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Lives Changed by Missionaries

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Recently I was honored to speak at one of the worlds largest

gatherings of believers seeking to enter the missions field. Missionaries from all over the world came to share their stories of sacrifice and service. Anyone who believes that a Christian life cant be exciting and purposeful should spend some time with these courageous ambassadors for Christ.

I have great love and admiration for missionaries. My father, my five sisters and I were each led to the Lord by overseas missionaries, and my wife Pat and I spent our early years in missions work throughout Latin America. Our sons have since joined us in our pursuit of the Great Commission – to take the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world – and I pray that several of our grandchildren are not far behind.

In John 20 we hear the words of Jesus – resurrected from the grave – as He challenges His disciples to share Gods love with the lost. “As the Father has sent me,” He says, “so I send you.”

Most of us have come to faith through the outreach of someone sent by God. As you grow in your faith, the Lords heart for the lost will become your heart as well. When that happens, whether its in your own neighborhood or in some distant land, you too will become a missionary – an ambassador for Christ.

A Threat to the Enemy

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Many people in the West claim that they are Christians, but words alone dont necessarily mean that they know Jesus Christ. So, we need to make sure that were a witness to everyone – those who say they are Christians and those who dont.

Some people think that being a Christian is a religious duty, a matter of rituals. Other people think that they are a Christian because their grandparents were. But, neither of those is true. A follower of Jesus is someone who has given their heart and life to Him. Its someone who enjoys life with Jesus Christ here on Earth and will enjoy eternal life with Him in heaven.

Since so many people dont really know what it means to be a Christian, we need to tell them. Satan would love for us to be quiet and just let people think they know our Savior. But, we need to fight! We need to tell our world about Jesus. God will give you the words. All you have to do is be willing to tell others about the cross and the resurrection of our Lord.

Are you a threat to the enemy? Are you reaching your world for Jesus Christ? Ask the Lord, even right now, to give you the courage and opportunity to tell a friend about Him and then go ahead and do it. In the end, that friend of yours may come to faith in Jesus Christ, and boy will they thank you as the ages go by in eternity for the day that you talked to them about Jesus. So do it and be blessed.

Moving Men Through Prayer

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My parents raised me on stories about missionaries from the 1800s since I was a little boy. Even today, I get excited when I hear the accounts of these great, amazing, courageous, men and women of God. It reminds me that we’re all called to ‘go preach the Good News.’

One of my favorite missionary heroes is Hudson Taylor. This Englishman was the first missionary to the interior of China. He later founded the China Inland Mission where he saw hundreds of missionaries follow him, establishing Gospel stations all over China.

Taylor’s motto was to “move men through God, by prayer.” He was a man who did everything, so to speak, on his knees before God, and the Lord honored that. I believe that’s why he was so astonishingly successful in his mission endeavors.

Hudson Taylor died a little over a hundred years ago, but his tremendous legacy follow him in China. Even atheists – national Chinese leaders, who I have met, know about him!

Do you spend time on your knees before the Lord, asking Him to move in the hearts of people who don’t know Him? Matthew 21:22 encourages us, “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

So, let’s you and I follow Hudson Taylor’s lead, and continue praying for the lost people in our world. God has chosen you to work in answer to prayer.

Standing Up for Jesus

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In secular schools, many Christians are afraid of standing up for what they believe, for fear of being ‘politically incorrect,’ and perhaps even getting fired or expelled. But today’s story is about a young student who decided he was not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ because, as Romans says, “it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.”

So this 18-year-old student, in his last year of high school, did something very bold. He wrote a personal letter to every single student in his school of 3,000 kids! In this letter he told his classmates how much Jesus Christ loves them and wants a personal relationship with them. That is terrific!

Talk about courageous! I love hearing stories of young people risking their reputations for the cause of Christ. Just think of how many classmates this student will see in heaven because he loved them enough to tell them about the Lord in a letter. I hope this story encourages you.

Has God been putting something on your heart that seems bold, and perhaps scary? Has He placed a burden on your heart for a specific individual? If so, pray about it, ask for confirmation, and then go all, go for broke, out for the cause of Jesus Christ!