Missions Launch

Think you have to be perfect to be used by God? A lot of people are disqualifying themselves and waiting and waiting until they are perfect until they allow themselves to be used by God. However, there are a couple of problems with that logic.

First of all, no one on this earth will ever be perfect. If you are waiting for that, you will be waiting till the day you day.

Secondly, it’s not your strength but God’s Spirit that will perform his work. He just needs those that are willing, and He will take care of the rest. He can even use your mistakes to accomplish His will.

Thirdly, if you look at the Biblical “greats” of the Bible who did amazing things for God, you will see that they all had tons of flaws, imperfections, and sins… yet God used them anyway.

Watch this video from Igniter Media for a great reminder that God doesn’t use the qualified, but the willing.

If you want to find more great videos, Igniter Media has many to choose from on their website.

When I’m standing face to face with Jesus, I want to hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

I often wonder what it will be like when I’m standing face to face with Jesus.  What will I say?  Even more importantly, what will Jesus say to me?  After reading over the Parable of the Talents found in Matthew 25:14-30, perhaps like me you want to hear him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”  (Matt. 25:21 NIV)

The Parable of the Talents is about a man who was going on a journey.  While he was away, he entrusted his property to his servants.  To one he gave five talents, to another he gave two talents, and to the third he gave one talent.  When he returned, he found that the servant whom he had entrusted with the five talents immediately put the money to work for him and gained him five more talents.  The one he gave the two talents to had earned him two more talents.  But the servant he gave the one talent to went away and hid his talent in the ground. 

In return for their hard work, the first two servants were rewarded with the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant!  You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.  Come and share in your master’s happiness!”  (Matt. 25:23 NIV)

Instead the other servant who hid the one talent in the ground until his master returned heard these words, “You wicked, lazy servant! …You should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.” (Matt. 25:26-27 NIV)

Each of us has been entrusted us with the incredible honor, as well as responsibility, of making disciples of all nations.  But first we must be willing to do our part if we want to hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”  (Matt. 25:21 NIV)

Photo by midiman

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To see the full list of reasons, Click Here.

We should go because we’re so grateful for what Jesus has done for us that we want to share the good news with others.

In tough times like these, sometimes it becomes a challenge to think of things to be grateful for. Even so, if we’re born-again Christians, we are told that in everything we are to give thanks. If nothing else, we should especially be grateful for what Jesus has done for us. Let us remember this holiday season that we have been given the most precious gifts of all – the gift of salvation and the promise of eternal life in heaven with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In fact, we should be brimming over with such gratitude that we want nothing more than to share the good news of Christ with others. 

In essence, we want to share the good news with others because we want them to have what we have. As most of us can attest, it’s not about religion; nor is it just about salvation or life after death. Most of all, what we want them to have is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the Lover of our souls. 

There really is no better way to show our appreciation than by going on a mission trip, where we are given the unique opportunity to serve others in need and to tell them what Jesus has done for us. Then we may tell them how they can also receive the free gifts of salvation and eternal life simply by believing that Jesus died on the cross and rose again. More importantly, we may tell them how they can also have a personal relationship with The One who sticks closer than any brother.

This holiday season, why not consider showing your appreciation for what Christ has done by going on a mission trip? You’ll be forever grateful for the experience, and life will never be the same again.

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To see the full list of reasons, Click Here.

We should go to speed up the day of Jesus’ return.

Ever wish you could speed up the day of Jesus’ return?   There is a way you can. 

In Matthew 24:14, we learn that the “gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world  as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Matt. 24:14 NIV) 

In other words, we can speed up the day of Jesus’ return by taking the good news of Christ to all nations.   But how do we do that?   It’s simple really.  Become a missionary.

Of course, most of us can’t travel to every nation on the earth to share the gospel.  However, just think what a difference we could make if all of us just picked one country to travel to.    

It is currently estimated that in 2008 from there were over 173,000,000 Christians in the United States alone.* Just think what we could do if only 10% of Christians in America decided to take the gospel to just one country that’s never heard the gospel before?  What a difference we could make!

