3 Jul 2017

Short term missions are not the race

by | posted in: Missions | 87,335

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.

87335 Responses

  1. Seo Link Building For Saas
    | Reply

    ## Comprehending the Value of Link Building

    Link building includes getting backlinks
    from other sites to your own. Those links are
    viewed as approvals of credibility by Google. The more high-quality links you get, the higher your webpage’s probability of
    appearing more prominently on SERPs.

    ## Categories of Backlinks

    ### Editorial Links

    Editorial links are earned without work from the website owner.
    These links appear when other sites see your articles useful and reference it.

    ### Solicited Links

    Manual links include deliberately acquiring links from other
    webmasters. This can include emailing bloggers,
    soliciting links to your content.

    ### Self-Made Links

    User-Generated links are made by inserting your site’s
    link to blog comments. While these links may give
    a immediate improvement, they often come with poor value and can result in sanctions from Bing.

    ## Efficient Link Building Strategies

    ### Post Creation & Distribution

    Creating relevant content that naturally attracts links is a
    fundamental technique for effective link building.
    Here are some suggestions:

    – Write high-quality blog posts that address common problems in your field.

    – Create infographics that display detailed information in an digestible way.

    – Write comprehensive tutorials on topics that are relevant
    to your audience.

    ### Guest Blogging

    Guest blogging is a further effective method to build authoritative backlinks.
    This entails creating posts for other blogs in your industry.
    Make sure that your guest blogs are high-quality and contain a backlink to your
    page.

    ### Broken Link Building

    Broken link fixing is a method that includes finding broken links on other sites and proposing your content as a replacement.

    This does more than aids the webmaster fix their broken link but
    also gives you a high-quality link.

    ### Connecting and Collaboration

    Building relationships with other site owners in your field is a sustainable strategy for acquiring
    backlinks. Below are some actions to take:

    – Get involved in discussion boards pertaining to your field.

    – Distribute other users’ content and offer valuable feedback.

    – Collaborate on collaborative projects such as research studies.

    ### Social Media

    Distributing your content on social platforms can enhance its exposure and
    chance to acquire links. Interact with your followers on platforms like Facebook and Instagram to develop a robust digital
    footprint.

    ## Assessing the Effectiveness of Your Link Building Strategy

    ### Applications for Link Analysis

    Several software are out there to help you evaluate the success of your link
    building strategy. Some popular applications are:

    – GA
    – Ahrefs
    – Moz
    – SEMrush’s Tools
    – Majestic SEO

    ### Indicators to Track

    When evaluating the performance of your link building strategy, take
    into account the following indicators:

    – Domain Rating
    – Page Authority
    – Quantity of linking domains
    – Relevance of backlinks
    – Hits generated from links

    ### Adjusting Your Approach

    According to the data collected from your assessment, modify your link building plan to improve
    its effectiveness. It might entail concentrating on various types of content, focusing on new websites, or updating your contact
    approach.

    ## Typical Pitfalls in Link Building and How to Avoid Them

    ### Bad Links

    One of the typical mistakes is obtaining low-quality links from unrelated or spammy pages.
    These hyperlinks may damage your website’s SEO.

    ### Excessive Optimization

    Utilizing exact-match anchor text too often can cause penalties from Bing.
    Target a natural blend of link text.

    ### Ignoring Nofollow Attributes

    Even though nofollow links do not pass search
    engine value, they can nonetheless bring traffic and improve
    recognition.

    ## Upcoming Developments in Link Building

    ### AI and Hyperlink Strategy

    With the advancement of machine learning, link building methods
    are getting more sophisticated. Machine learning applications can assist in discovering valuable backlink sources and predicting their impact
    on search engine ranking.

    ### Voice Search and SEO

    The increase of voice queries is altering the manner content is accessed.
    This will affect link building by altering the focus to spoken phrases and long-tail
    search terms.

    ## Final Thoughts

    Efficient link building is a vital part of SEO. By grasping the importance of
    authoritative hyperlinks, implementing various methods, and regularly
    evaluating your efforts, you can improve your site’s ranking and
    achieve greater positions on Google.

    By staying updated with the newest trends and avoiding frequent pitfalls, you will
    move through the dynamic world of SEO and achieve enduring performance.

  5. ناصر رسولی
    | Reply

    سلام!
    ناصر رسولی هستم
    من ناصر رسولی هستم مدیر پلتفرم ارسال رپورتاژ سئو هکر با بیش از 5000 دامنه
    فعال ایرانی و خارجی ، با اجرای بیش از 3000 پروژه موفق سئو ، با اجرای بیش
    از 1200 مشاوره موفق سئو ، اولین معرف سیستم PBN و PDN در ایران ، آموزش دهنده سئو منفی ، سئو خاکستری
    ، سئو سیاه با جدیدترین متدهای روز
    دنیا…

    در این وب سایت سعی بر این دارم از تجربیاتم
    در دنیای وسیع سئو بگم و در حد توان کمکتون کنم که بتونید تجربه شیرینی از سئو داشته باشید.

    https://seohacker.academy/blog/
    سئو هکر آکادمی
    سئو هکر

  6. سئو هکر
    | Reply

    I’ve been exploring for a bit for any high-quality articles or blog posts in this sort of house .
    Exploring in Yahoo I eventually stumbled upon this website.
    Studying this info So i’m happy to convey that I’ve a very good uncanny feeling I found out exactly what I needed.
    I so much definitely will make sure to don?t overlook this website and
    give it a glance regularly.

  7. bokep hd
    | Reply

    You should take part in a contest for one of the most useful websites on the internet.
    I’m going to recommend this website!

