Missions and Evangelism

In 1989, I boarded a plane with my husband and off we went on our 1^st mission trip to Belize City, Belize, Central America. Our sleeping arrangements involved single bunk beds on a cement floor in the dank basement of a missionary couple’s home. Roaches flew by as I tried to fall asleep, and I recall the exact words I said to my husband. Adamantly, I declared, “How in the world could you take me to this God-forsaken place?” Of course, as I look back, it was more the cockroaches that invoked this question which was more a declaration of my mental state at the time.

Belize, 2012

As I think about my comment, I realize that missions and evangelism is all about bringing the Gospel of Jesus to God-forsaken places, but with my first experience, I could not get beyond the cockroach mentality and my disdain for the creatures. Fortunately, in time, I was really blessed by many of the lovely people I met on my subsequent trips to Belize. Praise God.

Matthew 28:18-20 implores us to “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. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” [ESV] While some are called to give up money and their livelihood to follow the Great Commission, others will be called to a different mission, purpose, or place. What is important is for us to seek out God’s plan for our individual lives and to obey His direction at all stages of our lives.

As a United States citizen, it is sometimes difficult to even imagine the poverty some people live in on a daily basis. It is hard to imagine worshipping in a run-down shack without air-conditioning or sanitation. A.W. Tozer, an American Christian writer, said, “Evangelical Christianity is now tragically below the New Testament standard. Worldliness is an accepted fact of our way of life. Our religious mood is social instead of spiritual.” We are now seeing churches sporting cafés, movie theaters, gymnasiums, and even local fashion shows. For those reading this who are from an “advanced” country”, have you ever thought that our abundance could be so we can give generously to the cause of evangelism rather than on our own pleasures and wants? While many are trusting God in total dependency in living out their calling, so many others (even believers) have little regard for the Gospel of Jesus and have become so ME centered that the Lord hardly even seems present in their lives other than an occasional church service or a cursory glance at the Bible.

It is important to remember that Satan does not want us to be involved in any missionary or evangelical endeavor. Period! His desire is for us to either stay neutral on the subject or to become more centered in our lives so our lives resolve around us and what makes us happy rather than around others. Sometimes those in mission work get so discouraged seeing so few showing an interest in their Christian beliefs or evangelism.

Regardless, God’s purposes will always be fulfilled. Even today, we can see the Holy Spirit operating around the world in many different nations. Many are coming to accept Christ where the Gospel has never been preached before. Salvations are occurring in spite of witchcraft, demonic influences, and secular rites and rituals. People are accepting Jesus Christ despite the fear of imprisonment, the fear of beheading, and the fear of being ostracized. It is happening because of the prayers of believers. Maybe you are praying for a particular missionary, a specific country, a mission trip, or giving a donation to help others participate in the Great Commission. If so, you are part of a wonderful opportunity by allowing the Holy Spirit to use you in His work.

As we pray for souls to be saved, let us remember the profound words of South African writer, teacher and Christian pastor Andrew Murray. In Pray for the World, Murray is quoted saying, “Beware in your prayers, above everything else, of limiting God, not only by unbelief, but by fancying that you know what He can do. Expect unexpected things, above all that we ask or think.” God does work in mysterious ways.

Below are some ideas on how we can advance the cause of Christ. They are in no particular order, but worthy of considering.

•          Adopt and pray for a particular country. Ask the Lord for the Holy Spirit to seek out the lost and lead them to Him­­.
•          Research your country. Learn as much as you can about the culture, land, religion, livelihood, population, ethnic groups, economy, literacy, languages, education, and more. [This is a nice family activity to do.]
•          Seek out opportunities for involvement.
•          Be obedient to whatever or wherever the Lord leads.
•          Befriend a person(s) from a different culture or country.
•          Participate in a mission trip – local or foreign.
•          Provide mission-centered training in your church or organization.
•          Have a “missions fair” at your church.

A Small World; Lagos, Nigeria 2013

Evil is abounding right now in every corner of the world. Let’s increase our faith, shape our Christian ministries, and pray sincerely for the Holy Spirit to be a mighty force in reaching the world for Christ. And let’s remind ourselves that God desires salvation for ALL people - even those in "God-forsaken" countries!

Praying for you,

Patti Greene

Bible Verses:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” John 3:16-17 ESV

“As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” 2 Timothy 4:5 ESV

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the preset age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” Titus 2:11-14 ESV

Prayer:

Lord Jesus. Thank you for my salvation through Jesus Christ. Lord, please soften my heart so I am more sensitive to the eternal and spiritual needs of others. Let me pray for the Holy Spirit to gently guide me to the purposes and callings You have already planned for me. Let me see opportunities through Your eyes and give me the courage and willingness to respond. Amen.

Please feel free to share this blog. It is my gift to you and others.

To receive e-mail notifications of blogs from Greene Pastures by Patti: Inspiring stories about Bible Study and Prayer, please click here http://plgreene.blogspot.com on your computer. Type in your email address in 'Follow by Email.’ You will immediately receive an e-mail from Feed Burner. Open the e-mail, and click on link to confirm. This may not work from phones. If you would like to contact me for any reason, please e-mail at pattilondagreene@gmail.com. I would love to hear from my readers.

Sources:

Mandryk, Jason. Pray for the World: Abridged from Operation World.