Even if you can’t travel to another country, there are also numerous other ways you can help.  For instance, you can provide financial support to help send someone else on a mission trip.  In addition, there are many ways you can get involved in local mission outreach groups, such as volunteering at your local homeless shelter, soup kitchen, or crisis pregnancy center right in your own backyard.  The age of the Internet has also opened up a wide opportunity to spread the gospel throughout the entire world. 

Meanwhile, every nation, tribe, and tongue must have the chance to hear the gospel before Jesus returns.  We can’t do everything, but we can do something.  Let’s not refuse to do the something we can do until the day of Christ’s return. 

*Stats can be found here

Photo by Amnemona

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To see the full list of reasons, Click Here.

We should go because the Lord promises we will be blessed beyond all measure.

Did you know that when we go on a mission trip, God promises to bless us beyond all measure?  It’s true. 

In Luke 18:29-30, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth.  No one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life.”  (Mark 10:29-30 NIV)

That’s right.  Whatever we leave behind for the sake of the gospel, Jesus promised that we will receive back many times over while we are still on this earth and when we finally get to heaven. 

Another promise can be found in the book of Matthew, where Jesus said, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matt. 6:33 NIV)  In other words, in everything we are to put him first, and all of these other things will be given to us as well. 

When Joshua was getting ready to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land, God promised, “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you.”  (Joshua 1:5 NIV) We can be sure that wherever we go to follow God, He will be right there with us by our side.

Of course, we aren’t saying that all mission trips are going to be without their trials and tribulations, but God does promise that after it all, we will be blessed.  Some mission trips will involve miracles and amazing highs with God. Others might involve times of intense struggle and hardship. But even after all of these, there are often amazing spurts of spiritual growth and strengthening of faith that cannot be replaced.

So become a missionary.  Be a blessing to others, and God promises you will be blessed beyond all measure as well.

Photo by dianneb59@sbcglobal.net

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To see the full list of reasons, Click Here.

We should go because it often benefits us more than the people we are ministering to.

Perhaps you’ve decided to go on a mission trip for the sole purpose of benefiting someone else.  However, did you know that going on a mission trip often benefits us more than the people we are serving?  

That’s because when we help others, it makes us feel better about ourselves.   It makes us feel that we are significant, that we have a reason for being here, and that what we are doing truly matters in this world.  In essence, when we are helping others, we are also helping ourselves, which is the number one benefit.

Simply put, when we have our minds on other people, it helps us get our minds off of ourselves.  Instead of being selfish or feeling sorry for ourselves, we are forced to put other peoples’ needs ahead of our own.   Putting other peoples’ needs first helps get our minds off of our own troubles because we learn that there is always someone who has it worse or is in greater need than we are, which is benefit number two. 

Finally, when we witness firsthand the work that the Lord is doing in other people’s lives, it makes our faith soar to new heights.  Our faith soars knowing that we’ve played a small part in something greater than ourselves, a part of what God is doing around the world.  As we’re relying on God to accomplish our mission and seeing him at work in the world around us, we realize the full extent of God’s faithfulness and our spiritual walk grows to a much deeper level.   We develop a new sense of boldness, and God is able to use us all the more to impact our world.

So become a missionary, and reap all of the rewards of sharing the good news of Christ with others.

Photo by greg westfall.
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To see the full list of reasons, Click Here.

We should go because it was Jesus’ last command.

“Are you guys ready? Let’s roll.”

Those were the famous last words of Todd Beamer just before Flight 93 went down near Shanksville, PA on September 11, 2001.

To this day, Todd Beamer’s courageous words still echo in our minds just before he chose to risk his life storming the cockpit to overcome the terrorists who had hijacked the plane that fateful day. However, how many of us recall what Jesus’ last words were after he chose to give his life for all and then reappeared to his disciples?

“Go and makes disciples of all nations.” (Matt. 28:19 NIV)

What most of us fail to realize is that these weren’t just Jesus’ last words. They are a command. Actually they were Jesus’ final command to us, an advance directive which I believe we all need to take special note of. We need to take special note because they were important enough to be Jesus’ final words to us. I believe that there’s a special reason why Jesus saved his Great Commission for last.

It was as if he was saying, “You have seen what I have done. Now go and do the same. Go and make disciples of all nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, just like I’ve done with you. And teach them to do all that I’ve commanded of you.”

