Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Can't Keep Silent!

The Great Commission is a command, not a choice. We're all called as followers of Christ to preach the gospel to every creature. We can't keep silent!

Why should I be selfish?
To keep Christ to myself?
To keep silent of His redemptive work at Calvary?
While millions near and far never heard!
While every second more than a handful of people die without hearing the Good News!
They walk into hell to spend an eternity in outer darkness and unspeakable torment!
Such terror, such tragedy!
I can't find any reason or excuse not to proclaim the gospel!
To lost here in my own city, and the unreached in places like Somalia!
So may I not only do so out of obedience
But more so out of love! Love for the lost and unreached.
And most of all because I love you, my Lord my God!
So may I die to self daily! To be selfless,
And count other more significant than myself!
To become less, so You may become greater!
To face hardships, trials, suffering, and persecution,
For the sake of the lost,
And for the sake of Christ & the gospel!
May they be saved, and may You be glorified!
I'm willing to die so they may live!
Yes, I'm willing to disappear,
So You may appear in and through me!

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Will I Stay or Go?

Paul Washer, founder of Heart Missionary Society and preacher has said this about missions:



You are either called to go down into the well

Or hold the ropoe for those who go down

Either way there will be scars on your hands



Back in October last year, I had an invasive surgery on my vocals chords in hope that it will improve my voice. Thankfully it did, but not as much as I dreamed it would. My voice is now different from what is was before the surgery back in October, namely it is more understandable than it was before. The result was that family friends , coworkers, and anybody else who was around me during a weekly basis could notice the improvement. Despite this it still is quite rough still, and not the best it could be. Yet I know that if the Lord, He can heal my voice completely in blink of an eye.

I say this because a couple days ago one of my best friends told me that my voice is the only thing that is hindering me from being sent out into the mission field, at least what I desire to do out in to mission field which is evangelism/church planting. For about 4 years I've had a burning passion to go and preach the gospel to the lost, to proclaim Christ to those who haven't heard. There have been long nigths of prayer for the lost and unreached, and plenty of tears shed for their sake. My heart achces for them!

Yet, for my friend to tell to consider staying and sending others to go instead of me going myself as a missionary, due to my compromised voice, was a blow to me at first. Now to be sure I wasn't enraged at my best friend, but I was....confused. Certainly he knows how strong my passion is for the proclomation of Christ and the gospel, and my heart for the lost & unreached. Though I after a couple times of hearing the same thing he just told me, it did hit me; "My voice is pretty compromised.......what if that is the Lord calling me to to stay, and be the one who holds the rope for the one who goes down into the well?" Now this is something I will probably struggle with for a while.

My heart is set on being a missionary, the one who goes down into the well; that is what I will continue to pursue, despite what my friend told me to consider. I do appreciate his advice and suggestions, and I always will, cause I love my dear friend. I am also well aware that both sending and going are equally important, and there will be scars on my hands either way. Nonetheless I will pursue being a missionary despite my compromised voice. At the end of the day I want the Lord's will to be done not my own. So whether I stay or go, may His will be done and may He be given all the praise and glory!

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

I've Hidden Your Word in My Heart

My dear friends and beloved brothers & sisters,

As of late I've been focusing on memorization, scripture memorization to be exact; and I must say too, that I've come to enjoy it oh so much. Yet...why? Why spend time memorizing scripture? Well I'll give you my aim for memorizing scripture.
If I were just to memorize a couple verses or 2 chapter, and be done with it then why bother wasting the time just doing that? I would more than likely have selfish motive if I were to just shoot for that, and become puffed up with pride. Listen it would be just plain foolish to just memorize scripture just to boast about how you cite 1 Corinthian 13 or the whole book of Ephesians by heart, all out of selfish gain. So I say this to assure you that the aim for memorizing scripture is won't one of self, but all for the glory of God, and the exaltation of Christ! So that we won't boast in ourselves, but in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. Oh that we grow more in Love with Christ, longing for more of Him. To savor and treasure Jesus above everything else. Let me put it in my own words:

My aim for memorizing scripture is to not only grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18), but to also work out my own salvation with fear and trembling (Philppians 2:12b) and to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, (Colossians 1:10a).

So in order, I read it, memorize it, meditate on it, and then live it out. For we are called to be doers of the word, and not hearers only(James 1:22).
I encourage you to do the same, with the aim of bringing glory to God, to exalt Christ, and grow more in love with Him! I'm working on memorizing 2 Corinthians 4 & 5; 2 amazing chapters, so if you'd like you can join me in memorizing them. Let me know!