Downers Grove, Illinois: WEC International, 2015.

Yohannan, K.P. Revolution in World Missions. Wills Point, Tex: GFA, 2004.

Shoes, Sin, and Savior

My excitement began when I put on my brand new pair of silver high-heeled shoes! While I don’t have an obsession with shoes, most women [like me] feel pretty confident slipping their feet into a new pair of sandals, wedges, boots, flats, heels, or tennis shoes. I am no exception.

Yesterday, I was “pumped” gracing my feet in this new pair of shoes for their first time. My shoes and I were going out-on-the-town for the first time to Sax Fifth Avenue in Houston’s Galleria to enjoy lunch with my good friend Dorothy. I stepped out of the house with my serotonin level bouncing high!
   

My New Shoe from T.J. Maxx



As I pulled out of my driveway, I noticed my garbage man (okay, sanitation worker) had come, and I needed to bring the garbage can to the back of the house. I exited my car and dragged the garbage can to its resting place. But then the unthinkable happened. I was heading back to my car and I stumbled on the front of my right shoe. Right then and there, I experienced grief, regret, and discouragement all at the same time. Nothing affects a girl’s mood more than getting a tear in a brand new pair of shoes tear the first time they wear them.

But, I continued to the Galleria with the express thought that I would stop at the shoe repair store on my way home and see if the cobbler could somehow prevent my shoe from tearing more. On the drive to the Galleria, my tiny tear somehow became a BIG rip in my mind. When I walked into the Galleria, I was so conscious of the tear in my shoe that my mind even thought, "The Galleria is so fancy that no one should be wearing a torn shoe here." Crazy, right!

After a lovely lunch with my friend, I decided to drive directly to the cobbler to fix this problem before it got out of hand. In my mind, the cobbler had all of a sudden become elevated to having a doctorate degree in 'Shoe Repair.' If anyone could fix my shoe, he could!

I arrived at the shoe repair shop, parked my car in the parking lot, and began pondering and contemplating whether I should go in or not. I finally decided that I was putting way too much emphasis on my new pair of shoes. To make a long story short, I decided not to spend $10.00+/- to get a small tear fixed when my shoes only cost $39.00. I drove home without entering the hallowed doors of my savior –THE COBBLER.

So, why am I compelled to tell my shoe story? It is because all through the day my mind was drifting to find a spiritual meaning to this event. For now though, let’s pretend the small TEAR in my shoe is SIN and the COBBLER is THE LORD.

Just like the cobbler wants to fix our shoes, God wants to fix us. When you and I first sin, we would be wise to go to the Lord immediately to get our sins forgiven and deal with it before we sin more. We all sin, but do we always turn to the Lord after one little bitty sin? Sometimes we do, but other times, we wait until our sins mount. The longer we wait to go to the expert, the problems and consequences of our sins (our tears) get bigger and bigger.

Take the prodigal son. He went off with his inheritance. Excited about his new adventure, he squandered his wealth and became involved in ungodly behavior. He enjoyed himself until one day, he found himself eating with the pigs. His sins accumulated, but finally he decided he had it better at home and he returned to his father. And, the good news is his father accepted him. It would have been best if the 'prodigal son' never left home and sinned, but he did.

Sometimes however, we  try to avoid our Father. When avoiding Him, He will be constantly pursuing us to come to Him or to come back to Him. When we postpone or reject God, our situation and consequences usually get worse. The longer we wait the harder it becomes, but remember that God continues to pursue us until the days of pursuing are over.

Whether we have been involved in a crime; had an abortion; deceived our spouse, or other actions, God still loves us. He cares about us, and He will continue to put spiritual people, spiritual literature, spiritual songs, and more in our pathway as he convicts us to return to Him. Our Heavenly Father sees the small tears (sins) in our life, and He wants to fix them as soon as possible before they turns into large tears that come with more dire consequences.

By deciding not to go to the cobbler, I didn’t get the small tear in my shoe fixed. But, it’s just a shoe!!!

 

The Village Cobbler / Town and Country, Houston, Texas

 

Our lives are more important than a shoe. God is there to heal all the small tears and big tears in our lives. When we turn to Him, we experience true freedom and well-being. Actually, it can mean the difference between heaven and hell. Wherever you are in your spiritual walk, choose God. Don’t wait. He loves and cares for all of us.

Make God the Master Cobbler in your life. Today!

Bible Verses:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 ESV

But if we keep living in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7 NIV

And he said, “There was a man who had two sons.  And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them.  Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living.  And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate. Luke 15:11-24 ESV

Prayer:

Dear Jesus, Thank you for being with me today. Lord, show me my sins – even those little ones that I barely notice. I confess both the small sins and the big sins to you right now. Let me quickly recognize when I hurt others. Lord, you are better than a cobbler who is limited to their expertise. You can fix everything. I ask you to fix me and forgive me for where I have failed you. And trust you as my personal Lord and Savior. Amen.



 

 

I hope you enjoyed my blog today, but I’ve got to run. I saw these really cute pair of red strappy sandals . . .

Patti

And don’t forget COMMENTS are always welcome!

Books by Patti Londa Greene: Awaken Me: a devotional prayer journal and God, and God, It’s Me: 181 Days for Young Adults to Become Passionate about Prayer and Bible Study