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Eternity 68 - Except They Be Sent
Romans 10:14-15 ASV How then shall they call on him
in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him whom they
have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? (15) and how
shall they preach, except they be sent? even as it is written, How beautiful
are the feet of them that bring glad tidings of good things!
Acts 13:1-3 ASV Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there,
prophets and teachers, Barnabas, and Symeon that was called Niger, and Lucius
of Cyrene, and Manaen the foster-brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
(2) And as they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Spirit said,
Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
(3) Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them,
they sent them away.
"How shall they preach, except they be sent?" One of the great
tragedies of mission today is the lack of "sending". By sending
I mean really sending the missionary, taking care of their support and needs,
being behind them all the way in prayer, pastoral care and logistical support.
Here in the Philippines there are thousands of evangelicals with M.Div's
wanting to be missionaries and no-one willing to send them. The West has
prayed for the raising up of "national workers and missionaries".
Ok they are raised up! But they are staying at home. I could easily send
100 people into Muslim evangelism for a total as little as $300,000 per
annum - Filipino Christians are happy to live on $200 a month! But even
that much money is not available. It is so frustrating. Please pray that
sustainable ways of funding and supporting Filipino missionaries can be
found. In the past few years thousands have committed their lives to Muslim
evangelism but only a handful have made it to the field and the most promising
are still stuck at the deputation stage unable to raise the needed support.
Its a tragedy.
Sending is a passionate thing, involving a deep belief in the sacredness
of human potential and of God's calling in the lives of His servants. Sending
is much more than funding. Its praying, its pastoral care and in-service
training and logistics and communication and so many other things. Sending
should be a deep, spiritual thing, a shared sense of the Lord having spoken
over a human life or over a team like Saul and Barnabas. Yes, there are
a few flaky people wanting to be missionaries and we should not send those,
but the good solid folk I meet here, the prepared and called - and frustrated.
These must be mobilized, we owe it to them and to God and to the unsaved.
The cost of Filipino missionaries is low and their cultural knowledge and
sensitivity is high. They can easily enter most countries is S.E. Asia,
and many of the world's most unreached people groups. They are a force waiting
to be unleashed by God!
As you may have quickly guessed this is a deep passion of mine. I am continually
editing this devotional as I do not want to come across too strongly or
have you think I am asking you for funds. But I do want you to be aware
of two things a) that missions in Asia can be done by the Asian church and
Asian personnel. b) that those personnel are now trained, motivated, and
informed. The challenge is now suitable Asian sending structures - and funds.
Ideally the funds should come from Asian businessmen and churches, but I
don't think it will be sufficient for another ten years or so, until the
missionaries we have in the wings now have gone out, done a few terms, and
come back successful. (Asian churches tend to be a bit conservative "wait
and see", with a few exceptions). Meanwhile we are losing a huge window
of opportunity. Somewhere out there is a solution - the answer to sending
Asian missionaries into Asia.
What is the laternative? How will they go unless they are sent? As mavericks,
as independent missionaries, or as impulsive "get on a plane for Jesus"
types. Some "unsent ones" may work as tent-makers - which is an
exhausting way to be a missionary. Without proper sending such people are
unprayed for, and often uncared for. Burn out is common. We must start sending
God's called one's out into their destiny. Its imperative. Less and less
people are going from the West, the new missionaries must be from the East
and from Africa. But how will they be sent? There must be a connection between
those with the power to send and those who need to be sent. Something needs
to be done, now - that's new. Because, the cost of leaving things as they
are is just far too high for all concerned. I'll leave you with some words
from Jesus:
Matthew 9:37-38 ASV Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest indeed
is plenteous, but the laborers are few. (38) Pray ye therefore the Lord
of the harvest, that he send forth laborers into his harvest.
Blessings,
John Edmiston
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