Where Are the Missionaries?

I just read the prayer letter from some dear friends. The husband is planning a trip to the Philippines to help a missionary there and encourage some others. At the close of his letter he had a photo of a tribal man with this written underneath.

"Over 100 people groups have asked for missionaries and are waiting!"

What a sad state in which we are living. People are asking for missionaries to come and teach them about God! Why aren't they going? Where are they?

Today in North America Christians are wealthier than they have ever been. They own homes, 2-3 cars, have time-shares, and are taking the most extravagant vacations they can afford. Why? Because, "we have earned it." The money that is given to the Church is used for making the place where we worship more comfortable and providing the things we need for "ministry here at home." Take a look at almost any Church Budget in North America and that which is set aside for missions is pathetic.

The problem is that we don't believe people are really going to hell. We don't believe that people really have a need for a Saviour. We don't believe what the Bible is saying. We don't believe God. We have become selfish and are "looking out for number 1!"

We've lost the view of the Church from just over 100 years ago; the time when they sent out missionaries like Hudson Taylor, Amy Carmichael and George Muller. A time when people gave sacrificially because they knew there was a lost world around them and they could not sit idly by.

I pray that we may have a change of heart; that we would see the world the way God sees it. Our eyes would be opened to the sinful state around us and that we would be brought to our knees in repentance and then be willing to do whatever and/or go wherever He wants us. May the Lord wake us up from this sleep that we have chosen. May it even begin today with me.

Ignoring God

The LORD spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they paid no attention.

This was a part of my reading this morning and the severity of the phrase hit me - they paid no attention.
We as Christians in North America have a tendency to take the things of Scripture that we like and apply them to our selves. We like being "saved" because we won't be going to hell. We go to Church because that's what a good Christian does. We even read our Bibles; we have done our duty. But do we know Christ and what He requires of us.

For the past year the Lord has been emphasizing in different ways Who He is and who I am. He is the One, True, Eternal God, the Great Redeemer of mankind. I am the weak, sinful, lost one who has no right to demand anything from Him. I keep forgetting.

When Christ called His disciples, He said, "Take up your cross and follow me," and NOT "Follow me and I will bless you abundantly!" Don't get me wrong - Christ does bless. He blesses in ways that I could never imagine. He has promised every spiritual blessing according to Ephesians 1. But that's not how or why I am to follow. I am to take up my cross and follow Him."

When He told His disciples that, He had not died on the cross yet. But the disciples were familiar with crucifixion. It was a normal thing during the Roman Empire. They knew that taking up a cross could lead to only one thing death.

And that's why Christ is calling us. We need to die. Die to this world. Die to the things around us. Die to ourselves and to our selfish desires and wants. There is nothing good in us, so why would we want to keep ourselves alive?

It's very easy for me to look at some of my friends and think they are not living for Christ. They go on cruises and have all these nice things and are constantly "moving up" in the world. It's very easy for me to judge them and their hearts by what I see. Am I right or wrong about them? It doesn't matter. Christ's concern is with ME and how I am dealing with things.

I need to die to self; I need to take up my cross and follow Him. My problem is I don't fully believe that. Because if I did believe it I wouldn't hold onto things that are not beneficial to my walk with Christ. I'm not saying these things are sinful, BUT they are things that distract me from the mind of Christ.

I find it so easy to get caught up in playing games. I'm serious; I love computer games. I can spend hours going from one game to the next. Are they bad for me? Noooo. But I get lost in them and can play and play and play.

What Christ is showing me is what consumes my time is my idol. Unfortunately, it's me. And yielding to Him, learning more of Him, asking Him, "What would You have me do, Lord?" moment by moment of the day, is all that He requires.

I may be hearing Christ, but the big question is, AM I PAYING ATTENTION?

Denied Blessings

This morning my Bible reading was in 1 Chronicles 25 & 26 and in both of these chapters it speaks of the blessing of the Lord. Do you know what the blessing was? CHILDREN! The first was a promise to Heman to exalt him. How did God do this? By giving him 14 boys and 3 girls! The second was a man named Obed-edem; he had 8 sons and this was God's blessing! God used children to bless these men. But not only were they a blessing to their parents, they also became blessings to the nation of Israel because God used them in the temple to lead the people in praise and worship. AND they were recorded in the Scriptures as being a blessing to their parents and being used in God's temple! How much more can a parent ask for?

