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Greetings,
Overwhelming difficulties and obstacles are no match for God.
Many times our "giants" are so huge simply because we have compared
them to ourselves and failed to include the "God-factor."
"And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the
giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were
in their sight" (Numbers 13:33).
When the twelve spies went into the land of Canaan, most came
back with a negative report, full of fear and discouragement. Ten
spies somehow forgot that God had already promised to give them the
land. Instead they evaluated their chance for success in terms of
their own abilities and resources.
This temptation to look at circumstances from an earthly
perspective is very natural - and dangerous. We have far more than
our own strength to count on; we can depend on the resources and
promises of Almighty God.
| Message from the Devil |
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You Shouldn't Get Missions Training at BSWE
Because...
At BSWE, they spend too much time teaching you not only how
to pray, but praying with you. You know you can just work hard
and change the world. There are many colleges that can give
you all the "programs and methods."
Who needs to know how to pray if you're going to the field?
Don't go to the place where they spend all night calling on
God. Programs are where it's at. Prayer is for weak people.
You're so strong you don't need to pray. Just trust the Devil.
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| Parents of Missionaries |
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Tips for Getting Through the Holidays
Separation from loved ones involves loss. When missionaries
leave for the field and are sent off with celebration and
rejoicing, their parents experience a mixture of pride and
loss that may not be observed or understood. Here are some
suggestions to help parents of missionaries cope with the
holidays.
Plan ahead to avoid exhaustion. Being worn out
accentuates all other feelings of sadness or loss. Seek to
simplify your Christmas activities this year.
List all the good new things God has provided even as
you have had to endure the absence of loved ones on the
mission field.
List all the good things you can think of about having
an adult child in missions.
Locate other parents of missionaries in your area. Work out
a plan to stay in contact, even once a week, during the
holidays. If possible, plan to attend together one event that
everyone would enjoy.
Find new ways to include your missionary children and
grandchildren in your celebration or to be a part of theirs.
Make your own "books on tape" for grandchildren, write and
send an email "journal" about holiday preparations and
activities, open gifts together while on the phone, learn to
send digital photos, invite your children's friends to join
your celebration. Think creatively and plan ahead.
(used with permission: written by a parent of a
missionary)
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| Missions as Passion |
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Missions is a passion in your church when you can
say...
"We facilitate training efforts while missionaries are
on the field and when home on furlough."
"We make world evangelism a major focus of all church
ministries."
"More than one-third of our annual church income goes
to missions."
"Passionate prayer for missions occurs frequently in
the groups and ministries of our church."
"Our people support and participate in cross-cultural
ministries at home and abroad."
"All age groups understand that God's glory in all the
earth is our passion."
"Our missionaries are viewed and treated as extended
staff of our church."
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| Must Read! |
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You have to read this book! It is a thoroughly biblical
treatment of a world-visionary, disciple- making,
strategy-focused church model. Get it and read it; and
then read it again. And as we said in the army:
learn it; like it; love it; live it! Here are some
excerpts:
"The real problem with Christianity is not atheism or
skepticism; but the non-witnessing, non-productive Christian
trying to smuggle his own soul into heaven all alone."
"Dr. Luke accepted personal responsibility for building
Theophilus, engaged in pain-staking research on behalf of
Theophilus, developed precise resources to equip Theophilus
and did everything humanly possible to generate persistent
reproduction of other world- visionary, world-impacting,
multiplying disciples through Theophilus."
"Discipling is one Christian person imparting his whole
life to another, by example, leadership, and relationship. It
always involves life-transference."
"We need to immediately stop asking, 'How many decisions
did you have?' and begin asking, 'How many disciples
are you building?'"
"You will never do anything more Christ-like than the
training of groups of people to live in union with Jesus
Christ inwardly, and to reproduce, multiply, and impact the
whole wide world outwardly."
Herb Hodge's book is available from:
- Spiritual Life Ministries
- 3562 Marconi Cove
- Memphis, TN 38118
- (901) 362-1622
- herbslm@mindspring.com
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| Dietrich Bonhoeffer |
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"A righteous person is one who lives for the next
generation."
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Hudson Taylor's Philosophy |
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Insignia: Hudson Taylor designed the insignia of
the China Inland Mission (now the OMF) with two, cupped-hands
reaching heavenward and arrows pointing downward indicating
answered prayer. He established a schedule of daily and weekly
prayer meetings for incoming missionaries during supervised
training.
Missionary Spouses: "It is most important
that married missionaries should be double missionaries, not
half or a quarter or eighth-part missionaries..Unless you
intend your wife to be a true missionary, not merely a wife,
homemaker, and friend, do not join us."
Headquarters on the Field: Hudson Taylor
preferred a headquarters on the field to insure that policy
decisions were made on the field rather than in a western
culture and to allow indigenous leaders to have input in
decisions which affected them.
Missionary Preparation in Three Phases: First, a
three-week stateside orientation; second, a two and a half
month field orientation (in the case of China, it was a
"Missionary Boot Camp" in Singapore prior to going to specific
fields of service); and third, a one-year stint in a "Study
House" on their specific field of service where cultural
learning was provided with a heavy emphasis in language
acquisition (Hudson Taylor believed that a "reasonable time"
was only half a year. Once he wrote home seeking new recruits
for the inland provinces of China, and assured those who
volunteered that they would probably be preaching in Chinese
within six months).
Culture Adjustment: Hudson Taylor made all
incoming missionaries memorize and repeat the phrase, "It's
not wrong, it's just different" over and over.
Death of Missionaries: When 58 of the China
Inland Mission's Missionaries died along with 21 children
during the Boxer Rebellion of 1900, Hudson Taylor wrote to
those still on the field, "It is a wonderful honour He has
put upon us as a mission to be trusted with so great a trial,
and to have among us so many counted worthy of a martyr's
crown." |
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