3 Jul 2017

Short term missions are not the race

by | posted in: Missions | 127,035

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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    體驗金 $168：新手玩家可以免費試玩，無需任何成本即可體驗高品質遊戲。
    首儲1000送1000：首次存款即可獲得雙倍金額，增加遊戲的樂趣與機會。
    線上簽到轉盤：每日簽到即可參加抽獎，贏取現金獎勵和豐厚禮品。
    快速存提款與資金保障
    RG富遊採用自主研發的財務系統，確保5秒快速存款，滿足玩家即時遊戲需求。
    100%保證出金，杜絕任何拖延或資金安全風險，讓玩家完全放心。
    遊戲種類豐富
    RG富遊娛樂城涵蓋多種遊戲類型，滿足不同玩家的需求，包括：

    真人百家樂：與真人荷官互動，感受真實賭場的刺激氛圍。
    電子老虎機：超過數百款創新遊戲，玩法新穎，回報豐厚。
    電子捕魚：趣味性強，結合策略與娛樂，深受玩家喜愛。
    電子棋牌：提供公平競技環境，適合策略型玩家。
    體育投注：涵蓋全球賽事，賠率即時更新，為體育愛好者提供最佳選擇。
    樂透彩票：參與多地彩票，挑戰巨額獎金。
    跨平台兼容性
    RG富遊支持Web端、H5、iOS和Android設備，玩家可隨時隨地登錄遊戲，享受無縫體驗。

    與其他娛樂城的不同之處
    RG富遊以現金版模式運營，確保交易透明和安全性。相比一般娛樂城，RG富遊在存提款速度上遙遙領先，玩家可在短短15秒內完成交易，並且100%保證資金提領。而在線客服全年無休，隨時提供支持，讓玩家在任何時間都能解決問題。

    相比之下，一般娛樂城多以信用版模式運營，存在出金風險，且存提款速度較慢，客服服務不穩定，無法與RG富遊的專業性相比。

    為什麼選擇RG富遊娛樂城
    資金交易安全無憂：採用最先進的SSL加密技術，確保每筆交易的安全性。
    遊戲種類全面豐富：每日更新多樣化遊戲，帶來新鮮感和無限可能。
    優惠活動力度大：從體驗金到豐厚的首儲獎勵，玩家每一步都能享受優惠。
    快速存提款服務：自主研發技術保障流暢交易，遊戲不中斷。
    全天候專業客服：24/7在線支持，及時解決玩家需求。
    立即加入RG富遊娛樂城
    RG富遊娛樂城不僅提供豐富的遊戲體驗，更以專業的服務、完善的安全保障和多樣的優惠活動，為玩家打造一個值得信賴的娛樂環境。立即註冊，體驗台灣最受歡迎的線上娛樂城！

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