August 2005 – Page 9 – Maxson Central

02/08/2005

I’m looking for ideas

It probably isn't obvious, but I'm looking for ideas…ideas on how to meet people. Does anyone have any ideas?

02/08/2005

Here is a link to a blog ran by a missionary in Australia: http://www.backyardmissionary.com. I haven't read all his posts yet so I don't know if I agree with his view or not. I hope by reading his site, I can get some ideas on how to be a "missionary" in Richmond (he is virtually a native Australian).

[Update 11 March 2007] As I was copying this article over, I wanted to let everyone know that I don't support everything (probably most) of this guys stuff. After reading his blog for a few weeks, I made up my mind he was fairly liberal. But, he's still in my rss reader.

02/08/2005

Shopping for Jesus?

My daily routine includes parusing the prayer requests on the Board's Intranet, going over the highlights off Baptist Press, and prayer. This morning, several stories on BP really struck me. The first is how a seemingly random encounter was used. It highlights how mindful we need to be of God's Kingdom and the Kingdom work He would have us to do.

FIRST-PERSON: The shopping trip from heaven

RICHMOND, Va. (BP)–Not in my wildest dreams would I have thought that a shopping trip in South Africa with Christian author/speaker Beth Moore would turn into a movement of prayer — and a missionary devotional book called "Voices of the Faithful."

I had never met Beth or heard her speak in person until the eventful week in 2002 when she came to teach Southern Baptist missionary women from all over southern Africa. We went shopping one afternoon during some free time, and Beth asked me all about my missionary work. As the conversation developed, she found out that I, too, was a writer.

“I’ve always wanted to write down missionary stories,” she said. “Would you be interested in collaborating with me on something like that?”

Honestly, I didn’t know what to say. But that day started a year of prayer and seeking God on the matter.

02/08/2005

How more could be reached?

If I were a betting man, I would bet that there are people willing to serve God, but don't because they cannot get support. How many more could be reached via CP on Baptist Press asks this very question. It is well worth thinking about.

It irks me that people will buy an RV and go to the lake for a month, but they won't invest a couple thousand dollars and a couple weeks in eternity by going to a foreign country and sharing the Gospel with people who have never heard," Wittman said. "Either we are or we aren't disciples. If we are, then each of us should be involved in some way in sharing the Gospel.

You know, it irks me too. Why aren't we more Kingdom minded? Is it because we don't care? Are our hearts that hard? Are we really saved?

02/08/2005

Could we do this?

The local religious leader began to stir up the town’s people against a new follower of Jesus, a young man called N. Stones were gathered, and the villagers rushed to lay hold of N., dragging him to the predetermined place for stoning.

Just as the first stones were raised in the villagers' hands, a sudden storm with a mighty wind and rain materialized. The deluge drove the villagers away. N. was shaken, but unharmed.

This angered the religious leader even more, and he made a plan with others to try again. Several days after the attempted stoning, the same young men seized N., holding him down while they kicked him, beat him and cut his throat. The young victim survived this brutality and was hospitalized.

We visited N. in the state hospital, offering legal advice and medical assistance. I told him, "This is illegal and is against your constitution. We can go to the state prosecutor, who will assist you."

His response, however, was, "Thank you for your offer of help, but the Bible says to forgive those who persecute you. I am going back home and will visit with those who beat me. I will tell them that God forgave my sins. I forgive them."

Just as I wrote in this blog post about living for Jesus or dying for Jesus

Are we called to die for the cause of Christ? Certanly if the situation demads it. But, isn't it harder to lay down my life every day at His feet and live for Him instead of myself??

02/08/2005

How willing are we?

Imagine a scene in your typical church on baptism Sunday. Several people are going to be baptized. They get up, go down into the baptistry, the pastor asks them several questions so they can publicly confess their conversion, they are imersed, everyone claps, we sing, everyone goes home.

Now, imagine the same situation except in a land where it is illegal to be a Christian. Instead of a pastor, a young girl is being baptized by her dad in a swimming pool. As she prepares to be baptized, he asks her several questions:

Do you believe in Jesus?
Has He forgiven your sins?
Do you promise to walk with Him always?
When they come into our house and take us away, when they beat us and try to get us to deny Him, will you still follow Jesus?

–Exerpt from http://bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=21325

Did you catch that last question?! "When they come into our house and take us away, when they beat us and try to get us to deny Him, will you still follow Jesus?" Christian, are we prepared to give up all that we have–including our lives–for the cause of Christ? That would never happen you say. True…it may not happen here in America that way…yet. However, this isn't really about dying for Jesus. It is about LIVING for Jesus. What is the state of our heart? Are we really committed to following Jesus? When we sing the invitation hymn that goes "…I have decided to follow Jesus… Though none go with me still I will follow. No turning back…" do we really mean it? Or is it simply a song that we sing for invitation? Do we mean those words? Or are we singing a song?

01/08/2005