My question for us in North America, is: have we denied ourselves blessing because we "decide" how many children we will have? My husband and I have 3 children and each one is a blessing. But we decided not to have any more because my emotions during my pregnancy scared me and I was fearful of what I might do. I didn't trust God. I let my own fears dictate my future, our family's future and even the future of this world. What have I denied the world of by being selfish and not trusting God? What blessings have I denied myself of for a lack of faith?

Our reasons can be different, but the source is always the same: we don't trust God to do what He says He will. Children are a blessing and He needs to be the One Who decides how many we will have. I have a dear friend who wanted children desperately. And for a number of years she and her husband tried. There was no physical reason why they shouldn't have children. One day, out of the blue, she became pregnant! I remember she told me one of her co-worker who asked her how it happened. She said she was kind of embarrassed but had to answer, "The regular way." It was awkward for her and yet kind of funny at the same time. She has 2 beautiful daughters, one who is graduating from high school shortly, and that is all the Lord gave her.

We also have some very dear friends who have 9 daughters! These are some of the sweetest most charming young ladies I have ever met. Yet these parents have also faced sorrow within the past few years they have had 2 miscarriages. Should they have stopped? Some would definitely say, "Yes - A LONG TIME AGO!" But they have chosen to trust the Lord and let Him lead in this area. They are truly blessed and yes each one of those girls is a blessing! And God has carried them through the hard time of the loss of not seeing those 2 little ones on this earth. But they know they will see them again soon before the throne of God where they will not have to have dealt with this sinful world.

He knows what we can and cannot handle BUT He allows us to choose if we are going to trust Him or not, whether it be for our emotions or our finances or whatever. The choice is ours. May we stop being selfish and allow God to do the good work He wants to do for us. May the parents of North America wake up and see that children are a blessing and not a burden.

Growing

Sometimes we don't like growing because it means changes. Right now is a time of changes for me.

Yesterday our youngest son left for Colorado to follow his dreams. In less than a month's time our daughter will be leaving to serve the Lord in Asia. No more children at home; back to just my husband and me - oh yes, and the Lord. A time of growing.

For 26 years my life has been wrapped around children. But even back in those early days I can remember how the Lord used them to change me.

When we had our first son, my husband encouraged me to go to the Ladies Bible Study at our chapel. I didn't want to go because I felt that that was for the "older" women. He continued to encourage me to go and I finally submitted. It was the best thing in my life. The women there ranged from my age to retired grandmas. I learned how to discipline my children in love as we poured over the Word of God. I learned that submitting to my husband was God's desire for me and the best thing in the world for me because it was God's protection of me. I learned that there was hope because one of the quietest women I knew used to yell at her children, but because of her husband, she had learned she didn't need to yell. A time of growing.

I remember the years (and there were 4 of them) when my husband wasn't employed and we believed God wanted me to continue to stay home with our children. God graciously provided for our needs throughout those years. We never hungered and we still kept our house. A time of growing.

Thinking back when we had to leave our chapel, our family of God, and move to Arizona for a job which only lasted 9 months. Remembering looking at different churches; trying to find out where we needed to be. Then coming to a little assembly and feeling right at home, even though it was an hour away. The friends made there were for life. Our children still talk about that little church with fond memories. A time of growing.

Believing that God wanted us to leave our comfortable home and church family again for a chance to serve Him in a different country. Not an easy choice, especially since our oldest was about to graduate from high school. It meant his home would no longer be there for him and our new home would be a place he wasn't familiar with. Trusting God to provide our needs not just for a month or even a few months or even a whole year, but for the rest of our lives. A time of growing.

Now the other two are leaving. Through it all God has been so faithful. How can I NOT trust Him for the future? He is able to do beyond what we can even think or imagine. And as this new season starts, there is also the beginning of something else: Grandparents. Our oldest and his wife are expecting a little boy. Though they are miles away, God always allows for us to communicate and still be a part. How can I NOT be thankful!

Times of growing; they are so needed and such blessings. May we praise God for what He does in our lives.

Are We Praying or Complaining? Part 2

The other day I began looking at Moses complaining. I want to continue today. Let's look at the passage again.

Moses said to the Lord, “Why have you dealt ill with your servant? And why have I not found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me?  Did I conceive all this people? Did I give them birth, that you should say to me,‘Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a nursing child,’ to the land that you swore to give their fathers?  Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me and say, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’  I am not able to carry all this people alone; the burden is too heavy for me.  If you will treat me like this, kill me at once, if I find favor in your sight, that I may not see my wretchedness.”

