Missions: Go, Send or Disobey

It's 1:37 am and I can't sleep. Not an odd problem for a night nurse. Only downside is I'm working a day shift that starts in 5 hours and I am wide awake. Oh well. The Lord will sustain me which probably includes a cup of coffee around 2pm tomorrow. Anywho...I received an email today from Rod Connor who works with To Every Tribe Ministries. I can't remember his official title (VP maybe?) but his unofficial title is 'David's right hand man.' The email contained a picture of the 8 students/wives currently at the Center for Pioneer Church Planting (CPCP). I couldn't help but reflect on my time spent at the CPCP and in other countries and the time spent working as a nurse leading up to my time at the CPCP. I laugh at God's humor in my life. I went to nursing school primarily to use it in missions but often the thought would pop in my head (and NO I am NOT making this up) "I wouldn't mind using my nursing degree to support a husband through seminary." Well, God is good...I have gotten to do both in my lifetime! Also, during those five, long, hard months working as a nurse leading up to the CPCP I remembered receiving GREAT joy from being able to help people financially. Whether it was picking up all of rent so the roomies didn't have to pay or paying for a roomie to take nursing boards, I received great joy in aiding people. I often thought then "I wonder if God would ever have me be a sender in missions instead of a goer?" I assure you I am NOT making this blog up...well, I am the one writing it but I assure you I am not lying. I also remember asking David while we were in PNG (I even remember the exact location) "What if God has me send instead of go?" I wrote so many support letters asking for your prayers and financial means to get to the field myself. God was faithful to always provide my needs which meant I always had senders in my ministry. As of now, I don't have the option to 'Go' but I take joy in taking part of 'Sending' and 'Praying'. So now that I am on the flip side of things I wanted to say that the urgency to Go and to Send and to Pray is still very, very GREAT! Pray with me for the 'unreached peeps' of the world. Consider whom you can support in missions whether it be missionaries from your local church or missionaries sent out through TETM (and I guarantee they will be needing support). Don't just consider who and not follow through...see where you can make sacrifices in your budget and send that money so that others may go and tell the world that Jesus lives. And don't just send the money but ask for their updates, read them thoroughly, and pray faithfully for their needs and their ministry. Send short replies to them letting them know you are praying (Thanks JoAnn...you were always so faithful to do that for me and I appreciated it!). If your local church isn't involved in missions in any way be the one to step up and begin an awareness of missions. If you aren't sure where to start, begin praying about how your church can be involved. Talk to your pastor, invite David or Rod or another missionary to speak at your church to develop an awareness and knowledge of missions. Read "Let the Nations Be Glad" by John Piper to aid you in having a biblical understanding of missions and then spread that book around your local church. Read missionary biographies. Some great ones are "In the Shadow of the Almighty" by Elizabeth Elliot, "A Chance to Die" about Amy Carmichael written by Elizabeth Elliot, "Lords of the Earth" written by Don Richardson, "Bruchko", "End of the Spear", "Beyond the Gates of Splendor", any books on David Livingston, James Chalmers, George Mueller, Amy Carmichael, The Ecuador Five (Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Peter Fleming, Ed McCully, and Roger Youderian), William Carey, Hudson Taylor, the Moravians, Fijian missionaries.....there are so many amazing missionaries who have gone before us! You can find missionary biography sermons online at www.desiringgod.org or there are three great sermons on missions at www.toeverytribe.com under the 'To Every Tribe Ministries' Videos' tab at the bottom of the home page.

Wherever God has us in life we can be involved in missions in one way or another and we are commanded to be involved. So, pray about how you can either 'GO' or 'SEND.' John commended his brother Gaius' efforts in 3 John for financially supporting those who 'go out for the sake of His name.'

Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God. For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.
3 John 5-8

I always said that sending was partnering with me in taking the gospel to the unreached and that it was just as important and God-glorifying as going. "Therefore, we ought to support people like these, that we may be FELLOW WORKERS FOR THE TRUTH."

May we all be workers and fellow workers for the truth. As David Sitton would say, "Jesus is worth it."

For more information on how you can support TETM or the students currently there or who have gone before, you can go to www.toeverytribe.com and click on the 'Contacts' tab.

Just for the record it is now 2:46 am...and my sister-in-law is in labor. Random, I know...