3 Jul 2017

Short term missions are not the race

by | posted in: Missions | 126,142

I am always amazed at the excitement and nervousness from those going on their first short-term mission trip, most of the time they don’t know enough to know what they need to be nervous about. There is an excitement in their eyes as they head into the unknown. They prepare testimonies and lessons, not knowing how God will use them or if they will be effective. They pack what is recommended and wonder if it will be enough. They comfort their parents and loved ones, and try to reassure them everything is going to be alright, while at the same time not knowing what the future holds. But through leading and prayer, the journey begins.

 

A lot of mission team members, especially those who have never been on mission before usually become broken spiritually sometime during the week of the trip. They discover a new outlook on sharing, faith, trust, and God. Why is this? It is simple, during the week they are constantly hearing the word of God either from others sharing or through the preaching or their own study. They also see the word of God come to life. That doesn’t mean that the bible gets up and starts walking around. But they see the Spirit of God begin to work in the lives of the people they come in contact with. They walk the streets with a single purpose, to find the person of peace with whom they can share the good news of the gospel. Some are hit with the hard truth that not all will accept the gospel, so they plant a seed not knowing the condition of the soil. Other times they begin to pour out water onto unknown soil, unaware that a seed exist and has been waiting for the moisture that God will use to bring it to life. They get excited and don’t know what to do when out of the ground springs forth life. A miracle, they get to see cold dead bones come to life. After that experience, they have a drive to share and no longer need to be pushed in front of people to share with. Oh what it would have been like in Acts to walk the streets and see God work, bringing people to life through the proclamation of the Gospel. But wait, could that still happen? And could it happen here?

After returning home and a couple weeks of rest, life returns to normal. The mission was accomplished, people were saved and now we are back comfortable, safe, fed, and loved. Or are we? There is always a sense of completion at the end of a mission trip. Not that that would be wrong in the short term, but there is a since of that was where we were on mission at, but now we are back and we have things to get done. Real stuff, school, work, friends, problems, and you know life. Right?

One of the greatest tragedies we have is short-term missions. I know you saw a bunch of people get saved, and God really “showed up”, but stay with me. There is a since of awe and wonder during the week of a mission trip. And we look forward to the next year when we can go and feel that same since of awe and wonder. But let’s compare it to a race shall we. Anyone who runs foot races understands that you have different splits. These are markers throughout the race to gauge your progress, and to ensure you are on pace. A short-term mission trip is sort of like a split. It is a time to see if you are where you need to be in your spiritual life, in your reading and study of the word, apologetics, doctrines, and if you can articulate them to the world around you. The shortness of the week gives you the opportunity to push yourself hard and to evaluate yourself. The tragedy is that the short-term is looked at, as the race itself. We return with a sense that we ran and will rest up to run again next year.

The race however is not over. In fact it is just beginning. When you return home, it is like passing the first mile marker. The street is no longer filled with cheering fans, the road narrows, and the reality of the race sets in. Here is where we must work our hardest. This is where we must pull from prayer and scripture, the strength to press on. Where most might sit and rest, we must run to win. We don’t just return to normal life, we return with a renewed sense of awe for what God has been doing and we must now trust even more so that He will continue His work. We saw on foreign soil God work in others lives. Now we must trust that He will work in ours for His glory and to reach those around us. We are home; this is where we must turn from our sins, where we must love God more than mother and father, more than friends and things. This is where we live out what we preach, if we believe that which we have taught. Did we believe it? Do we believe it? If so, then are we disciplined for the miles ahead? Paul tells the church at Corinth “I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified”. Are we disqualified or are we still in the race?

There are no short-term missionaries; there are only missionaries in different context. When we return to our Jerusalem, let us seek the hope that is only found in Christ. Let us not lean on our own understanding, our own wisdom, which is foolishness. Let us not fall victim to busyness and the lure of shiny objects that promise fulfillment. Let our knees be worn out for those nearest to us. Let our time be determined by the cross and His call, trusting that He will provide the time for work, family, fun, and ministry, as we continue the race. We have found our greatest joy in walking by faith; let us not check our faith with Homeland Security as we return home. But let us be reminded daily where our ultimate security is found and where our joy is greatest. Wherever you woke up at, wherever you find yourself, wherever you stand today, then that is your mission field. Time to get running.

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    九州集團宣布退出台灣市場 電子遊戲玩家該如何應對？

    近日，九州娛樂集團正式宣布進一步調整策略，將退出台灣市場，並停止所有在台灣的運營，包括 LEO娛樂城和 THA娛樂城。這一消息無疑引起了廣泛關注，許多玩家都在懷疑接下來的遊戲體驗會受到什麼影響。

    #### 退出的原因揭密

    九州集團在公告中提到，退出台灣市場的原因主要包括：

    1. 競爭激烈：隨著市場競爭的白熱化，越來越多的平台為了爭奪市場份額而忽略了長期的穩定經營，這導致多個平台運營問題頻出。

    2. 資金流問題：部分平台在金流處理方面遭遇挑戰，無法保證玩家資金的安全與及時提款，進一步削弱了玩家的信任感。

    3. 監管壓力：隨著行業規範的不斷提升，部分平台難以滿足合規要求，這直接導致服務中斷，甚至被迫退出市場。

    4. 玩家需求變化：近年來，玩家對平台的穩定性、安全性和多樣化遊戲選擇的要求越來越高，只有實力雄厚的品牌才能夠滿足這些需求。

    #### 轉向富遊娛樂城的好處

    面對 LEO及 THA 退出的消息，九州娛樂集團也向玩家推薦了 RG 富遊娛樂城，這是一個深受玩家支持的賭場品牌。富遊娛樂城提供多項優勢，可以幫助玩家順利轉移，繼續享受遊戲體驗。

    – 穩定性高：富遊娛樂城利用行業前沿的技術支持，確保平台運行穩定可靠，減少登入問題和系統故障的風險。

    – 安全性強：該平台應用頂級數據加密技術，全面保護玩家的資金和個人隱私，讓玩家無後顧之憂。

    – 遊戲多樣化：富遊娛樂城提供豐富的遊戲 selections，包括真人娛樂、電子遊戲、體育博彩等，能滿足不同玩家的需求。

    #### 專為九州娛樂城會員設計的福利

    為了保障受到 LEO及 THA 影響的玩家權益，富遊娛樂城推出了一系列回饋措施：

    – VIP 等級保留：來自 LEO 和 THA 的玩家將保留或直接升級至對應的 VIP 等級，確保權益不受影響。

    – 註冊優惠：新加入富遊娛樂城的玩家將獲得高達168的體驗金、100% 首存加碼及專屬新手禮包。

    – 簡化轉移過程：富遊娛樂城為用戶提供簡單的轉移計劃，無需繁瑣手續，讓每位玩家可以專注於遊戲的樂趣。

    ### 結語

    隨著九州娛樂集團宣布退出台灣市場，玩家們面臨著轉移平台的挑戰。儘管這一變化令人感到遺憾，但富遊娛樂城作為一個可靠的替代選擇，將為玩家的遊戲體驗帶來穩定的保障。玩家應該把握這一機會，迅速安排好轉移和註冊事宜，以確保不斷享受遊戲的樂趣。

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