Skip to main content

Macedonian Call 2010

Dawn and I are at BMM Family Conference this week which means that we are getting reacquainted with our missions family. It has been a week of good preaching from Dr. Charles Petitt (Piedmont Baptist Bible College) and a lot of running.

The preaching has been SO practical and such a blessing. The running has been thrilling too! One of my missionary friends nominated me to the Troop Transport team. Our hotel is about 10 miles north of Campinas, state of São Paulo, a city of over 2 million. So for Ben Jacobs and me it has been one trip after another to the airport and bus terminal to retrieve our incoming friends.

In a way, giving missionaries a ride has been a blessing because it has allowed me to get to know these choice servants a bit better. Just yesterday I met a couple, that has to be in their late 60 and early 70s, who have just taken over a camp ministry.

How on earth did that happen? There was no one else to do it. The camp is about the size of Camp CoBeAc in northern Michigan. It has a good infrastructure. It has great potential for ministry. In fact it has been in operation for over 20 years. However, there is no one interested in taking this ministry. Sounds like a job for Annie and Jackson! Hummmm.

This week's conference has been special for another reason; it is Baptist Mid-Missions 75th year of ministry in Brazil! So, all week we have been seeing and hearing about our heritage in the form of verbal and PowerPoint presentations. Folks, Baptist Mid-Missions has had and still has some greats here on the field.

However, one of the discouraging parts of the week has been seeing all of the gray heads. Many of the greats are nearing retirement. I would venture a guess that the number is nearing 75%.

The question is begged, "Who will take their place?"

VW Peters, our field representative encouraged each of us with these words, "You people are our (BMM) best recruiters." A missionary behind me in that meeting also said, "Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest." And you know who said those words in Matthew 9.38.

So, what are You doing with your life? Will you come and help us? Sounds like the call from the man of Macedonia doesn't it? It isn't. It is a call from a real guy. Me.

Paul got that "call" in a vision while he was in action. He was serving the Lord at every turn. Then it happened. One night he saw a vision of a man calling to him, "Come over and Help us!"

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What Are You Worth?

What are you Worth?  Have you ever thought about what you are worth? In investing circles there is a term used to gauge this exact question, it's called Net Worth. You take all of your assets, like property owned, funds in your bank account, clothes, jewelry, car, etc.. You total all of these things. You then take everything you owe, like mortgage, car loan, and credit card debt, and you subtract these items from the first total. This gives you your net worth. That number represents where you are financially. Most people never stop to think about this number because they don't understand anything about it. They never have two nickels to rub together. They live from hand to mouth and know (or at least believe) nothing will ever change so, they fall into the "daily grind" mentality. Psalm 49 should be a great encouragement to such as these. The sons of Korah write about them. These sons write about all of us. They call all people everywhere to listen to their wisdom. Bo...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Circumcision Advantage

 What a title right? I'm thinking of Romans 3:1 where Paul asks, "What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision?"  This was always an avoided subject in Sunday school, especially in a mixed class. We didn't use the "C" word. Too wierd.  Paul is bringing up this topic for good reasons. He wants to show that the Jews definitely have had a great advantage during their history. In the next verse he tells one of them when he says, ... "First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God." The first jew talked to God in person. God chose Abram to be the father of many nations and to bring the blessing of the Messiah to the world. The Old Testament is the story of the Jewish nation. God dealt with the Jews throughout the ages of the time before Christ. They were the chosen. But in all that blessing they ended up crucifying the Messiah.  With all of their advantages the Jews came short of the ideal....
Post a Comment
Read more

Abs of Steel with Glasses

Have you ever wondered why Clark Kent always took his glasses off before he turned into Superman? I hadn’t ever thought about it either until this last Saturday when I almost got sucker-punched. Wellington, one of my spunky Juniors, wanted to wrestle. He feigned a punch to my gut and I said, “Go ahead. I have abs of steel!” I think that my gym visits might be going to my head because my abs of steel are buried under a healthy layer of blubber. I have improved my six-pack but it is far from chiseled. It looks more like a quarter of a keg. Anyway, quick as a wink and with near lightening speed Wellington said, “Yeah but up here is made of glass!” as his poke went within a hair’s breadth of my glasses! I belly-laughed. His rapid reflexes and wit had caught me by surprise. And what he said was so true and funny. It was an excellent though brief lesson. I often prepare for an oncoming fray. I get ready, set and then “BLAM”! The proverbial punch comes from a totally different direction. ...
Post a Comment
Read more