Childlike

"Becoming a child again is exactly what God wants. This is the point of abandoning. He wants us to look at the world through new eyes, eyes that see beauty and joy and excitement in all things, even the most ordinary of circumstances. He wants us to give up our control and to trust Him. Abandoning reminds us to be childlike in the middle of life at a time when we've long forgotten what it's like to be a child. This is why we leave; it's why we go on a journey in the first place."

--"Kingdom Journeys" by Seth Barnes

Ships

“A ship in harbor is safe—but that is not what ships are for.” –John A. Shedd

Opportunity vs. Security

“Never surrender opportunity for security.” – Branch Rickey

Mission

“God scatters to reunite.”

That quote came from the book I’ve been reading lately called “Finish the Mission” by John Piper and David Mathis. The discussion in the chapter was about the Gospel in the Old Testament, and the way that God scattered the nation of Israel on multiple occasions. In the New Testament, we also see the disciples being scattered into all the world in order to preach the gospel.

Biblically speaking, we have so many examples of people GOING in order to spread the gospel. We too, are called to GO outside of our comfort zones for His honor and glory. Even though we are sometimes baffled as to why God seems to break up a “good thing,” often it’s for a better thing! God scatters to reunite.

An Adventure

“An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered.”

--G.K. Chesterton

The Church

“Let me say clearly that I am not against new or modern [church] buildings. I am not so idealistic to think that every church should meet in houses or old supermarkets. But we have to ask ourselves: Are we investing the majority of our time and energy in the brick and mortar of our buildings while neglecting the biblical command to be the hands and feet of Jesus?”

--Johnny Carr in “Orphan Justice”

Life

“God’s goal is not to make sure you’re happy. Life is not about your being comfortable, happy, successful and pain free. It is about becoming the man or woman God has called you to be. Life is not about you. It’s about God. He doesn’t exist to make us happy. We exist to bring Him glory.”

--Chuck Swindoll

Nothing

“God created the world out of nothing

And as long as we are nothing

He can make something out of us.”

--Martin Luther

Responsible

“I am just as guilty of judging the poor as anyone else. I’ve said things like, ‘Well, I’m sure they would just go buy some cigarettes or beer, and I don’t want to enable an addict,’ or, ‘They have government help,’ or, ‘They can always go down to the homeless shelter.’ But here’s the irony: We judge families who get government help while we fail to help those very same people. On top of that, we often advocate shutting down the very social programs that keep their kids from starving. If the government discontinued all welfare programs tomorrow, I’m not sure we would be ready, willing, or able to help all of the people in need in our communities.

We may tell ourselves, ‘It’s not my problem. I have to take care of my own family.’ But if Christians are not responsible to care for the needy, who is?”

--Johnny Carr in “Orphan Justice”

Fill

“Use me then, my Savior,

for whatever purpose and in whatever way you may require.

Here is my poor heart, an empty vessel;

fill it with your grace.”

--D.L. Moody

The Fall

I recently finished reading an excellent book called “When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor . . . and Yourself” by Brian Fikkert and Steve Corbett. I thought I knew what to expect from reading the book, but I was challenged and convicted so much by reading it.

In one of the early chapters, the authors discuss the Fall and the effects on our lives today from that event. Throughout their book, they talk a lot about broken individuals and broken systems. In reality, the richest person in the world can simultaneously be the poorest person in the world and vice versa because poverty is so multi-faceted. The following quote really stood out to me:

“The fall really happened, and it is wreaking havoc in all of our lives. We are all broken, just in different ways.” –Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert in “When Helping Hurts”

Orphan Care

“The goal of orphan care is caring for orphans, not the good feelings we get from our generosity in building or supporting an orphanage. Orphan care is not about us; it’s about them.” –Johnny Carr in “Orphan Justice”

Your Best

“Do not allow yourselves to be disheartened by any failure as long as you have done your best.” –Mother Teresa

Optional

“Some things in life are optional and some are not.

Wearing shoes is optional. But eating is not.

Driving a car is optional. But once you choose the option, driving on the right-hand side of the road (here in America) is not.

Becoming a Christian is optional. But once you decide to ask Jesus Christ to take control of your life, involvement in world missions is no longer optional. I’m not saying that these things are impossible. You can choose to go without eating, but if you do, you must take the consequences. . . You can choose to drive on the left but you will pay fines and cause accidents.”

 

–Peter C. Wagner, On the Crest of the Wave (Glendale, Calif.: Regal, 1983), 5

Compassion

“By compassion we make others’ misery our own, and so, by relieving them, we relieve ourselves also.” –Thomas Browne, Sr.

Half a Gospel

“We can be grateful for the many kind, caring, generous Rotarians, Lions, Boy Scouts, and the like who do great acts of kindness in the world. But the motive is as important as the strategy. The good deeds of Christians, done in response to God’s call, provide both physical and spiritual hope for the needy. Nelson Bell, the well-known missionary doctor said, ‘If you separate evangelism and social action, you have only delivered half a gospel.’”

–David C. Forward in “The Essential Guide to the Short Term Mission Trip”

Quote on Parting

“Never part without loving words to think of during your absence. It may be that you will not meet again in this life.”—Jean Paul Richter

Evangelism

Shortly after I became the missions trip coordinator for “A Child’s Hope,” I began reading “The Essential Guide to the Short Term Mission Trip” by David C. Forward. He takes a comprehensive look at short term missions trip, starting with why we should be involved in missions at all. The quote below on evangelism stood out to me:

“Though it may seem at times a challenge, evangelism is our solemn obligation. It is never ‘not my job.’

Missions authority David M. Howard wrote:

The missionary enterprise of the church is not a pyramid built upside down with its point on one isolated text in the New Testament out of which we have built a huge structure known as ‘missions.’ Rather, the missionary enterprise of the church is a great pyramid built right side up, with its base running from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22. All of Scripture forms the foundation for the outreach of the gospel to the whole world. [David Mr. Howard, The Great Commission for Today (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity, 1976), 31.]

The model that compels us to do evangelistic mission work today can be found in Matthew 9:35: ‘Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.’”

Evangelism is truly at the core of Christianity. If God did not want us to practice evangelism, then we would go straight to heaven after we became a Christian. But He leaves us here on this earth with the sole purpose of proclaiming His Name among all the nations. How are you doing in this vital mandate? Are you a faithful evangelist for Christ?

Pass Through

“I expect to pass through life but once. If, therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now for I shall not pass this way again.” –William Penn (1644)

Great Quote

I recently finished reading a book called “Walking in Broken Shoes” by Susan Magnuson Walsh. She was leading a medical missions trip in Haiti at the time of the 2010 earthquake. Her story was heartbreaking and eye opening (I highly recommend the book!)

At the beginning of each chapter, she opens with a quote. There were SO many good ones, that I thought I’d share some of them here on Tuesdays for the next few weeks. Here’s the first one which has been a great reminder to me lately:

“When one door closes another opens. But often we look so long [and] so regretfully upon the closed door that we fail to see the one that has opened for us.” –Helen Keller