The Purpose Of A Missions Conference

Someone recently asked, “Why are we having a Missions Conference?” What is it about? What will it do for our church? The following are some of the important reasons that we have scheduled a conference and want wide spread church participation.

1. Educate. A Missions Conference will educate our church on what the Bible teaches about missions. Jesus last command before he went to heaven had to do with missions. (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:45-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8) It was the commission to the church to go into all the world with the Gospel. The Missions Conference will inform us of the neediness of the world around us in reference to the gospel. It will help us understand the responsibility of every believer and it will highlight for us the more desperate places of our world that are without Christ.

2. Edify. A Missions Conference will build us up as to our faith in Christ, His Word and His Will for us as His people, His church. (Romans 10:13-17) As we hear Bible messages, mission themed songs, missionary testimonies and focus our attention upon the need for more workers, (Matthew 9:37-38) more funds and more prayer we will be strengthened in our understanding of this aspect of our Christian responsibility.

3. Energize. A Missions Conference will inspire us to be more knowledgable about those who live beyond our own local community. It will cause us to “lift up our eyes” (John 4:35) to see the spiritual harvest needs in the world at large. It will encourage us better how we should pray, give and go. Though we may be active locally, we need to be energized to go to the “regions beyond”. (2 Corinthians 10:16).

4. Enlarge. A Missions Conference will enlarge our faith in God’s plan for His world. (Psalms 67; 96; Isaiah 45:22; Luke 17:5) It will enlarge our understanding of God’s will for reaching the world. (Romans 16:26) It will enlarge our hearts with compassion for our missionaries and the lost around our globe. (3 John 8) It can enlarge our capacity to greater involvement than we have had before in regard to our understanding, praying, giving and personal action. (2 Corinthians 10:15-16)

5. Engage. A Missions Conference can be the entrance point to attract and involve all church members to discover and be captured for their part in the service for Christ. As we minister, pray and listen the Holy Spirit will speak to each of us about the role we must have in God’s global plan. (Acts 13:1-3) Some will commit to more faithful prayer, others to sacrificial giving and some will answer the call to go for short term or a lifetime of missionary work.

What Is The Biblical Definition Of Missions?

Not all who are called to work in missions have the same gifts and guidance. This was a lesson I learned early on in my missionary career. I remember the hard feelings I had toward those who did things differently than I did. I also remember the criticisms that came my way because of the way I did things. I was asked, “Are you a pastor, a missionary or an evangelist?” My answer was, “yes”! When the description for the ministry of Paul and Silas was written out by the inspired pen of Doctor Luke he describes their call in Acts 13:2 as being “for the work”. We know that Paul had already been called and commissioned by his Lord in Acts chapter nine. But as he and Barnabas began this new effort having been separated and sent by the church at Antioch and the Holy Spirit it described as “the work”. In the following lines I want to relate for you what I believe “the work” entailed.

Wide Spread Preaching as a Priority

“At Salamis, they preached the word of God.” The work of missions should look like preaching. Much preaching! I have often said that if a man said he was a carpenter and many days of the week passed by when he was not swinging a hammer or using a saw we might question his profession. How is it that we have boiled down ministry to preaching once of twice a week? How is it that we think we can only preach from behind a pulpit or within a church building? We must always be ready to proclaim the gospel of Christ from any venue, to any people. How do we expect to see wider evangelization without wider preaching? Paul said of his work in Corinth that preaching was his priority and the foundation of his ministry. (1 Corinthians 1:18; 2:2)

Without Borders

Paul’s first missionary journey recorded in Acts 13-14 was his shortest, about 2 years in overall time, one of about 1400 miles in length and took him to at least 11 cities. Several of these cities he passed through more than once. He left out of Antioch of Syria, passed through Cyprus and then onto the Asian mainland in what is today Turkey. Where did we come up with the idea that missionaries should only go to one country or continent for that matter and need to stay four years? Some places will never be evangelized if we maintain that missionaries regard their work within geographical or national boundaries or if we follow only a “traditional” pattern for doing things. Often one generation of missionaries will replace the last working in the same churches, compound or cities without going widely beyond previously reached areas.

