Why send missionaries?

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I have been asked, “With so many non-Christians in America why send missionaries to other countries?”

You can sum the answer up in one word: access.

While there are many unbelievers in the US there are innumerable churches, Christian ministries, magazines, television and radio programs, even entire stations, plus thousands of pastors and, of course, other Christians to reach U.S. unbelievers.  Over 1 out of every 4 full time Christian worker in the world lives and serves in the United States.

On the other hand, in many nations there is no, or very limited, access to the gospel – not on television, not on radio, no churches, no Christian publications, absolutely no way to discover who Jesus is.  It is estimated that in some areas of the world there is only one Christian worker (a pastor, lay leader, missionary, etc) for every 1 million people.

One missionary, upon entering a village, began talking to a woman about Jesus.  She directed him to a shop that could fix his sewing machine thinking perhaps that is what a “Jesus” is and that his was broken.

It is sadly true that there is an abundance of non-believers in the United States but there is also an abundance of believers who can easily make Christ’s name known.  There are an endless number of opportunities for a seeker to discover who Jesus is and the message of salvation.  We must ask ourselves: Should one group have multiple chances to reject the gospel when there are millions who have never even heard it for the first time?

Finally, Jesus commands us to go – to Jerusalem (or own city), Judea (the surrounding area), Samaria (our neighbors – even if they aren’t very friendly toward us) and the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).  It is not a “pick one” option.  He said we were responsible for local and global, Jerusalem and the ends of the earth.  Obedience demands we send missionaries.  Are you ready to go?
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Matthew 28:18-19
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, …

Staying the Course Is Best

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Hebrews 12:1
…”run with perseverance the race marked out for us”
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The Lord has marked out a course for each of us. This passage speaks of the need for “perseverance” indicating that sometimes the course may be grueling. It will not always be an easy road but I can be sure that it is far better to stay on God’s path, no matter how difficult, than to leave His path and begin to blaze my own trail through the briers and brambles.

Proverbs 13:15
The way of the transgressor (the one who veers off the course and begins to blaze his own trail and create his own path) is hard.”

As tough as my course may get, I can be assured that it is still a more joy filled path than any of my own making.

During the grueling times of the race I must do what Jesus did when faced with a torturous part of His race. He did not focus on the pain (the cross) but looked beyond it to the joy on the other side.

Hebrews 12:2
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

By keeping my eyes fixed on eternity – the joy and reward awaiting me for a race well run – I can find the hope, strength, courage and endurance to continue running.

The road may get rough but stay on the path, stay the course and look beyond “the wall” to the joy awaiting you at the finish line.
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2 Corinthians 4:17-18
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.

Romans 8:18
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

How To Get A Better Job

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If two Christians are praying for the same job which one will get it? Probably the one that is the boss’s nephew.

I don’t want to be flippant because this question has some profound implications.   Does God play favorites?  Do we earn our answers from God?  Will He give it to the one who pleases Him more?  Prays more, etc.  How much do we impact the future by prayer? What if neither gets the job?  Does prayer really matter anyway? What if one gets the job?  Does prayer matter for the other?  What about smaller matters?  A farmer prays for rain for his crops while a family prays for a sunny day for a picnic.  Does God even care about trivial things like picnics?  If not, at what point does it become important enough for Him to care about it?  My test grades?  My job?  My future spouse?  What is trivial and what is important to God?

Clearly God wants us to bring every issue to Him. Nothing is too small to talk to God about.
Philippians 4:6-7  – Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.

Probably all of us, however, have experienced prayer that seemed to go unanswered, like at least one of the people in our illustration will experience.  Here is what I have learned about prayer and life.

We live in a world of order.
The world is governed by natural and spiritual principles set into motion by God. The sun rises and the sun sets at a predictable time each day.  Drop a ball and it will go down, not up or sideways.  Give and it shall be given unto you.  What you sow you will reap.

Most events occur according to these natural and spiritual laws. We do not have to pray the sun will come up in the morning.  Natural law determines it will come up unless God intervenes with a miracle that overrides the natural law.

We can thank God nearly all events are governed by these laws and therefore predictable otherwise our world would be so random it would be chaos.  There could be no science or technology if the same action continually produced different and unpredictable results.  We could not be sure a plane that flew yesterday would fly today.  Gravity would impact the world one day but perhaps not the next. If I planted corn I might end up with a harvest of broccoli, or mice.  There would be no way of knowing.  Our world would be a continually new and frightening place.

