THE UPWARD SPIRAL - How missions zeal leads to missions zeal, which leads to missions zeal

Missions zeal leads to missions sending, which leads to missions news and missionary visits, which leads to missions zeal

A zeal for missions in local churches leads to churches sending missionaries. This leads to churches supporting and then sending missionaries themselves. This leads to missions news and visits by missionaries and a heartfelt commitment by local congregations as they personally “own” the missionary task. This leads to missions zeal, which, again, leads to missions sending….
An upward spiral!

There is a truth in missions history, and it is this: God often calls missionaries by means of other missionaries. God often draws people into involvement in missions by means of involvement in missions.

Because of this, I have been very busy on the road!

As a missionary passes through local congregations, speaks and makes missions real to people, God often chooses this particular time to plant the missionary call in the listener’s soul. God often implants the missionary call into a soul after exposure to another missionary – like a virus!

I have a goal to mobilize and recruit more missionaries. I long to help fill some of the vast needs that I see every day overseas. My heart aches and I have wept over things that I have seen. I want you to come and weep with me; and also work!

I am aware that God works by means. One means by which God calls missionaries into service is by bringing a real, live missionary to talk to a church. For some reason, there are many Christians who want to serve in missions, but their ideas about possible missions service floats in their minds in a fuzzy way that is not actionable until a real, live missionary can be consulted. It often seems that, to make missions actionable, it takes the presence of a missionary, someone who people can see, hear, and ask questions to. Then, missions becomes real, tangible and doable.

I know that I am not eloquent or flashy. I think these deficiencies are actually advantageous to my task. How? This lack of smoothness allows people to see me for who I am, an imperfect servant whom God is using to advance His Kingdom. These deficiencies that others see in me might, in fact, embolden others to serve in missions; “If he can serve, certainly I can serve too.” And if the Lord is pleased to use even this aspect of my service, then I rejoice.

So, please join this upward spiral with me. Tell people about missions. Send me your questions. Let me speak to your group about missions. Put people into contact with me. If they are not impressed with me, then so much the better because, if I can serve, maybe they can too!

Good missions quote by Jim Elliot

“It makes me boil when I think of the power we profess and the utter impotency of our action. Believers who know one-tenth as much as we do are doing one hundred times more for God, with His blessing and our criticism.”

Lecrae - Send Me

I am an Ozark Hillbilly. I don't like rap. But I heard about Lecrae and I checked out his video, and I can praise God for it. He has solid lyrics and has been on the Al Mohler show and does a good inner-city work in Memphis I believe.

Below are the words. The beat might stretch some out of their comfort zones, but I guess the piano and Fanny Crosby might as well in some cultures.

I was drawn to the words and the passion and I will add this: I would love to see the black churches in the US make a reversal out of their predominantly bad theology and begin to once again engage in missions on the levels that they did prior to the Civil War, when many, many went to Liberia and other places in Africa as missionaries. Now, blacks make up 13% of the US population but only a fraction of the foreign missionary force. I would love for God to reverse this trend and I pray that God would mobilize this demographic:



Send me I'll go,
send me I'll go,
send me I'll go,
lemme go lemme go!
(repeat x4)

i seen it with my own two,
there's no way i can show you
a perfectly poverty stricken people with no view.
And i bet you can't believe this,
they never heard of jesus.
Heard young butler, lil wayne, and young jeezy.

No one's signing up to go on missions this summa.
Rather sit at home and watch exibit pimp in a humma
while a nine year old is shot down.
No one's screaming 'stop now!'
no bridge illustrations for criminals who on lock down.

People deep in africa
looking for an answer bra'.
In china man,
they're dieing man,
until they know who died for sins.
So look what grace did.
Not for us to stay here
inside our comfort zones
at home in mama's basement.

Get out on the grind y'all.
Ain't no better time doll.
I know y'all read the great commission.
Let me just remind y'all:
make disciples of the nations.
Teach'm to obey the lord.
Have to lead someone to christ before i face the lord.

Send me I'll go,
send me I'll go,
send me I'll go,
lemme go lemme go!
(repeat x4)

hey! After, 1,000 years in the west and the churches
get'n bigger daily without understand'n worship. (say what?)
Some regenerate but a lot ain't saved.
You walk outside and be surprised cuz the block ain't changed.
And the numbers they be get'n me.
Something just ain't hit'n them.
America ain't christian they practice'n the ritual.
That's why we should be missional.
Hey, what you think i'm spit'n for?
The united states is die'n
and in the east is looking pitiful.

Some places if they catch you
they'll arrest you.
They'll serve you,
but they still need the word too.
The gospel should be heard too.
We claim we ain't ashamed,
but we ain't hit the block up.
Were in our christian bubble,
while our brotha's get'n locked up.
Lord i wanna stock up,
pack a bag and walk up
in a country where my faith may get me shot up
anywhere i go, whether my city or far abroad,
i just wanna show' christ the risen holy god.

Send me I'll go,
send me I'll go,
send me I'll go,
lemme go lemme go!
(repeat x4)

i know they're die'n in the streets over in the middle east.
Some kids sink in piece
others hold'n up a piece.
If the violence doesn't cease,
then at least the deceased
might know jesus as their savior as their bodies hit the streets.
And i know this is a graphic view.
And i pray that it's attack'n you.
Track'n you to act and do
what you see in the back illusion.
Mathew twenty-four and fourteen.
We should read it twice
before we think that life is just a battle
see we free in christ!
Look dawg! Life is more than church work and football!
What if you were dead and seen that christians overlooked y'all!
This is why we leave the couch
and leave the comforts of our house
to show a die'n world a god they'll probably never read about.

The great commission says make disciples of all nations.
Have we even made them in our own nation?
Come on christians!
Missions exist because worship doesn't.
People don't worship the god who made them.
We're ambassadors.
Let's go!

Send me I'll go,
send me I'll go,
send me I'll go,
lemme go lemme go!
(repeat x4)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbVstiSoweA

A good video about missions and evangelistic motivation

Books on Spiritual Warfare - a very important missionary topic

The devil is real, is active, and is vicious.

We need not fall into Christo-animistic ritualism, fear, or the addressing of any spirits.

We rely on prayer, addressed to God, and in the normal means of grace.

Here are some books on the subject of spiritual warfare, a subject that is popular of late and also very important in missions.

VIDEO - Make History!

Make History from Acts1v8 on Vimeo.

VIDEO - What is an Unreached People Group?

What is an Unreached People Group? from Acts1v8 on Vimeo.