3 Jul 2017

Short term missions are not the race

by | posted in: Missions | 175,429

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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    The technology trends that will transform our world this year

    Published: 22:00 GMT, 5 January 2013 | Updated:
    08:30 GMT, 8 February 2013

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    comments

    This Christmas, tablet computers went mainstream.

    No more are they an easy way to spot spoilt teenagers, preening early adopters and desperate parents who would pay ANYTHING for a gadget that could silence their
    squalling brood with tranquillising doses of Spongebob and Angry Birds Star Wars.

    In fact, it’s predicted that 7in tablets will account for
    one-third of the tablet market this year, as sub-£200 machines tempt non-nerds into
    the exciting new techno-wonderland of looking up things on the internet while watching TV.

    Apple’s iPad Mini is expected to rule the roost, despite Google and Amazon nipping
    at its heels

    Apple’s iPad Mini is expected to rule the roost, despite
    Google and Amazon nipping at its heels, and – please stop reading if you got one this Christmas – an updated model with a sharper Retina screen could well arrive as soon as this spring…

    So what other techno tricks does 2013 have in store for us?
    Here are four trends to look out for.

    OUR HOMES WILL BE APP-CONTROLLED

    Nest’s app-controlled thermostat will bring app control to heating

    Sadly, this year will not see the arrival of camp robots who shimmer through our home
    with Martinis… but the ‘home of the future’ will be a step closer, as lighting,
    door locks and heating are controlled by apps.

    Nest’s app-controlled thermostat – designed by one of
    the creators of the iPod – will bring app control
    to heating, while lighting will be controlled by Philips and
    Belkin systems.

    Lockitron will let us all lock and open our front doors with the
    click of an app…

    WE ALL STOP TEXTING

    Apps offer cheaper, more flexible ways to
    stay in touch

    Texting has permanently altered the English language
    over the past 20 years, dictating the 140-character length of Twitter messages,
    and making even sane adults fluent in gibberish.

    But the rise of apps such as WhatsApp and
    Facebook Messenger will see the SMS message begin a slow process
    of dying off next year, as apps offer cheaper, more flexible ways to stay in touch.

    OUR PHONES WILL BE INDESTRUCTIBLE

    Good news for everyone bar those in the phone-insurance industry –
    our phones could become indestructible this year.

    Samsung has repeatedly dangled the idea of flexible phone screens,
    and is widely expected to show off models at tech expo
    CES this week.

    Good news for everyone bar those in the phone-insurance industry –
    our phones could become indestructible this year

    The point is not that you can bend your phone like a Highland Toffee bar, but that the
    phone’s screen won’t shatter.

    An end to people talking on phones with spider-webs of broken glass on screen? We can but hope.

    WE ALL STOP BUYING MUSIC AND FILMS

    Cheap, subscription-based services will start to bite into pay-per-download services

    This year will mark the moment I have to stop explaining
    what Spotify is every time I mention it in public – or at least, I fervently hope so, as I tend to bore people
    about it at every opportunity.

    Cheap, subscription-based services such as Spotify (you pay £10 a month,
    get 17 million songs to access wherever you are) and Netflix (£6 a
    month, and you’ll never need to buy a DVD again), will start to bite into pay-per-download services.

    And slowly but surely, the idea of actually owning music and
    films will begin to seem a rather quaint, 20th-century idea.

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