On occasion, God steps in and overrides one of these laws of nature.  We call God’s intervention a “miracle”.  It rains when it was not supposed to rain.  A person with no hope medically is instantly healed.

Based upon natural laws, the one most likely to get the job is the boss’ nephew, or the one who made the biggest impression upon the boss in an interview or via a resume.  The candidate most qualified, better prepared, with the best work history, most impressively dressed, etc. is most likely to get the job – all else being equal – which it seldom is.

How to get a better job.
So, if you want a better job, it is certainly a good idea to pray but to really increase your  chances;  work hard where you are, show up on time, be an outstanding employee, be friendly and helpful, go beyond the minimum requirements. In other words, follow Biblical principles for hard work and prosperity as outlined in God’s Word.  Begin to put the power of the spiritual principles to work for you instead of hoping prayer will somehow produce a miracle that overrides your bad work history and lands you the position.

Line your life up with the principles of God’s Word and you will be able to spend less time in emergency prayer sessions and more time enjoying the blessings of God.
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Proverbs 14:22
All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.

Is God ashamed?

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Hebrews 11:39, 40
These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
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Many of us see faith as the key to having our prayers answered, a tool that enables us to get stuff from God. But Hebrews 11, the “faith chapter” defines faith entirely differently. In fact, after listing several heroes of faith it says: (v.13) “All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised.” They did not lose their stuff because their faith had grown weak. They died in faith but still did not receive.

Here are some things faith did result in though:
Faith’s primary purpose is not to obtain things, even answers to our prayers. Faith is primarily to enable us to please God (v.6). “Without faith it is impossible to please God.”

Faith produces confidence and assurance (v.1)

Faith produces insight and understanding into areas we could never understand empirically (v.3). No one can unequivocally prove how the world began, neither creationists nor evolutionist, but we can know how it began because “by faith we understand” that which we could never know or understand otherwise.

Faith produces sacrificial worship and can cause the influence of our life to live on long after we are gone (v.4). Though dead, Abel still speaks.

Faith can spare us from death – certainly eternal death and sometimes physical death (v.5)

Faith demonstrated in our life can produce condemnation in those who refuse to believe (v.7). Noah, “by his faith condemned the world”.

Faith produces obedience (v.8). “By faith Abraham …. obeyed and went.”

Faith enables us to be fruitful beyond our own abilities (v.11). “Sarah, who was past childbearing age”, had children.

These all lived and died in faith but did not receive the promise from God. Does that sound like God failed them? The end of the chapter explains why they did not receive.

“These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better …”. (Hebrews 11:39, 40)

I love the bow that is put on this package to tie it all together. Because all these were not living as citizens of this world but were looking for a “better country”, “Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God.” (v.16)

May I live in such a way that God is not ashamed to be called my God.
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 Hebrews 2:11
Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.

Is Jesus For Jews?

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Romans 11:26
And so all Israel will be saved, …
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Does this mean we should not waste our time witnessing to Jews since they will be saved anyway? Does it mean they will be saved just because they are Jews without having to trust in Jesus?”

Often when we don’t understand a passage of Scripture a little diligent study will reveal that the Bible is the best interpreter of the Bible. Questions we have are often answered somewhere else in God’s Word.The key to understanding this passage is how does God define “Israel”. Is it everyone who is born to Jewish parents? Or is it everyone who is a citizen of the political nation of Israel? Or does God define “Israel” as something totally different?

Laziness would lead us to just guess or jump to our own conclusion and often this is the foundation of mistaken ideas so rampant in the church today. We don’t have to wonder or guess. God tells us very clearly who He regards as a true Israelite and Jew, in fact the answer is in the same book – Romans.

Romans 2:28,29
For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly … But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter…

Philippians 3:3 conveys the same idea, “we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.”

So “Israel” is not all the citizens of the earthly nation by that name nor all those born to Jewish parents or a convert to the religion of Judaism. A true Israelite is one who, like Abraham, believes God and demonstrates that by putting their confidence in God’s plan of salvation -which has always been believing, never by works.

Is it a waste of time to witness to Jews?  It can be frustrating but Paul certainly thought it a worthwhile use of his time to pray for their salvation and to present the gospel to them. It is never a waste of time to share God’s plan for all mankind – come to God through faith like Abraham did.
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Romans 10:1, 12-13
Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile — the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Was Jesus perfect?