Moses now begins to complain about how "he" is going to give them meat. Again, remembering that there are 600,000 people, did he honestly believe that God expected him to give the people meat? Sometimes we don't look at situation realistically. Unless you are one the richest people in the world AND have access to that kind of food supply, it's not going to happen for anyone! God did not expect Moses to give them meat - that was a "burden" the Lord never meant for him to have. Sometimes our burdens are of our own making.

Moses then goes back to the complaint of this burden. He says it is so great that God should just kill him right there so that Moses won't see his own wretchedness. Notice that I highlighted certain portions of the Scriptures. Moses emphasis is not on the people, or not even on God. No, his emphasis is on himself. "Poor, little me! Take my life and be done with it!" It's easy to feel that way when we take on the weight of the world which is something God NEVER intends for us to do. God gives us what we need, including the burdens we need, so that we may rely upon Him and not ourselves.

Too many times we think we are praying but in all honesty it's complaining. We need to remember Whom we are addressing: the God of the Universe, the One Who redeemed us, the One Who created us. Moses begins with accusation and then just rattles on. He never gives God the chance to respond. How many times do I do that with God? Unfortunately too many. This prayer is focused on Moses - I do that as well. I focus on me and not on the Lord. 

My mother died many years ago from a disease called scleroderma. It caused her a great deal of pain before her death. I can remember her sitting at the kitchen table just crying from the pain. But she would begin to pray (not about the pain) just to talk to God. The tears would go away and a slow joy would spread over her face. Had the pain gone? No, unfortunately, but her mind and heart were settled on something greater, her Lord. She could face it knowing that He was right there carrying her, holding her tightly to Himself, knowing that He had already sacrificed the greatest He could for her. 

This has been a challenge to me to 1) take the time to talk to God  2) wait for a response from God  3) always address Him as He rightly deserves and 4) NEVER accuse God of doing something wrong because He never does. I'm reminded of these verses in Romans 8:28-29 as I close:

 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.  For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

Are We Praying or Complaining? Part 1

This morning my reading had me in Numbers 11 where the children of Israel are complaining again. They want to go back to Egypt because they don't have any meat to eat here in the wilderness. As a group of people they complain quite often; you get used to reading it. But something else struck me as I read this morning. Moses complained in Numbers 11:11-15

Moses said to the Lord, “Why have you dealt ill with your servant? And why have I not found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me? Did I conceive all this people? Did I give them birth, that you should say to me,‘Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a nursing child,’ to the land that you swore to give their fathers? Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me and say, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’  I am not able to carry all this people alone; the burden is too heavy for me. If you will treat me like this, kill me at once, if I find favor in your sight, that I may not see my wretchedness.”

He was tired and felt the burden of this people.Was that wrong? No, there were over 600,000 people and one man being concerned for their welfare is bound to feel burdened. But notice the way he complained.

Moses said to the Lord, “Why have you dealt ill with your servant? And why have I not found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me?  Did I conceive all this people? Did I give them birth, that you should say to me,‘Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a nursing child,’ to the land that you swore to give their fathers?  Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me and say, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’  I am not able to carry all this people alone; the burden is too heavy for me.  If you will treat me like this, kill me at once, if I find favor in your sight, that I may not see my wretchedness.”

The first thing we notice is Moses telling God that He is dealing ill with him, His servant. Moses is accusing God of not treating him right! After all that Moses had seen God do thus far in his life, including all the plagues in Egypt, which God kept from the children of Israel, he felt God was being unfair. "You are not treating Me right!" I have to confess there are many times in my life where I have done just that. I felt that God was being unfair to me and He had no reason to do it.

Tangent:  I was going to write that life is never fair. But I can't. I just started another Bible study on the Gospel of John and in verse 4 it says:

 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

God does all things well. And if I want to to talk about things being unfair, people are unfair. If I say God is unfair, I better define how He is unfair. He is "unfair" in that He allows sinners to be saved by His grace, redeeming them by the precious blood of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and making them righteous enough to be called the children of God, and allowing them to live eternally with Him. As sinful men, they don't deserve ANY of that. But He graciously gives it to them. I wish I could be that unfair to those around me.