Not A Pastor With A Foreign Address

To fulfill “the work” that Paul was called for meant he did not go out to be a pastor. It is true that he must of assumed some short term pastoral duties as the new churches were beginning. We know he was in Corinth for a year and one-half, Ephesus (his longest stay) for around 2 years and other places only as much as weeks or months. In Ephesus he could say that all Asia had heard the word of the Lord. Astounding indeed! How is it that we have become comfortable sending those that we call “missionaries” to become “pastors” with a foreign field address? It is true that some fields do not allow Americans to work, therefore it is necessary for them to have support. But why are nationals not eventually trained and placed in the pastorate to allow these “missionaries” to move on to a new location? Many missionaries I speak to and even stateside pastors operate their ministry as if they plan to continue on forever in their pastorate. They have no one they are training who will be able to step in to fill their place when they wear out, age out or have to leave the ministry. The normal excuse is “I have no one to train”. This is a large area of failure. We must constantly inquire, “Where are my men? Who am I training and mentoring?”

Throughout the history of missions the Pauline, itinerant model of missions was accepted and practiced. Consider William Carey, known as the Father of modern missions who not only translated the Bible into 34 Asian languages, but started many churches and 19 mission stations. Or consider Judson who translated the Bible into Burmese and by the time of his death, he had established 63 churches and recorded 7,000 converts. Or Hudson Taylor who recruited more than 225 missionaries, founded 59 churches and at the time of his death was praying for 100 new workers to open up the rest of China. Paul and these other guys were not just pastors with a foreign field address.

Defending Traditions or Defining Distinctions

Someone has said if every thing is missions, nothing is missions. Today the definition of missions has been spread so broadly that it can nearly encompass anything from changing the oil in a single mother’s car to leaving tracts in bathroom stalls. We do not need to continue blindly following missions traditions generation after generation. Today a great deal of “missions” is understood from the “short term” mission trip idea. I am not opposed to short mission trips, in fact I do all I can to facilitate these trips in our ministry. That said however, I do not want to confuse these types of trips with the type of life long itinerate mission activity that I believe is modeled for us in the New Testament in Pauline missionary practice. We might do well to encourage and enlist missionaries who have this type of ministry as a calling and conviction to unite and be heard and seen so that the model and strategy of Pauline missions is not lost to new generations in the wash of traditional methods. It is not about forming groups that are based upon ever changing geo-political boundaries or any other issues, but rather it is recognizing those who make New Testament style missions a life time investment. I believe if we are going to reach our world as we have been commissioned to do we must have is a return to this biblical pattern and strategy of Pauline missions.

Send Forth Laborers

Which is better? One laborer alone or many laborers working in the field?

A couple of days ago I said that I wanted to address the subject of LABORERS. This is a desperately important subject in ministry. Every church and ministry I know needs more laborers. One of the questions I ask other pastors, missionaries and church workers is about their present and potential labor force. I will be addressing this issue and asking these questions in the morning to a group of Haitian pastors and church leaders.

I am always very surprised, though maybe I shouldn’t be, that many pastors say to me they do not have any potential preachers or missionaries coming along in their church. Is it that they believe they will live forever and not have to be replaced? Is it that they feel no need to prepare anyone to follow them because they can depend on a pulpit committee or mission board to find their replacements? Surely that cannot be the case.

As I look back in my ministry (remember in the last post I said that I always do that at the first of the year) it seems the greatest blessings I can recall are tied to those who were called, trained and sent out as laborers under my ministry. Those are the definite bright spots and highlights for me.

Presently I have the joy of working with several good young men who have been called into the ministry. But I am not satisfied. I am thankful for them, but not satisfied because we need more laborers. I see the wonderful work that we are involved in together. I see the growth in their lives, their maturity coming on, our ministry expanding on and the other lives that they are beginning to touch and train. But I am not satisfied. There are more fields. There are more souls who need to hear the Gospel. So what must I do?

What must I do? What MUST we do? What did Jesus do? He saw the multitudes. He was moved with compassion. He saw their deep needs so He told his disciples to PRAY the Lord of the harvest that he would send LABORERS! That is what He said to do and I KNOW that is what I need to do. I hope you will pray with me. Please PRAY with me: Lord of the harvest, send laborers. SEND LABORERS! SEND LABORERS! Amen.  BaptistEvangelism.org

Sharpening Our Focus For 2012

I go through this every new year. I try to review our ministry from the past year and then begin to plan and prepare for our ministry in the coming year. It is always a blessing to be reminded of the multitude of blessings that God has brought into our lives and it is a great faith builder as well that helps to prepare us for the faith steps He wants us to take this year.

I try to ask myself hard questions like WHY do I go here and WHAT fruit do we have to show for our labor and WHERE can we make changes to be more effective and faithful. Has my purpose changed? Is my focus clear? Are there things that are hindering me from fully following the leadership of the Lord in my life?

All of these questions have been going through my mind this week as I am working in Haiti. I am first and foremost a preacher, called by God to plant churches and raise up leaders. So this week as I have been working on our ORPHANAGE here in Haiti it is natural for me to run through all these questions for myself. I always want good, biblical reasons to do what I do. I always want fruit that will remain. One way to see this kind of fruit is to start young and to put all we can into rescuing, helping, nurturing and training these at risk young lives for the glory of Christ. When we train them up – they will remain.

Another thing I am sure of is that we need LABORERS! I would like to write more about this subject right now, but it is getting late and I’m tired and I want to share some things about the need for laborers in another post real soon.  Pray for us! BaptistEvangelism.org

Mayan January 2012

We started off 2012 with some great blessings in Guatemala. Some wonderful people from churches in Virginia, North Carolina and Florida partnered with us to make up our January teams. Working out from High Road Mission in Xejeyup and with the Iglesia Bautista Faro de Luz many homes were visited door to door in Xejeyup and Pochol. Hundreds of children, many with the mothers and older siblings participated in the children’s ministries everyday. Hundreds of sick people were seen by our medical team and our construction team worked on the dormitories, kitchen and started the construction on the pastor’s house. High Road Mission was certainly a center of activities for the glory of God and the reaching out to needy souls.

We are looking for 2012 to be a great year of blessings for Baptist Evangelism / Carelink and other ministries we partner with in Guatemala like Hands of Compassion International with Brothers Chris Tolley and Tim Webb from Virginia. Not only is our work in the central highlands progressing but we are planning expansion this year to work with another one of our men sent out from our Florida church, Edmundo Diaz, who is ministering in Tzisbaj, several hours to the north.

Guatemala is the place where it is said that corn was first cultivated, where gods made the first men from corn dough, where Maya languages developed and where the Maya’s greatest cities flourished.  In Guatemala, the Maya live on, speaking languages that have endured for thousands of years, keeping their faithful count of days in the Cholq’ij calendar, and tilling ground that has provided sustenance for innumerable generations. Historically, culturally, archeologically, Guatemala is the center of the Maya universe and the heart of the Maya world.

As we minister in Guatemala we still find those faithful to their ancient Mayan beliefs and traditions. We also find a host of religions that have basically reconciled and fused their beliefs with the traditional beliefs. (This is called Syncretism) This of course is not Biblical Christianity and for this reason we go there to preach and teach Christ.

Many have been caught up with interest in the Mayan calendar and how it ends in December of 2012. I am not working on, nor worrying about the Mayan calendar. One thing I do know is that Jesus could come back in 2012 and therefore I want to remain faithful doing what He has commissioned us to do until the shout! Join with our teams who will be working in the Mayan world this year to reach souls for Christ.  See the schedule of our teams or schedule your own trip for your church group by contacting me.

RonMaggard@gmail.com or 561-818-4937

The Spirit Also Helpeth

As we enter the new year I have once again, as always, touched by the enormity of the task that is before us to preach the Gospel to every creature. I understand that I cannot be everywhere but I can eagerly pursue the work that God has allowed me to do. But I feel so inadequate, weak and ineffective. I am not as young as I used to be (no comments from the peanut gallery). So how will I be able to make a credible effort in my work for Christ in this coming year?

In Romans 8:26 and 27 we read these words: Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.  ²⁷ And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

I have read, quoted and preached on these verses many times but because the Word of God is LIVING and POWERFUL there is always something new, helpful and useful for the one who will make the effort to partake from it. Several things I note here:

First, this promise of the help of the Spirit in this context presupposes the fact that I am actually praying. Oh how we MUST be praying. Jesus answer to the need for laborers for his harvest was and I believe still is PRAYER. So I put this in these terms because I am painfully aware that not only do many not read the Bible in a profitable way, but also MANY are derelict in the necessity, the responsibility and the privilege of prayer. So I think we could say, the Spirit helps us to pray, what to pray and how to pray. I read somewhere that prayer is the breath of a believer or something like that. My question is this: Am I breathing?

I think we could also consider that this text gives the idea that we may be deficient in some ways in our PRAYER ABILITY. I know, I know, no one wants to consider something negative like that but the truth is we DO need help.

Think about it. When was the last time you really poured out your heart to God? When was the last prayer you prayed that surged with the pure emotion and energy to boldly bring your petitions before the throne of grace? Yes, we pray short little wholesale prayers and hope for retail answers. We throw up our little blessings before meals. We pray a brief prayer in the morning or at night. We pray as well framed a prayer as possible when called upon to pray publicly. But is that ALL? Is that enough?

When was the last time that the Searcher of hearts saw such intensity and emotion in your prayer that by means of the Spirit’s groanings He helps us plead for things that are God’s will for us, for others and God’s work in the world. Though we are so impotent the Holy Spirit intercedes to help us to pray as we ought.

I was convicted when I read again those precious words of Scripture. I asked myself when was the last time I had really wrestled and agonized in prayer. I recall some times when I was greatly burdened about something but the TRUTH that gripped me was that I do not often pray in a way that the Spirit would even need to be involved. If I am not pleading does He? If I am not striving in prayer, is He?

This year, with all the work before us to do His will, to follow His word, to do His work I want to determine to pray in such a manner that the Spirit ALSO will help, searching my heart, leading and guiding me to pray according to the will of God. If you are praying like this … PRAY FOR ME and for our work. If you are not, determine with me that you will endeavor to pray in such a way that the Spirit also helpeth!

BaptistEvangelism.org

 

 

New Year (2012) Mission Trips!

 The New Year, 2012 is off and running and so are we! The holidays are barely passed and everyone is getting back to work. Tomorrow in Guatemala we will begin the final preparations for teams that will be joining Frances and I on Saturday from churches in Virginia and Florida. These teams will be involved in several areas of ministry in the mountain jungle villages that is home to our HIGH ROAD MINISTRY CENTER in Xejeyup, Guatemala. Here are some of the things that will be happening this month:

EVANGELISM TEAMS: Several teams will be working in Xejeyup, Panacanal Dos, Pochol and in other surrounding villages to carry the Gospel of Jesus Christ to these hard to reach and forgotten indigenous Guatemalans. They will be working with hundreds of village children, their families and local towns people.

MEDICAL TEAM: Lead by our good friend Mike Funk, who has worked with us in CARELINK International for years, we will offer daily clinics to hundreds of villagers that do not have adequate medical care. As these villagers wait to be seen by our clinicians they will be introduced to the Great Physician, Jesus Christ through the witness of our team members working together with local Pastor Salomon, our local Bible Institute students and church members.

CONSTRUCTION TEAM: A number of men will be working together to put the final touches on the dormitories and kitchen of our High Road Ministry Center. This part of our center is being prepared to service future mission teams and groups visiting to bring the Gospel of Christ to the Guatemalans. They will also be breaking ground and putting in the foundation for the MISSION HOUSE, our newest project on the High Road property.

Please pray for all our teams! Pray for BaptistEvangelism.org!

 

Year End Giving Opportunity!

Good Shepherd Orphanage Project

Santos, Haiti

 

 

The Good Shepherd Orphanage project is one of Baptist Evangelism‘s boldest undertakings, but having seen God move so wonderfully in our High Road Ministry Center Project in Xejeyup, Guatemala over the last two years, we are stepping out to trust God to help these needy children in Haiti.

You can have a great part in this project by taking part in monthly giving, a one time offering or hands-on serving in Haiti on a mission trip. (To give or to go click here, go to our site, and then click on DONATE.)

The first thing that all of us can do is PRAY!

Will you?

 

 

Scrooge Remedy

There have been some Christmas seasons when my wife and kids would tell me I was like Scrooge. They would all be anxious to put up the lights, pull out the boxes of decorations and put up the Christmas tree. The house would be filled with smells of fresh cookies and fudge. On the television Christmas movies were showing. The music in the house and the car were the familiar Christmas Carols. But somehow I wasn’t getting it. I couldn’t feel the SPIRIT of the season. You ever felt like that? You ever feel like the family SCROOGE?

Maybe this will help you like it helped me on those many occasions when I just could not seem to get into the spirit of the Christmas season. I begin to find that elusive spirit as I began to GIVE. Sometimes I did not have the resources to give much, so I gave the little gifts that I could give. In giving I wasn’t thinking about what I might receive or not receive. Gifts of kindness, gifts of sacrifice, gifts to friends and to family begin to make the SCROOGE in me move to the background. We all know the Bible says it is more blessed to give than receive, but have you ever read these verses?

⁶Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.  ¹⁷But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?  ¹⁸My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.  ¹⁹And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. (1 John 3:16-19)

At Christmas, possibly more than at other times, we can think about the love of God in sending His Son Jesus, by way of a virgin womb, a Bethlehem stable and into a troubled and sinful world. His purpose in that was so that Jesus would lay down his life, die a cruel death upon the cross to satisfy the just demands of a Holy God and to satisfy the sin debt of those who believe upon Him. And so John in his epistle says we should surely learn a lesson from God who so beneficently loved and we should also love. But IF we have a selfish and Scrooge sized heart, and see those in need and will not give, our selfishness will weaken the evidence of our conversion, we will feel condemned and lack confidence of our relationship with God.

We must learn this good lesson, that no amount of Christmas sights, sounds and smells will really bring us that Spirit that filled heaven and earth on that first Christmas like GIVING! “Let us not love in word and tongue; but in deed and truth.” In other words, like God, by GIVING, especially to those who have needs. When you do, the Holy Spirit will inform your conscience, and our hearts will be assured before God. What happens when we give like this? Instant Christmas Spirit! Scrooge – gone!

This year we are encouraging others to “open their bowels of compassion” and give all they can to help our orphans at the Good Shepherd Orphanage in Haiti. For more about these needy kids or to GIVE, go to our website and click on donate. And please pray for our ministry throughout the Caribbean basin.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

www.baptistevangelism.org

Hark, the herald angels sing!

1.    Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the new born King,
peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
join the triumph of the skies;
with th’ angelic host proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the new born King!”

2.    Christ, by highest heaven adored;
Christ, the everlasting Lord;
late in time behold him come,
offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
hail the’ incarnate Deity,
pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the new born King!”

3.    Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
risen with healing in his wings.
Mild he lays his glory by,
born that we no more may die,
born to raise us from the earth,
born to give us second birth.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the new born King!”

4.  Come, desire of nations, come
Fix in us thy humble home
Oh, to all thyself impart
Formed in each believing heart
Hark! The Herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn king
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled
Hark! The Herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn king

 

This beautiful song, written as a Christmas hymn by Charles Wesley and first published in 1739 (later altered by George Whitefield) is a wonderful addition to the Christmas music of the many who love Christmas. I love it because rather than simple little  jingles of snowmen, reindeer and Santa this is a carol that reminds us of Jesus, “the Reason for the Season”.  Wesley, by his hymn has helped all succeeding generations learn of the “Desire of all nations,” the “newborn King”, the “Prince of Peace,” the “Sun of Righteousness, the “Everlasting Lord”, the “Incarnate Deity” and “Emmanuel,” “God with us.” So every time we sing it or hear it we are rehearsing these great and majestic truths of our Redeemer Who came to earth by way of a virgin womb, laid in a manger, and on His way to the cross. No wonder the message of the coming Savior stirred heaven and earth! That first advent continues to be such a monumental event and still is as we look for the second advent of the Lord of Lords and King of Kings. Let it speak to your heart at this Christmas time.