MISSIONS

The MISSIONS acronym stands for May I See Souls In Other Nations Saved.  Indeed for those called into the missions field in the past, it was a crossing of seas and oceans (by ships) into another culture to minister God's love.  We think of James Hudson Taylor moving from England to China and Adoniram Judson, from North America to Burma. Both spent considerable amount of time in the lands beyond their home shores, investing their time and labour to sow God's Word.  Judson, we are told, took 12 years to make 18 converts while Taylor had greater successes, though he had to contend with uprisings and health issues abroad.  Life for a missionary in those days meant a lot of sacrifices and they needed support from their home churches or missionary organisations. Sometimes, it could end up in death as the life of Jim Elliot would attest when he endeavoured to reach the 'Auca' Indians in South America.  


With the advent of modern technology and good transportation infrastructure all over the world, what used to take weeks or months in travel time, can now be accomplished in hours or days. Missionary enterprise now takes on a different form  whereby people do not have to leave their jobs to become 'full time' missionaries.  What they can do is to take short term trips (thanks to air travel) to places nearby and minister to the villagers/provinces as a team.  They could also bring with them medical expertise or food supplies, providing them with the basic necessities of life, apart from the spiritual nourishment that is needed.  Once they are done, they return home (to families/jobs) and would follow-up at a later date or move to another new place.  In such cases, it is important that indigenous people be raised up and supported to pastor and grow the church, unless one is prepared to cross a different culture and stay long term.  


Implicit in all these mission trip endeavours is the prayer and financial support that should be garnered.  Some pay for their own travel/accommodation as well as the provisions for the people they would be ministering to.  This brings to mind the words of the apostle Paul, "Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need."  (Eph 4:28 NIV)


I read the following verses this morning: "David replied, “No, my brothers, you must not do that with what the LORD has given us. He has protected us and delivered into our hands the raiding party that came against us. Who will listen to what you say? The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike.”  (1 Sam 30:23-24 NIV).  This was in relation to 400 men who went with David to fight the Amalekites to restore the fortunes that were stolen.  They did not want the 200 men who stayed behind in Brook Besor to enjoy the fruits of their spoils.  However, David was a wise leader who laid down the statute that all should share alike in the spoils of conquest.  This applies well to missionary work.  There are those who can go to the frontlines (400 men) and there are those who can support at home (200 men).  Frontliners preach, teach, pray and do the needful to build the physical and spiritual needs of the people in a different land.  Home support could provide the finances, logistics and prayer covering that are crucial for such endeavours to be successful. 


Our church has been prophesied to be a missions church and already we are seeing so many within the congregation going out into the missions field on their own, often times directed by the Lord, to sow and reap a harvest.  There is a website that has been launched recently to promote this work i-GoMissions (iGM) at www.i-gomissions.com.  May the Lord bless and prosper this work and maybe, one day, some members would become full time missionaries.