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Hebrews 2:10
In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.
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At first glance this is a confusing verse. Jesus was made perfect through suffering? Wasn’t He born perfect? What suffering? The cross? No, He had already lived a perfect life before He was crucified. Did the discipline he received as a child make Him perfect? That doesn’t make sense either.

Another passage in Hebrews speaks to this same difficulty: (Hebrews 5:8 NIV) – “Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered”. Jesus “learned obedience”? Didn’t He always obey the Father? Surely He had learned to obey before suffering on the cross. What suffering taught Him obedience? What suffering made Him perfect?

While these seem like complex problems, as is often the case, the best commentary on the Bible, the best book to help us understand Bible mysteries, is the Bible itself. We find the answer to these questions in Hebrews 2:18 – Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

The suffering that “taught” Jesus obedience and made Him “perfect” was being tempted. We don’t see temptation as “suffering”.  In fact, we usually enjoy it because it feeds our old nature. But being tempted to violate God’s will was a torturous battle for our Lord. We see the full depth of His agony, the suffering of resisting temptation, in Gethsemane where His whole being was crying out to avoid the cross and He actually sweat drops of blood.

He “learned obedience” because without temptation there can be no obedience. Only when He became man and struggled with the fallen flesh nature did He understand what it is like to have cravings contrary to God’s will. Only then could He choose obedience, “not my will but thy will be done”. Temptation gave Him the opportunity to choose to obey, to learn, to experience obedience just as it offers us the same opportunity.

Suffering temptation made him “perfect”, as Hebrews 2:10 tells us, not implying He was imperfect or sinful before being tempted. Rather it is a continuation of what is being talked about in the context of this passage. The passage is saying that to be a “perfect” High Priest for us He had to be one of us, “fully human” (Hebrews 2:17). It is saying His suffering temptation made Him the perfect High Priest because He then could understand the battle we face daily with our old nature.

He experientially “learned obedience” through suffering temptation and that experience made Him the “perfect” “author” of our salvation, the perfect High Priest for us.
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Hebrews 4:15
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.

Is God on America’s side?

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We are in a war where radical Muslims claim God is on their side.  In America we pray for God to bless our troops and believe God is on our side.  Does God choose sides and if so, whose side is He on? Joshua 5:13-14 gives us the answer.

Joshua is preparing to lead Israel in battle against Jericho.  Joshua sees “a man” standing with sword drawn and he asks him, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” This “man” turns out to be an angel, or most probably, a pre-incarnate appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

God had commanded the Israelites to go in and conquer the land to punish the inhabitants for their continued wicked ways.  He had promised the Israelites that He would give them victory.  If anybody could ever say, “God is on our side”, these would be the people who could make that claim.  Yet, the “man” gives a very curious answer, “Neither”.

Neither?  He wasn’t for them or for their enemies?   He goes on to explain, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” In other words, He was saying, “I am on God’s side.  The real question is, ‘Are you on God’s side or on the side of His enemies?’”  God is always on His own side, accomplishing His purposes.  It is man who must choose which side He will be on, the side of right or the side of wrong?

Is there a “right” side in war?  Certainly there is, God’s side.  It is God who established what is right and what is wrong.  God is always on the side of good.  That means He is opposed to those who are proud, perpetrate injustice or do not show mercy (Micah 6:8).  He is opposed to those who shed innocent blood and devise wicked plans (Proverbs 6:17).  He supports liberty for mankind (Isaiah 61:1; 2 Corinthians 3:17; Leviticus 25:10).  The Bible lists many things He is opposed to and many things He is in favor of. The nation that goes to war to accomplish a godly purpose has chosen to be on God’s side.

God has often provoked nations to go to war to accomplish His purpose.  Israel invaded the Promised Land to accomplish God’s punishment upon those nations that had repeatedly rejected Him.  (They had heard the message. Melchizedek is an example of one prophet God had sent among the gentile nations in that area.)  Throughout the book of Judges, and elsewhere, God provoked the nations surrounding Israel to attack them to chastise them for their rebellion.  Ultimately Israel and Judah were conquered by the Assyrians and the Babylonians as part of God’s plan to purge Israel of her idolatry.  We have solid Biblical reasons to believe God still provokes nations to go to war to accomplish His will.

Is God on the side of the Muslims?  Is God on the side of the Jews?  Is God on America’s side?  God is on His side and actively accomplishing His purpose here on earth.  Therefore, it is up to us to choose where we will stand.  Will we stand with God in bringing about His plans for mankind or will we fight against God for our own selfish ends?
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Psalms 115:2-3
Why do the nations say, “Where is their God?”
Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.

