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

God Made Clothes

And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them. Gen 3:21 I have always heard the following explanation of this verse.  Because Adam and Eve had sinned, they died spiritually. They also lost the right to be in the Garden of Eden and were cursed in other ways. For example, they had made clothes out of fig leaves, but God sacrificed a lamb; thus, God shed blood and made clothes. This sacrifice of an innocent lamb symbolized what Jesus Christ would do in the distant future.  Is this what you have heard? I don't know; it seems like this interpretation is stretching what Moses wrote in the above text. The text says that  God made clothes for Adam and his wife from skins.  We see no blood, we don't know what kind of skins, nor can I imagine God making an animal sacrifice. Did God have to skin animals to make these clothes? Or could he have just made them like he had everything else in the universe just a little while earlier?  To th...
Post a Comment
Read more

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

Grazi and Cris Are Getting Baptized!

Graziele / Cris Grazilele (hard to pronounce if you are not a Brazilian) and Cris are getting baptized on Saturday night. Baptism is a big step of faith and these young ladies are ready. Grazi accepted the Lord several years ago when Company C was in it's infancy. She was invited to club by a friend, who has since left, and not long afterwards she opened her heart to the Savior. She is a determined twelve going on twenty year old. When Grazi sets her mind on a task she usually gets it done. Dawn has been teaching her Bible lessons and sewing skills recently and she's noted Grazi's abilities. Grazi plays the recorder in o ur orchestra. Cris is Alexandre's youngest sister. She accepted Christ when her older sister Dani shared her own personal decision a few years back. Cris always has a smile on her face and is a ready helper too. She is quiet but gifted. She is learning to play the violin and is also a part of our growing orchestra. Both of these gi...
2 comments
Read more