Mentoring Monday : Missions

 
As you know for the month of June our focus has been missions. We hope it has opened your eyes to some of the work God is doing all across the world!


For this our final Mentoring Monday focus on Missions let's bring it closer to home.  You may be familiar with Answers in Genesis and their president Ken Ham.

Here is a letter we received from the ministry.

  " Before Mally and I moved to the USA in 1987 with our four young children, our

church in Australia set us apart as missionaries in "creation evangelism." 

Our church actually saw us as missionaries to the USA.

   Over the years, I would begin my presentation in U.S. churches with something like: " My wife and I, and our children,moved to America as 

Missionaries to a pagan culture." 

    Usually people laughed out loud at the comment.  After all, there are so many 

churches, Bible colleges, Christian radio stations in America, etc., that you wouldn't normally think of someone being called to be " a missionary to the USA."

    Of course, churches in America are known to have sent thousands upon thousands of missionaries to other parts of the world. Americans tend to think of missionaries only as those people who are going to other countries where there isn't much of a Christian influence.

   I have noticed a change in this nation in the last few years-and particularly since the November election. Today when I tell a conference or church audience that Mally and I came to America as missionaries to a pagan country, I don't hear as many people laughing anymore. Instead, I sometimes hear words like "thank you," or "amen," and so on.

   You see, more and more people in the church today are recognizing that America is becoming increasingly pagan every day ! This nation has all but abandoned God and His Word. In fact, in many ways,the USA has shaken its fist at God in defiance of His Word on such issues as 'gay"marriage, abortion,etc.

   Now, since that call that God placed in our hearts 25 years ago to become missionaries to America, I have always said that our calling was not primarily to the culture as a whole but to the church. I earnestly believe the call on our lives was to be missionaries to the American church, and our first priority was to get the church back to the authority of the Word of God. 

  You see, God ordained the church to be the salt and light in the culture so that people would hear the truth of God's Word and the gospel. But the Scripture states:

  "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be    seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled                   underfoot by men." (Matthew 5:13)

    Salt loses its flavor when it is contaminated! Sadly, much of the "salt" in the American church today is contaminated with secular beliefs!

     In fact, I've often said that we need to call for a new reformation in the American church-that Christian leaders and God's people in the church need to repent of compromise and return to the full authority of the Word of God.  

     I've often asked my seminar audiences:  "How can we tell the world that they need to believe God's Word, when much of the American church is saying something like 'well we don't have to believe in Genesis? No, we don't need to accept that.'"

    Yes-the church itself needs a form of evangelizing!  America needs its own internal missionaries to call the church and culture back to the authority of the Bible.

     We each have a decision to make.  When we face certain trends and movements, will we withdraw or will we engage?  People's actions - which make up culture - do not happpen in a vacum.  They come from a view of and for the world, realized or not.

    These are challenging thoughts.  What will we do with them?  How are we allowing our thoughts and in turn our actions to be shaped?   We encourage you to prayerfully consider where do you stand on these issues ?...... The future of America depends on the state of the church and the state of the church depends on families and individuals that are following the authority of the Word of God.  

   Following is a list of organizations that you will find helpful in equipping you to understand this issue:

www.summit.org

www.answersingenesis.org

www.visionforum.com

Mentoring Monday : Rhymz Suhreal

In the month of June our focus is missions. So this week we thought we'd share with you
about the ministry of Zack and Becky Alwin : Rhymz Suhreal. You can read more about their mission @ : www.rhymzsuhreal.com  

In ‘97 we started our journey together. One that has grown over time to include sacred vows, four children, good friends, a lot of moves, and an ever increasing faith. As we live, we are not left unmoved by the world around us. Struggle and redemption, heartaches and hopes, beginnings and ends— these are the moments that make up life.

Through the poetry of lyrics and the language of song, we share with you our moments.

Ultimately, we see our story connected to one that is bigger than even our own individual one, it’s woven into a greater story—and we think that is good news.

This is our soundtrack to the world we live in. This is our music,
for life.

Peace—
Zak and Becky Alwin

Eric Ludy - Intercession

                                 

Powerful !

Mentoring Monday's for the Month of June : Missions

Why is Missions Important? 

First of all, missions is important because of the cross of Christ. If we were to choose only one symbol to represent Christianity over the centuries, it would be the cross. The cross has always been at the very center of our faith. At the cross God demonstrated His love for all humanity and provided a way for all to experience the forgiveness of sin. The Apostle John reminds us that Christ “is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” Since Christ died for the sins of the whole world, it is logical that we should be deeply concerned about reaching every individual with the gospel.

Second, missions is important because of the command of Christ. In all four Gospels and also in the Book of Acts, Jesus Christ gives us the Great Commission. It is never presented as an option to be considered, but always as a mandate to be obeyed. For nearly 2,000 years, the marching orders of the church have been, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” The phrase “all the world” means that when it comes to our proc­lamation of the gospel, everyone is to be included and no one is to be excluded. As one theologian said, “We must be global Chris­tians with a global vision because our God is a global God.” When God’s heart for the world becomes the heart of the church, then the church will surrender to do whatever needs to be done so that “every creature” has the opportunity to hear the gospel.

Third, missions is important because of the coming of Christ. In Acts 1, as Jesus ascended up into heaven, two angels asked the disciples, “Why stand ye gazing up into heaven?” It’s as if the angels were saying, “Don’t you have something you need to be doing? You aren't supposed to be gazing up into heaven, but rather you are to be going into the world.” Then there was the angelic reminder that there is limited time to accomplish the Great Commission because “this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” If we truly believe in the imminent return of Jesus Christ, world evangelism will become an urgent priority in our churches.

One organization that we support is Gospel for Asia :www.gfa.org

Gospel for Asia's Mission statement is :We are committed as a family of believers to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with lost men, women and children throughout South Asia who have still not heard His precious name.

We rejoice to see the mighty works of God as individual lives are transformed and whole villages experience the love of Christ.

We join our hearts to be the hands and feet of Jesus, for such a time as this. Together, by His Spirit, we can reach this generation.

"'Not by might - nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD of hosts." — Zechariah 4:6