I'd like to start with the words of Jesus, "But you will
receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses
in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
(Acts 1:8)
The key question introduced by Acts 1:8 is this, By what criteria
should any person, anywhere, be denied the right to hear the gospel of
Jesus Christ?
The Bible points out that Jesus intends for a church to witness
concerning Him in its local area, in the state, in the country, and in the
entire world at the same time. It seems impossible, but through your
giving to your local church this can be accomplished.
Our God is big and He cares about the nations. He's a global
God. And His ultimate goal is to gather together a family that represents,
"…every tribe and tongue and people and nation." (Revelation
5:9) When you step into a mission field, you will sense God's amazing
compassion for another culture and you will begin to know Him as Lord of the
harvest.
So, why go on short term mission trips? Going to both
domestic and international areas of ministry are of great value to both the
volunteers, and to those to whom they are ministering. Going on short
term mission trips assist the indigenous workers to evangelize their people and
plant new churches among them.
As a result, volunteers learn to pray intently for missions, to
give generously to missions, and to witness more effectively at home.
Let’s look at a few personal qualifications of volunteers:
1) A sense of call to
go
2) Attitude of
servanthood and flexibility
3)
Willingness to maintain unity in the team
4) Good health
5) Healthy spiritual
disciplines of Bible study, prayer, and obedience
6)
Absence of any addictive habits such as drugs, tobacco or alcohol
So, whether you go on a domestic or international mission trip,
let's recognize the priority of missions. And let's encourage every
Christian to discover their role in God's great plan to tell everyone about
Jesus and His love.
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