Back from tangent: One thing Moses got right in that sentence is that He is God's servant. It's a good reminder for me: I am God's SERVANT first. I am not His equal. When He saved me, He bought me with the life of His very own Son. I am a servant for life. A servant does what he is told.

Moses then goes on to accuse God of not finding favor in Moses and laying the burden of this people on him. Moses seems to overlook the fact that he gets to talk with God and behold His form (Numbers 12:8). No one else in Israel had that privilege. Moses was indeed in great favour with God.

God never lays burdens on us that He knows we can't handle without Him. He says in Matthew 11:30

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

God allows burdens in our lives that we may rely upon Him for the strength we need. Did God want Moses to love the children of Israel as a mother loves her nursing child? Yes, but to carry the weight of the responsibility for caring for them on his own? No, he, and we, are too look to God because in and of ourselves we cannot do it on our own.

Here I Am

This year as part of my devotions, I have decided to write down (by hand) all the prayers in the Bible. Prayer, as we know, is just talking to God. So it's very interesting to see what people say to God. Thus far (I've just started Exodus), most of the talking is done by God. The human part of it is usually very brief.

As I was reading in Exodus 3, I came along Moses and the Lord talking. And something very strange struck me. Most of the times I have noticed that God is the One who initiates the conversation. And almost always the answer He receives is, "Here I am."

It suddenly dawned on me that this is the answer God is always looking for. If you go back to the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3, God calls out to Adam and Eve, "Where are you?" They should have said, "Here we are," but instead they started making excuses - "I was afraid," "The woman you gave me, " "The serpent deceived me."

When we are right with God, our immediate answer to Him will be, "Here I am." When we aren't, excuses are easy to come up with: "I'm tired," "It's his turn, not mine," "What about them?"

God has chosen us, redeemed us, called us to be His children. But we are also the servants of Christ. The apostles saw this and this is how they addressed themselves.

I am very thankful to be a daughter of the king, but sometimes I think we get caught up on the "child" side and forget about the "servant" side. Christ has called us to take up our cross and follow Him. Does it mean that I'm going to die today? Literally, probably not, but to die to myself so that I may say to Him, "Here I am," - yes.

I was going to say that's all He's asking for, but He never asked. It was a command; it's not a choice. The choice is only in whether I am going to be obedient or not. When I say, "Here I am," I am saying to God do with me what You will. That's when He can use us. That's when He will be glorified. That's when I can see Him for Who He is.

Critical to My Christian Life

Yesterday a friend asked me what I would say is the best habit to have spiritually in your life and what is an attitude that I think is crucial. My response for the best habit was to spend time daily in the Word of God as the Spirit can use it to change us. And going along that same line, the best attitude would be to have a teachable attitude, i.e. "Lord, teach me whatever it is You want me to learn and change me."

After thinking about it some more, I really believe what I said. The thing is a habit is not too difficult to develop. Meeting with the Lord at the same time every day so that I can be in His Word has not been too hard. If I don't spend time in His Word I really miss it. It's a part of me.

But to approach the Word with a teachable attitude is not as easy. I think it may be simpler to just read the Word. And that for me is easy. I love to read. Even though I've read through the Scriptures a number of times, I still enjoy reading them. So here is the scary part: I CAN read them and walk away UNCHANGED.

I do believe the Spirit uses the Word to change us and I believe He has been changing me through the years. But this answer has made me question myself. Have I changed as much as I could have? Obviously the answer is no, but I think I may have hit upon a great hindrance - myself being teachable. I have not come as that teachable person, but as a good Christian woman wanting to do what she knows she should - spending time reading the Word of God each day.

To develop the habit of asking the Lord to teach me whatever it is He wants me to learn and to change me? I am challenged by my own words, realizing how very far I fall short of doing this. I know the Scriptures where it says,

      Your word is a lamp to my feet

    And a light to my path.  Psalm 119:105

and

      Your word I have hidden in my heart,
    That I might not sin against You.   Psalm 119:11

But do I put these into practice? Is His Word a lamp for my feet? Is it a light for my path? Yes, I memorize Scriptures but is it really so that I won't sin against Him?

I want to be quiet and ask Him to teach me so that I might truly know Him better. It's what He desires and yet I often forget it. I NEED to ask Him to teach me. When I approach Him with a teachable frame of mind, it puts me in the place I need to be: humble before Him and open to what He wants to say; what He wants to teach me... personally.