An Email from A Missionary

This is an email from a friend of a friend, but I wanted to share it with you all as we think about International Missions and our Lottie Moon offering!

Merry Christmas 2009

I have returned to the thick of things in the office in these past weeks.  The overwhelming theme that continues to permeate everything that we are doing is where we can cut the budget.  Where can we find a little more money so that we are able to have funds for ministry?

My task this week was to purchase a vehicle for a new missionary family.  I planned for it last year and had budgeted enough for the task based on the value of the dollar last year.  The issue is the dollar is no longer worth as much and when converted to the local currency, I did not have enough money.  No big deal.  This is God’s domain.  He has it figured out while we stand around pondering what to do.

So, the car salesman comes in and begins to tell me about all the bells and whistles on each of the vehicles, and I permit him to go through his pitch.  When he finishes, I thank him and explain that this is the amount of money that I have to work with, and I know that your prices are higher than that, but would you be willing to negotiate?  I think the definition of car salesman is the same no matter in what culture they are found, and we began the negotiations. J

But as we completed the negotiations, the conversation turned in a spiritual direction.  It began that evening at the car dealership and continued the next day in my office.  He wants to come back from time to time to discuss “spiritual matters.”  When I completed with the car salesman, I then journeyed down to the bank to look for our funds that had been transferred and for some reason had not shown up on the books.

That conversation also took a while and was one with the beginnings of building of a relationship with an office filled with young professionals that desired to speak English.  I inquired as to whom they were able to find to speak English so that they could improve. He began to tell me how they will choose one day a week to speak only English to each other.  I suggested that I could come and speak English with them once a week if he were interested.  I enjoy telling stories, and I would be glad to come and share some stories from God’s Word with them every week.  He was thrilled, and we are going to begin this week.

But then the kicker was last night.  I had dinner with several from the travel agency with whom I work almost every day.  They are from India and were asking me so many questions about what I do.  What is my purpose for being in the country?  How are you funded?

Clearly the Lord opened that door to share His reason for me and my colleagues to be here, and then I was able to tell them about you.  You, all of the people that continue to work cooperatively to fund the Lord’s work around the world.  Because of your part, 1 car salesman heard the Gospel.  Because of your part, 5 young bank professionals will hear the Gospel in the coming weeks.  Because of your part, 3 people from India were asking what does the Baptist Mission do and heard the Gospel.  Because of your part, the truck drivers in West Africa will hear.

We are one body in Christ.  The feet are ready to go and going.  Thank you for giving to Lottie Moon so that we can continue……………………….

Merry Christmas!  I love you, Kathy

Nothing Special

Yesterday, Johnny Stevens came by the church.  As he drove down Highway 88, he noticed a man who was laying in the road there in front of the church halfway on the sidewalk, halfway in the road.  Johnny stopped to check on him and learned that he had a prosthetic leg, was quite elderly, and was unable to get himself up.  He lay there an hour before anyone came by willing to stop and help.  Johnny helped him up…put the man in the car…drove him home several miles away…then came by the church to pack a box of food for him before going to the grocery store to buy him some meat and bread.  The man had been on his way to the food bank to get some much needed supplies but his physical and mental condition made the trip impossible.

Sound familiar?  Yep, Luke 10:25-37!  Jesus tells of the Samaritan man who stopped to help a forsaken traveler after a couple of “churchgoers” passed him by.  He bandaged his wounds, put him on his own donkey, carried him into town, and paid for stay in a bed-and-breakfast place while he recovered from his injuries.

(Just for the record, I did not travel on Highway 88 yesterday morning….whew!!!!  I’m off the hook!)

When Johnny came by, I thought, “what if I had seen the man?”  I decided to quickly pass over that thought process.  I HOPE I would have noticed him and helped him.  Then, I thought about you all.  Were any of you passersby yesterday morning?

Jesus didn’t elevate the Samaritan man.  Generally speaking, Samaritans weren’t that good.  But this guy put the needs of the helpless man in the road ahead of his own and did what was right, though it was probably inconvenient.  Jesus’ story about this man was just a parable, but Johnny got to live it out.  Johnny Stevens is a special man, but not because of what he did yesterday.  Yesterday, he didn’t do anything special.  He just did what any Christian would do, right?!?  After all, Jesus’ tells us at the end of that story, “Go and do likewise.”

What I Didn’t Tell You Sunday!

There’s this weird little incident near the end of Act 1 where the disciples do something that we would consider strange.  Judas Iscariot has committed suicide after his betrayal of Jesus, and now there’s only eleven left in Jesus’ band of disciples.  So, in the midst of all the turmoil we talked about yesterday that they are facing in the first chapter of Acts, you can add this to it.  They are dealing with Jesus’ departure, waiting on the promised Holy Spirit, and going through all the emotions that are attached to losing a friend (remember….though Judas was a traitor, he had been one of them).  It is messy, and they are grieving.  Committed, they know the ministry must go on.  They must fill the vacancy left by Judas.  Look at what they do. 

“And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two You have chosen to occupy this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.”  And they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles” (Acts 1:24-27).

How crazy is that?  They’re facing one of the biggest decisions of their lives, and they just roll the dice, play the lottery, gamble for the right decision!?!  Why would they do that?  Why would they choose Matthias that way?   Would we ever make such a vital decision based on what seems like chance?  No!   And the reason is because we cannot fathom making a decision like that without the leadership and guidance of the Holy Spirit.  But, the Holy Spirit had not come yet…remember?  They didn’t have this constant presence of God with them like we do.  They had not experienced that supernatural energy we talked about yesterday.  They didn’t know the ever-present bidding and power of the Holy Spirit yet.

The most exciting part of this story to me is that you will never find it in scripture again.  NEVER!!  You will never find anyone casting lots, rolling the dice, consulting the stars, or calling the Psychic Hotline to determine the will of God again.  Why?  Because in Acts 2, the Spirit came.  In Acts 1, they are anticipating what God might do.  Hereafter, they are empowered with the very Spirit of God.

You have received power.  The Holy Spirit is in you.  You will be His witness…Won’t You?

The Heavy Gospel

My heart breaks when people want to beat others up with the gospel. The two ideas are mutually exclusive. It cannot be gospel (good news) if it is burdensome and punitive. One of my favorite stories of grace in scripture is when the woman who was caught in adultery was brought to Jesus. Those who brought her were hoping for a holy smack-down. Jesus was so not a part of what they wanted to do that he thought drawing in the dirt would be more productive. One of my professors wrote, “Sin was not treated lightly by Jesus, but sinners were offered opportunity to start life anew.” I pray that you are not misled by “gospel thugs” who would beat you up with Jesus. I pray you would not be drawn in by those who would be “gospel brokers,” thinking they distribute the new life on His behalf. He almost ignored those types of people in scripture, except when He put them in their place (as only He could do). Peter, you didn’t have to walk on water before you were loved by Jesus. Gentiles, you didn’t have to be circumcised to be included in the Way. Oh, and Cameron, you don’t have to quit playing practical jokes (harmless ones) to be right with the Lord!