupted us. If only we’d listened in the first place...

Living the missionary life is a lot like playing the role of life’s mechanic. Most people don’t realize that their lives, like our demon car, are really broken beyond repair. They continue to sink time, money, and emotion into something that cannot be fixed no matter how much they pour into it and yet they keep trying. Just like the mechanic, our job is to lovingly, humbly, and patiently explain that no matter what they do, they cannot repair their broken lives. At some point they need to ditch it:

Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. Luke 17:33

We Christians are prime candidates for helping people because we know what its like for the brokenness to be fixed. Just like a good mechanic tells you what’s wrong with your car, we have the opportunity to help people fix what’s wrong with their lives through Jesus. This is who we are and it is what we do; it’s what makes missions “right.”

Tags: Missions, Jesus, Missionary Life

Who gives us the “right” in being missionaries? In other words, on what authority do we leave our culture, move to a new place, preach about Jesus, call sin sin, call people to repentance, and grow churches? Living in a post-moder-esq society brought this idea to my attention especially in the current political climate as each side is claiming that the other doesn’t have the right to do or spend what they’re doing. Here we are planning on moving to Portugal and I’ve never stopped to ask why I believe we ought to.

It’s easy to assume that because we’re all Christians we should be involved in missions. But that is a foolish notion. Not everyone who calls themselves Christians believes that we have the right or the duty to be engaged in evangelism, whether in America or Europe. Some see missions as crusader-like or authoritarian but Jesus didn’t see it that way:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:18-20

Jesus claimed all authority for himself and through that authority sent his disciples to make more disciples. He sent them out.

So the first principle on the “rightness” of missions is that we go because Jesus sends. We don’t go on our own authority but on the authority of the one we call Lord.

(To be continued)

Tags: Missions, Jesus, Missionary Life

C.H. Spurgeon once penned the most accurate picture of hell I have ever read. In the “New Park Street Pulpit” October 30, 1859 he wrote:

“It is the iron crown of hell, for Christ reigneth there supreme. Not only in the dazzling brightness of heaven, but in the black impenetrable darkness of hell is his omnipotence felt, and his sovereignty acknowledged; the chains which bind damned spirits are the chains of his strength; the fires which burn are the fires of his vengeance; the burning rays that scorch through their eyeballs, and melt their very heart, are flashed from his vindictive eye. There is no power in hell besides his. The very devils show his might. He chaineth the great dragon. If he give him a temporary liberty, yet is the chain in his hand, and he can draw him back lest he go beyond his limit. Hell trembles at him. The very howlings of lost spirits are but deep bass notes of his praise . While in heaven the glorious notes shout forth his goodness; in hell the deep growlings resound his justice, and his certain victory over all his foes. Thus his empire is higher than the highest heaven, and deeper than the lowest hell.”

Can’t you just feel the weight of that truth? “The fires which burn are the fires of His vengence...” Like molten metal pounded against an anvil so Satan and his minions will wring out their punishment for all eternity for the glory, joy and praise of Jesus Christ. I long for the day when all things will be placed under the feet of Jesus and the last breath of rebellion crushed forever.

(thanks 9Marks)

Tags: Jesus