Missions Moment

On another thread today, a couple of us mentioned how we feel that the end times are very close. I thought I'd start a new thread for a related discussion...that of the need to support missions efforts.

(Wanting to see if there was any correlation between liberal theology and missions work, I recently looked into the claims of a few denominations. I wasn't surprised. Of 4 liberal denominations that support gay marriage and abortion, the "best" one only had 63 missionaries in the field. For them, I guess social justice is more important than present and eternal life. Compare that to the Assemblies of God, with over 2700 overseas missionaries in 2009.)

While I hold all missionaries in high regard, the majority serve in areas that have had access to the gospel for hundreds, if not thousands of years. The vast minority serve in the really tough places, flying under the radar in areas where Islam or Hinduism dominate, sometimes violently.

Because I feel that the end times are nigh, I personally feel that we need to increase our support of those missionaries in the unreached areas. (Take a look at the map at www.joshuaproject.net/maps/google. Wait a few seconds for it to fully load.) My church has always been missions-minded and supportive. But I'm close to asking the leadership team to take a look at our "portfolio." Some of our missionaries are friends of the last pastor and we haven't seen them in a decade or longer. There just isn't any connection.

Do any of you guys have experience or thoughts on the reallocation of missions re$ource$?

I wrote several paragraphs but deleted them. It's God's work and what I think is not often God's ways. I have family that are Missionaries. My calling is Royal Ranger Ministry. I work it like a full time job.

My hope is God will be pleased with my efforts here. When I see things that I don't really appreciate so much it's best for me to give it to God and let Him deal with it.

The minority you spoke of are few and far between and are often outside the will of the organization. The majority are inside the will of the organization and are struggling to find churches and people who will support them in their efforts.

Pray about it and do something good.

Mark's Brevity shows Wisdom.

JoeCool, I both agree and disagree with your premise.

Missionaries can be a good way of "taking the temperature" of a church or organization.  It shows that there is a percentage of persons who have the fire to witness for the Lord.

But there can be denominations that "witness, just to witness".  The easiest examples can be seen in the Jehovah's Witnesses or the LDS Church.  Are they true preachers of God's word, or just doing it in order to be missionaries?

We support the Gideons. I know that many, many of their Bibles go into the trash or the back of the desk drawer, but SOME find fertile ground, and reach persons who would not be reached, otherwise.

Personally, I REALLY like Christian Medical Missions, like Operation Blessing Medical.  For a couple of hundred dollars, they can fix a child that has a clef lip, or cataracts.  For a bit more, they can fix a crippled arm or leg.  There are numerous stories of entire families in Thailand or Cambodia who became Christians, because of the love shown for their handicapped child.

And, even if the family did not become Christians, I cannot see that God would be displeased with our donations that allowed a crippled child to walk, see, or speak.

Claymore wrote:
Personally, I REALLY like Christian Medical Missions, like Operation Blessing Medical.  For a couple of hundred dollars, they can fix a child that has a clef lip, or cataracts.  For a bit more, they can fix a crippled arm or leg.  There are numerous stories of entire families in Thailand or Cambodia who became Christians, because of the love shown for their handicapped child.

And, even if the family did not become Christians, I cannot see that God would be displeased with our donations that allowed a crippled child to walk, see, or speak.

Amen to that


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