The Holocaust and The Cross

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Matthew 27:40-43
Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God! … He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.'”
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I heard a Jewish woman say that she was an atheist because of the holocaust. Her reasoning went like this: “If God is real He would not let those He loves suffer.” Many in the church today echo this sentiment: “Serve Jesus, speak positively and you will always prosper, always be well, never suffer.”

We see this same line of reasoning in those who mocked Jesus: “If He is the Son of God surely God will rescue Him.” And God did rescue Him and Jesus did triumph but not in the way they expected. God had a higher purpose at work that those with only an earthly perspective could not fathom.

Notice that no one in Scripture avoided trials, hardship and suffering. It is the way of Christ. It is the way of the cross. Why should we think we will be exempt? A first century Christian explained the heavenly perspective of this problem when he wrote to a pagan critic:

“You think we are being punished when we suffer but it is not punishment – it’s warfare. Fortitude is strengthened by infirmities [James 1:12]. Virtue and suffering usually go hand in hand. Think of all the heroes you admire. Wasn’t it their afflictions that made them great?

“God is able to deliver us but through trials He tests us and searches us. He tests the quality of all of us through adversity, often to the point of death itself. He can test us to the point of death because nothing can perish with Him. No one receives a reward before the trial. God’s people are neither forsaken in suffering nor brought to an end in their death. In fact, in our death we win the prize for which we were battling.”

In the New Testament, the Greek word “witness” is the same word as “martyr”. A “witness” is a martyr and a martyr is a witness. The one who lays down his life, either literally or through embracing suffering, is being a true “witness” to his faith.
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Hebrews 12:7-8
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.

Can God make a rock so big He can’t lift it?

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When I was in the Navy I remember a young lieutenant asking me this “profound” puzzler.  “Can God do anything?  Can God make a rock so big he cannot lift it?”

This is a rather common question asked by pseudo-intellectuals who think they have stumbled across a great chink in the Christian’s belief about the omnipotence of God. The answer to the question is quite simply, “No, there are many things God cannot do.”

For one thing, he cannot do something that is logically impossible such as make a rock so big He cannot lift it. Neither can he draw a square circle. For that matter, He can not do something that is impossible. Because the moment he accomplished the feat, it would no longer be impossible since He proved it was possible for Him.

But we don’t have to stoop to such nonsense to find things God cannot do. The Bible clearly says it is “impossible for God to lie” (Hebrews 6:18) and that “He cannot deny himself” (2 Timothy 2:13), meaning violate His own nature or integrity. He can not stop being God. He can not stop being good. He cannot cease to exist – since existence is a component of goodness. I could go on and on listing things God can not do but I think you grasp the concept.

When Christians speak of God’s omnipotence or when Jesus assures us that “with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26) we are not referring to either ludicrous scenarios that parade as profound discoveries of truth nor to things that would violate God’s very nature and character. Omnipotent is understood to be “possessing all power”. Simply put, that means God can do anything that can be done. He has the ability to perform any feat consistent with His character and nature.

This is one reason it is vital believers study the Word to know what God says about Himself and the world around us. As believers, we appear foolish when we try to defend God and ascribe to Him attributes that He does not even claim for Himself.
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2 Timothy 2:15
Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Think Small

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Matthew 26:51
With that, one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.
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John tells us that the “companion” who drew his sword was Peter. He was out numbered and “out gunned” but Peter meant what he had said just a short while ago (verse 35). He really was willing to die for Jesus.

But God’s plan was for Peter to live for Jesus and that proved too hard. He fell asleep when asked to simply “watch and pray”. He fled when his gallant attack with the sword was thwarted by the One he was trying to rescue. He remained at a distance and then denied even knowing the Lord to the point of cursing when a Middle School-aged girl confronted him.

Sadly, I can relate to Peter. Why does it seem easier to do the big things than the little daily obediences? As one who has lived overseas doing missions work, I find it was easier to go across the globe than to go across the street and share with my neighbor. “If I had a million dollars I’d give half to missions” yet the same person doesn’t tithe on what they do have. Would you really give 50% of a million if you won’t give 10% of $500?

As a parent it is nice when your children make some big “sacrifice” to show their love for you but what you really want to see is just the daily obedience in little things. That is what brings joy to your heart and peace to the relationship.

Lord, forgive my desire to do great things for you while ignoring the little things you ask of me – be kind, humble yourself, think of others above yourself, show patience, forgive when attacked.
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1 Samuel 15:22
“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.