  8. bokep abg
    | Reply

    Hi there colleagues, its wonderful article regarding cultureand entirely explained, keep
    it up all the time.

  9. . Manukau Family Law Expert
    | Reply

    You could certainly see your expertise within the work you
    write. The arena hopes for more passionate writers like you who aren’t afraid to say how they believe.
    All the time go after your heart.

  11. kontol kuda
    | Reply

    It’s in fact very difficult in this full of activity life to listen news on TV, so I only use
    internet for that reason, and obtain the hottest information.

  13. opium
    | Reply

    Heya! I’m at work surfing around your blog from
    my new iphone! Just wanted to say I love reading through your blog and look forward to all your
    posts! Keep up the great work!

  15. Lelia
    | Reply

    Howdy I am so delighted I found your site, I really found you by accident, while I was browsing on Google for something else, Anyways I am here now and would just like to say cheers for a remarkable post and a all round enjoyable blog (I also love the theme/design), I don?t have time to read it all at the moment but I have book-marked it and also added your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read much more, Please do keep up the great b.

    Also visit my page – https://Bookmarkstumble.com/story19043886/public-profile-kobykilgourhtml-public-w3c-dtd-xhtml-1

  16. mygtv.net
    | Reply

    Wow that was unusual. I just wrote an extremely long comment but after I clicked
    submit my comment didn’t appear. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Regardless, just wanted to say fantastic
    blog!

  17. developmental psychology
    | Reply

    Thanks for ones marvelous posting! I seriously enjoyed reading it, you
    might be a great author. I will remember to
    bookmark your blog and may come back in the future.

    I want to encourage yourself to continue your great writing,
    have a nice evening!

  19. bokep indonesia
    | Reply

    I know this web page presents quality dependent articles or reviews and extra data, is there any other website which presents such stuff in quality?

  21. business success
    | Reply

    I was suggested this blog through my cousin. I am not certain whether
    this publish is written by means of him as no one else recognize such detailed about my problem.
    You’re amazing! Thanks!

  22. sex tuor
    | Reply

    Great article! This is the type of information that should be shared across
    the web. Shame on Google for not positioning this publish upper!
    Come on over and consult with my website . Thank you =)

  23. vinyl chair
    | Reply

    Hey! Someone in my Facebook group shared this website with
    us so I came to check it out. I’m definitely loving the
    information. I’m book-marking and will be tweeting
    this to my followers! Wonderful blog and amazing design.

  26. bokep indo
    | Reply

    Hi! Someone in my Myspace group shared this
    site with us so I came to give it a look.
    I’m definitely loving the information. I’m book-marking and will be tweeting this to my followers!
    Exceptional blog and terrific design and style.

  27. pornky
    | Reply

    Truly when someone doesn’t know after that its up to other people that they will help, so here it takes
    place.

  31. bokep barat
    | Reply

    Great web site you have here.. It’s hard to find high-quality writing like yours these days.
    I truly appreciate people like you! Take care!!

  32. bokep hot jepang
    | Reply

    It is in point of fact a nice and useful piece of
    info. I am satisfied that you just shared this helpful information with us.
    Please keep us informed like this. Thank you
    for sharing.

  33. Dirk
    | Reply

    I read this piece of writing fully regarding the difference of most recent and earlier technologies,
    it’s amazing article.

  34. memek basah
    | Reply

    Every weekend i used to go to see this site, as i want enjoyment, as this this site conations truly pleasant funny stuff too.

  35. bokep tante jilbab
    | Reply

    Oh my goodness! Incredible article dude! Thank you so much,
    However I am experiencing issues with your RSS.
    I don’t know why I can’t subscribe to it.
    Is there anybody else getting the same RSS problems?
    Anybody who knows the answer will you kindly respond? Thanx!!

  38. bokep baru
    | Reply

    I’m not that much of a internet reader to be honest but your sites really nice, keep it up!
    I’ll go ahead and bookmark your website to come back in the future.
    Cheers

  41. Rory
    | Reply

    Undeniably consider that that you said. Your favourite reason seemed
    to be on the web the simplest thing to keep in mind of. I
    say to you, I definitely get irked even as other people consider issues that they plainly don’t realize about.
    You controlled to hit the nail upon the top and outlined out the
    whole thing without having side-effects , folks can take
    a signal. Will likely be again to get more. Thank
    you

  42. bokep ngentot
    | Reply

    Hi! I know this is somewhat off topic but I was wondering if you knew where I could find a captcha plugin for my comment
    form? I’m using the same blog platform as yours and I’m
    having problems finding one? Thanks a lot!

  44. sumbawatoto
    | Reply

    I was curious if you ever considered changing the structure of your website?
    Its very well written; I love what youve got
    to say. But maybe you could a little more in the way of content so people could connect with it
    better. Youve got an awful lot of text for only having
    one or two images. Maybe you could space it out better?

    Look into my web page – sumbawatoto

  48. sumbawatoto
    | Reply

    I’ve been exploring for a little for any high quality articles or blog
    posts in this kind of house . Exploring in Yahoo I ultimately stumbled upon this site.
    Studying this info So i’m satisfied to show that I have an incredibly just right uncanny feeling
    I came upon exactly what I needed. I so much definitely will make sure to don?t
    omit this web site and provides it a glance on a relentless basis.

    Also visit my web page sumbawatoto

  50. 十和田市
    | Reply

    Hi, i think that i saw you visited my weblog so i came to “return the favor”.I
    am trying to find things to improve my site!I suppose its ok to use a few of
    your ideas!!

    Stop by my site: 十和田市

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *