Your Burden

As the young man sat across from me crying, I felt like crawling under my desk and dying. This all transpired when he asked the question, "What did you think?". My wife cringes when she hears others ask me this. It has never been my intention to purposefully hurt anyone; yet it seems more likely than not, when asked, "What do I think?", somebody gets hurt.
The reason this young man was crying was I told him what I thought. I was pastoring at the time and explained to him that if he did not have a burden for the people (England) then do not get mad at my people if they did not. He was a nice guy but just did not know how to share his burden for the field.
If you were to ask the pastor of the church you were at most recently, "What do you think?", would you like the answer? Do people know, feel and care about your burden (field) when you finish speaking with them?
Do some self evaluation and I will see you tomorrow to discuss this a little further.

Bitterness

Have you ever wondered why one missionary received support and you did not? Has it ever made you angry? Why was your love offering smaller? You have five children, traveled twice as far as anyone else, stayed for the whole conference and received the same amount of money.  Have these feelings ever gotten the best of you?  I am afraid that too many people in the ministry have grown rather bitter over their circumstances.  What someone said or did not say; what someone did or did not do, etc…

May you and I remember that God is preparing us.  He allows things to happen because He knows the experience will help us be able to minister better in the future. So the first thing that I must do to overcome bitterness is repent.  I must turn from the sin of doubting God, His character and plan.  God has not allowed things to get out of hand and He has not turned His back on me.  I must turn from these thoughts and realize that God is at work in every situation in my life. Pray and ask God to forgive your doubt, fear and anger and rejoice that He loves you, watches over you and is in control of what happens in your life.  Bless the Lord today for His goodness and love in your life!

Powerful Challenge From Spurgeon

I came across this while studying.  May it challenge you as it did me.

 

I understand this, first, in this sense: be separate unto Christ. These men were to leave their pursuits; they were to leave their companions; they were, in fact, to quit the world, that their one business might be, in their Master's name, to be fishers of men. We are not all called to leave our daily business, or to quit our families. That might be rather running away from the fishery than working at it in God's name. But we are called most distinctly to come out from among the ungodly, and to be separate, and not to touch the unclean thing. We cannot be fishers of men if we remain among men in the same element with them. Fish will not be fishers. The sinner will not convert the sinner. The ungodly man will not convert the ungodly man; and, what is more to the point, the worldly Christian will not convert the world. If you are of the world, no doubt the world will love its own; but you cannot save the world. If you are dark, and belong to the kingdom of darkness, you cannot remove the darkness. If you march with the armies of the wicked one, you cannot defeat them. I believe that one reason why the church of God at this present moment has so little influence over the world is because the world has so much influence over the church. Nowadays we hear Nonconformists pleading that they may do this and they may do that—things which their Puritan forefathers would rather have died at the stake than have tolerated. They plead that they may live like worldlings, and my sad answer to them, when they crave for this liberty, is, "Do it if you dare. It may not do you much hurt, for you are so bad already. Your cravings show how rotten your hearts are. If you have a hungering after such dog's meat, go, dogs, and eat the garbage. Worldly amusements are fit food for mere pretenders and hypocrites. If you were God's children you would loathe the very thought of the world's evil joys, and your question would not be, 'How far may we be like the world?' but your one cry would be, 'How far can we get away from the world? How much can we come out from it?'"

Productivity

One of the great challenges to deputation is feeling as though you have no control over your life or time. Below are some suggestions on being productive.

1. Use times of focused effort on select projects excluding all non-emergency intrusions. If you are going to make phone calls for five hours, then make phone calls. Do not try to fix something around the house after thirty minutes, take a "break" that turns into a vacation, and do not talk on the phone unless it is a pastor. Stay focused on the task at hand and you will be surprised at what you can get accomplished. (This goes for preparing sermons, devotions, familiy time, etc...)

2. Take time to plan and prioritize your day, week, month, etc. Before you go to bed, list the things that need to be done the next day. List them in the order of priority. There are times the thing that needs to be done is what you do not want to do. Do this first and get it out of the way. Plan your day and then stick to your plan. Do you have any direction for today? Do you have a list of what needs to be done? At the end of the day will you say, "I sure did not accomplish much."? As the old saying goes, "Plan your work and work your plan".

3. Stay disciplined. People who accomplish much on deputation have the same amount of hours as you and me. The only difference is that some stay disciplined and some do not. In what ways today does your life exhibit discipline? Are there areas you need to "tighten" up on? We only have one life, may we be disciplined and count.

Andy Simpson

I enjoy reading each month how God is at work in your lives. Below is a portion of Andy Simpson's monthly report. It challenged and encouraged my heart, and I pray it will do the same for you. If you have not emailed yours to me, please do so at howeth@mwbm.org
Thank you Bro. Andy for your testimony. We are praying for you.

Ways God moved through your ministry this month: Though sickness and surgery cancelled our departure on June 10th, the time has allowed us to contact many of the churches we will be working on in the West. The past month has given me ample time to draw closer to the Lord in prayer. At first I was extremely frustrated, but now see this time as a way of God fully preparing our family for the field.

Requests for special prayer: At first the doctors told us that the wound on my back would take at least 6 months to heal. Now they have reduced the time to only three more months. Please pray that I will heal quickly and that our family will be in Montana by November. - Pray for fast recovery - Pray that our home sales - Pray that churches will remain faithful in their support while we recover - Pray that we will be patient - Pray for the financial burden placed on us from the hospital stay and home health care

Area in your ministry that you would like help in: We now have over 30 lesson books translated into Spanish. These are available on CD at no charge to missionaries to Spanish speaking countries. Have any missionary interested to email us.

Advice you would like to share with others on Deputation: I am trying to learn to "glory in my infirmities." When becoming sick, my first thought was "Why?" Patience is a great virtue. Developing it is a great task!

Blog

I wanted to tell you about a blog that I have been doing that I want the guys on deputation to sign up for.

It is  deputationtips.com 

For those on the field or finished with deputation I would love your input.

Thanks for the help and sorry to bother you.

 

Bro. Tony

Lesson learned on Deputation

In an article I read, a man noted some things he learned while on deputation.

1. Increased confidence in God and self.
2. Flexibility. You must be ready at all times for all things. You must be ready to teach the children or silver saints. As one man put it, "Be ready to preach, pray,or die at a moments notice."
3. Patience. I think you get this one!
4. Learn to meet new people. If you can not do it here, you won't do it there.
5. Learn to be an alien. You go into churches where you do not know anyone and are the "outcast". Welcome to the mission field.

All of these things will be exactly what you will face on the missionary field. You will have a growing dependence upon God for you can not do it. You will have to be all things as the church is being started. You will learn how to stand in line just to pay a bill. You will meet new people and many times feel like an alien. (You are!)
The lessons you are learning today on deputation are making you into the person God will use on the field.

D.L Moody and money

Many of us are humbled by the life of George Mueller and his prayer alone for money to come in. You could engage in prayer alone, you could pray and and give some information to the need or you could pray, give information about the need and ask for their financial help. Moody would type hundreds of appeal letter to be sent out, spread them out for the ink to dry (they did not have copiers), and send them out. Moody felt that faith was doing something as well as believing something. He said, "I show my faith when I go to men and state to them the needs of the Lord's work and ask them to give to it."
Moody, even in his time, raised millions of dollars for the different schools and ministries he was associated with. Prayer, information and appeal were all part of his ministry.

A Good Pespective

The following is a quote I came across in my reading.

If the Lord has called you into full-time Christian ministry, it is His plan that you be supported by other Christians except in unusual cases. It is His plan, not just your or the missions.
Support raising is a ministry. It is not begging people for money. Rather it is an opportunity for you to share your vision. People must be challenged to have a part in the Great Commission through you.
Support raising provide opportunity for blessing to those who give to you. And God gives them credit for your fruit. (Phil 4:17-19)

Partnering in your ministry is so much more than money. It is spiritual fruit to their account. Be sure that you are a worthy investment.

Disciples

As we think about Luke 8:1-3 again, I noticed that Jesus had His disciples with Him. Everywhere you find Jesus, you will find these men. Men He was training, loving and equipping for the ministry ahead. When you get to the field, you will also need disciples. May I encourage you to begin praying now before you get to the field that God would be raising up your disciples.
Pray for:
1. Men to be converted even now.
2. Men who would be open to your Gospel message.
3. Men who would have a teachable spirit.
4. Men who would be knit together with you like Saul had.
5. Men who, one day, would be listed as mighty men like David had.
6. Yourself. Pray you would be the kind of man they could follow.

Prepare yourself during this time to disciple and raise up men to do great and mighty things for our God. Your disciples will be an extension of yourself. Pray today that God would already have the hearts of men prepared before you even get to the field. We are leaders training leaders.

Missionary Jesus

It is an undeniable fact that Jesus Christ is the greatest missionary ever. He came to a "foreign" land, "learned" a language, and even had people that supported Him. In Luke 8:1-3 we find Jesus going from town to town preaching the Kingdom of God and training His disciples. He cured people of disease and cast out evil spirits. The amazing thing is that He also had people that supported His ministry. In verse 3 we are told that these women whom He had helped supported Him of their substance. If Jesus used and "needed" the financial aid of people, so do we. An amazing thing about deputation is your opportunity to minister to others. When you meet people or go into churches, minister to them. I am a firm believer that as you help others, when they are able, they will help you. Ask God to help you today to minister to the needs of people. Think about the churches you have been in this month. How have you helped them? How have you been an encouragement to them? Many missionaries do not get the help and assistance of others because they were not a help to them. That may be a little strong, but true. You have a wonderful opportunity before you, take full advantage of it.

Why People Give

While raising your support, you will hear many myths as to why people give. Let me offer to you some reasons people give.
1. God moves them. Remember God is in control. We must remain obedient.
2. Your ministry stands for a value personally important to the giver. Do they believe in what you are doing?
3. Your work makes a difference in the lives of people. In your presentation, show them where you will be making a difference.
4. You connect with the people. People give to people. You may represent a field, but they will be giving mainly to you.
5. They are included and have a sense of ownership. Keep churches and individuals informed to what is going on and how their help made it possible.

With your own money, your desire is to invest it in something that will yield a return. With the money that people and churches support you with yield any return? Sometimes we wonder why people do not support us. Could it be that they felt it would be a risky investment? May you present yourself and ministry with the power of God that people would look at you and say that you are the real thing. Be sure your ministry yields fruit to their account.

Your Attitude While Raising Support

Question: What attitudes in your life might be hindering your ability to raise support?

Have you ever noticed a missionary that seemingly had everything in order? The display board, prayer card, sharp dresser; yet there was something that you could not quite put your finger on. I have not met a missionary who did not get supported because of a bad prayer card or a simple display (though both ARE important) yet I have met many that did not get supported because of a negative attitude. What could be the attitude in your life that is hindering support?
1. Pride – You are better than these “little” churches you visit.
2. Sloth – Always putting off for tomorrow what should be done today.
3. Arrogance – After all YOU are the missionary.
4. Greed – Every where you go they are SUPPOSED to give you something.
5. Faithless – You just don’t know if you are going to make it, churches are not supporting you like they should and God is basically dead.
6. Pessimist – Things are just always tough for you. That glass will never get full enough of water will it?

I could go on and on but you get the basic thought pattern. Let us go back to the question in the beginning. What attitudes in your life might be hindering your ability to raise support?

Support Raising

Below are a few aspects of raising support for you to think about.

Support Raising:
1. Stimulates and encourages missionary vision in the body of Christ.
2. Broadens the base of financial support for the mission.
3. Develops you as a person.
4. Stimulates fellowship among other believers.
5. Opens opportunities for to witness.

“Missions was and is God’s idea, and it is a real privilege to speak to God’s people about God’s program and to enlist their petition”

In what ways do the above apply to your life? In what ways should they apply to your life?

May your calls go well today and may you see fruit for your labor.

Setting Goals

I read a quote concerning deputation that stated, “You are about to embark on what can be one of the most maturing and spiritually fulfilling ventures of your life.” How very true that is. In an article entitled, “The Tin-Cup Image Can Be Shattered”, Daniel Bacon looks at deputation accomplishing three goals:
1. The Missionary is a model for missions. A missionary is a walking testimony of obedience to world evangelism. It must ever be before our churches and people.
2. The Missionary is a mobilizer for missions. Financially and through prayer you provide believers the opportunity to participate in God’s program of world evangelism. May people see your passion for the world and be stirred to join the ranks.
3. The Missionary serves as a minister for missions. You bring together world evangelism and the local church. Bacon says, “The missionary obviously needs the church for support, but the church needs the missionary to extend, in obedience to the great commission, its ministry worldwide.

I thought these interesting and wanted to share them with you. These, of course, are three of many. The question I have for you is, “What is your goal of deputation and are you seeing those goals fulfilled?” Please remember that the man that shoots at nothing will hit it every time.

May God bless each of you dearly as you serve Him.

Help Is Here For Your Website

A good website can be an excellent asset to a missionary to enable him to connect and present himself and ministry clearly and convincingly to pastors that you have never met. The world, including pastors, do their research on the internet and will be grateful for an informative website to set them a little more at ease about having you in. The quality of your website will directly affect the impression that your supporters have of you. Shabby website, shabby ministry. But, the reverse is true. A sharp website can make a world of difference in that all important first impression and could put you one step closer to support and the field.
So, I encourage you to make the investment of time and money to have a website that is first class.
A good website is both be useful and informative. Make sure it includes:
- an excellent design
- pictures of you and your family
- past text of prayer letters - not where they are required to download them
- About your field
- how to contact you
- a sign up for email updates (constant contact, etc.)
- all information in your information packet (doctrine, recommendations, etc.)
- information on how and where to send support
- your deputation calendar
- biography of you and your wife
- photo album of ministry that you already have
- a link to your blog
- your informational video
A normal price for a website is up to $1500 or more to set up at most places. But, a great resource I have found for excellent custom designed websites is http://www.baptistwebsites.org/. You may also contact Philip Bassham at 817-565-2499 for further assistance. He will do a fine job for you!

Refreshed!

As I was doing my devotions this morning, I came across a beautiful portion of scripture in II Timothy 1:16-18. Paul is in his final days (4:6), has been forsaken of men (1:15) and was feeling lonely (1:4). Yet through all this he pays tribute to a man named Onesiphorus. He said, "...for he oft refreshed me..." To refresh is to cool a thirst or revive from exhaustion. Many pastors that you will come in contact with need a missionary that will not ridicule but refresh them. Be concerned about their families, churches, dreams and heart aches. Also, list out ways today that you will refresh your wife, family, and friends. You may be thinking, "Why do I have to take the first step?" Well, to be like Onesiphorus, Paul said he, "....sought me out very dilegently, and found me." May someone be able to say that about us today! Go out and be a refresher of the souls of men!

Home From Mississippi

After our annual orientation at Macedonia World Baptist Mission, I had the privilege of preaching a Sunday thru Friday Missions Conference in Mississippi. God greatly blessed and the pastor said they will do more in Faith Promise this year than they have ever done in the past. For some reason I could not send out emails in Mississippi so the blog was down for over a week. Glad to be back and look forward to sharing exciting material with you! By the way, Happy fourth of July tomorrow.