In addition to this final command, Jesus also cared enough to leave us with these final parting words before he ascended to heaven:

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matt. 28: 20 NIV)

Therefore, we need not fear when it comes to fulfilling the Great Commission because Jesus has already assured us that he’ll always be with us, even to the very end.

Are you ready to roll?  Let’s go!

Photo by Thunderchild tm
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To see the full list of reasons, Click Here.

We should go because the need is so great.

I never thought of going on a mission trip before until this past year – when I first began to see things from God’s perspective. For years I never gave a second thought to the scripture where Jesus told his disciples, “the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.” (Mt. 9:37 NIV) I preferred just to skip right over that passage thinking others would be there to fill in the gap for me.

However, did you know that there are still areas in the world where the gospel has never been preached? In fact, there are currently 6641 unreached people groups in the world today. Most of them fall within the 10/40 window, a term first coined by Luis Bush in 1990 referring to those regions of the eastern hemisphere located between 10 and 40 degrees north of the equator including the Sahara, Northern Africa, and much of Asia. These regions include nations that are primarily Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Animist, Jewish, and Atheist countries. Currently 95% of our missionaries are sent to areas that have already been reached for the gospel of Christ, which means that only a small percentage (5% or less) are actually going to areas which remain unreached today.

Isn’t it our duty to make sure that everyone gets a chance to hear the gospel? If so, then we must ask the “Lord of the harvest to send more workers to the harvest field” (Mt. 9:38 NIV) until the good news of Jesus Christ is preached to all people, including those groups that haven’t been reached yet.

There are so many fish, and not enough fishermen. Perhaps like me you’re reading this and you hear the still, small voice of Jesus calling you, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Mt. 4:19 NIV)

Photo by neloqua
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To see the full list of reasons, Click Here.

It’s a great way to make a difference for all eternity.

How many times have you heard someone say, “If I can make a difference in just one person’s life, then it will all be worthwhile”? Fact is most of us want to make a difference in someone else’s life. Often times all we can provide is emotional support or perhaps a little temporary assistance, but the results are usually short-lived. But what if there were a way to make a difference for all eternity?

Well, there is a way. You can make a difference for all eternity by becoming a missionary. Missionaries perform various types of services ranging from providing food to the poor or medicine for the sick. Missionaries can establish homes for orphans, or plant a church in an area where there was previously none. Missionaries can also build relationships with unreached people groups and become living testimonies of their faith in Christ. But whatever their particular area of service, missionaries all have one primary purpose, and that is to share the good news of Jesus Christ with those who haven’t heard the name Jesus before. Now that, my friend, is something that can last for all eternity, because we know “that whosoever believes in him shall have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

But first we must get our minds off of the fleeting pleasures of this world, and set our minds on the things of above. In other words, we ought to be thinking more about heavenly things. You see, things don’t matter. People do. Besides, what could be more important than whether someone goes to heaven?

Want to make a difference in the lives of others which will last for all eternity? Become a missionary, and devote yourself to a lifetime of telling others the good news about Jesus Christ.

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To see the full list of reasons, Click Here.

There are people out there who might perish because they’ve never heard the name Jesus before.

In Romans chapter 10, we find quite possibly the single most important reason to go on a mission trip.   Beginning with verse 13, it states, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 

But how can people be saved if they’ve never heard the name of Jesus before? 

In verse 14 and 15, Paul was essentially asking the church in Rome the same question: 

“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in?  And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?  And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?  And how can they preach unless they are sent?” 

We must ask ourselves:  Why is it taking so long for us to spread God’s Word to others who might not otherwise ever get the opportunity to hear the gospel?  I believe the answer can be found in 2 Pet. 3: 9, where Peter writes, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”   (2 Pet. 3: 9 ESV)

It is not God’s desire that anyone should perish.  However, because he is patient with us, he would never force his will on us either.  What it all boils down to is that we are left with a choice.  We have to choose whether we will become Christ’s ambassadors.  Unfortunately, the fleshly nature often wins out over our willingness to see things from God’s perspective and we forget that we have been bought with a price. 

Since we know that it is not God’s will for anyone to perish, I believe that he is patiently waiting for each and every one of us to say, “Here I am, Lord.  Send me.”

Photo by jam343
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To see the full list of reasons, Click Here.