Who is a Missionary?
Several questions were asked in an essay by my niece, she starts, "What is a mission? Where are missions? Can we have missions in our own backyards? Do we have to go to another country to be on a mission field? How do we know if God has called us to be missionaries at home or to be missionaries in a far off country? Are the phrases 'Missionaries are needed at home' and
'Someone needs to stay home to support other missionaries' legitimate reasons or just excuses?"
She asks some profound questions doesn't she. Well, I think so. I do not have her permission to publish her entire essay so I will just use her questions to start the thinking process for now. Let's start with what Jesus said to His disciples when He left them to return to the Father.
Mt 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Mr 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Lu 24:46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Ac 1:6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
This is called the great commission of the Christian as given by Christ, our Lord and Savior, before He ascended into heaven. It says, GO YE, that is you and me. We are to go into ALL THE WORLD and PREACH THE GOSPEL. We are to start in JERUSALEM move into ALL JUDAEA, SAMARIA, UNTO THE UTTERMOST PART OF THE EARTH. Did I leave any place on earth out? In Luke's version we are to preach the name of Christ among ALL NATIONS. We are to preach the good news of salvation; teaching the people of all nations TO OBSERVE ALL THINGS WHATSOEVER CHRIST HAS COMMANDED US from His Word.
This is what I should have been doing all along, and every Christian as well. I want to do this from now on in my life. I will start in my Jerusalem, where I live. I will use this blog to reach out to my nation and the rest of the world. I trust the Holy Spirit to use me and all I do for Christ on this blog or in my community to achieve this great commission as I have been commanded. I also must be open to any call Christ makes to me to go to a Samaria or to the uttermost part of the earth.
So, what is a mission and where are they? A mission is a place and it is where you are standing right now. Missions are all around us. Yes, even in our backyards! Do we have to go to another country to find our 'mission field'; did Christ call you to go? THEN GO! Only you know if you should go to a 'foriegn' missionary field of service, since God only tells me what I should do, I can not tell you or speak for Him. Let Jesus speak to you in your reading of the Word, your prayers and by the counsel of others if needed. Start witnessing where you are; witness where you go; be willing to be sent and witness there.
Yes, missionaries are needed at home, I think we have seen that as the place we start. It is also very important that we support missionaries with our finances as well as our own person and energies. Just DO IT!
Summary: if you and I are CHRISTIANS then we are witnesses of the grace and mercy of God found in Jesus Christ and have been commissioned to go, preach, teach, all nations/people that they might be saved. Ro 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! As the song says, Trust and Obey for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
God be with all who trust and obey His will in their life, your brother in Christ, Truthseeker.
'Someone needs to stay home to support other missionaries' legitimate reasons or just excuses?"
She asks some profound questions doesn't she. Well, I think so. I do not have her permission to publish her entire essay so I will just use her questions to start the thinking process for now. Let's start with what Jesus said to His disciples when He left them to return to the Father.
Mt 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Mr 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Lu 24:46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Ac 1:6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
This is called the great commission of the Christian as given by Christ, our Lord and Savior, before He ascended into heaven. It says, GO YE, that is you and me. We are to go into ALL THE WORLD and PREACH THE GOSPEL. We are to start in JERUSALEM move into ALL JUDAEA, SAMARIA, UNTO THE UTTERMOST PART OF THE EARTH. Did I leave any place on earth out? In Luke's version we are to preach the name of Christ among ALL NATIONS. We are to preach the good news of salvation; teaching the people of all nations TO OBSERVE ALL THINGS WHATSOEVER CHRIST HAS COMMANDED US from His Word.
This is what I should have been doing all along, and every Christian as well. I want to do this from now on in my life. I will start in my Jerusalem, where I live. I will use this blog to reach out to my nation and the rest of the world. I trust the Holy Spirit to use me and all I do for Christ on this blog or in my community to achieve this great commission as I have been commanded. I also must be open to any call Christ makes to me to go to a Samaria or to the uttermost part of the earth.
So, what is a mission and where are they? A mission is a place and it is where you are standing right now. Missions are all around us. Yes, even in our backyards! Do we have to go to another country to find our 'mission field'; did Christ call you to go? THEN GO! Only you know if you should go to a 'foriegn' missionary field of service, since God only tells me what I should do, I can not tell you or speak for Him. Let Jesus speak to you in your reading of the Word, your prayers and by the counsel of others if needed. Start witnessing where you are; witness where you go; be willing to be sent and witness there.
Yes, missionaries are needed at home, I think we have seen that as the place we start. It is also very important that we support missionaries with our finances as well as our own person and energies. Just DO IT!
Summary: if you and I are CHRISTIANS then we are witnesses of the grace and mercy of God found in Jesus Christ and have been commissioned to go, preach, teach, all nations/people that they might be saved. Ro 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! As the song says, Trust and Obey for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
God be with all who trust and obey His will in their life, your brother in Christ, Truthseeker.
posted by Truthseeker at 12:28 AM
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