Observations

I've been in the States for a little over five weeks now. On Wednesday of this week our latest update letter went out through Global Outreach Mission to our supporters. I used a quote by Reinhard Bonnke, missionary to Africa in 1969, to begin the letter. He said, "Cool, casual Christianity will accomplish nothing. Our most urgent need is the flaming message of the cross, now, and not at our leisure". Clearly, in 2009, the "need" has not changed, not in Costa Rica and not in the United States! What I fear most is lacking is obedience. Obedience to speak the Name of Jesus. There is not any clear, cookie cutter shape for missions. Missions looks like a lot of different things to a lot of different people. I think that is so because we all have different gifts. The element that cannot change is the message. What I have observed in the last few weeks as I have shared about our ministry, and people have engaged me in conversation is that folks are looking for an almost perfect "environment" in which to share. Their hang-up is either not having gone through "a program", not "being filled enough" by the Holy Spirit, not "sure where to begin". It's been difficult to listen too because Satan has a grip on this mindset. It's almost like standing at the pool at the camp and watching a child drown. After you observe that the child has gone under, you don't call a prayer meeting to discern whether you should save the child, you just jump in and you do it. The same principle should apply for the people who are drowning around us every day. Some have gone under once, but others have already gone down twice or even three times, and their eyes are rolling into the back of their heads. It's not like if I don't know the American Red Cross' CPR program I can't possibly pull the person from the water. At that moment, what matters least is a program or not knowing where to begin. What does matter is obedience and faith; God wants us dependent on Him and when we are, He will use our imperfections for His purposes! There are so many ways to reach fellow Americans in these challenging times. There are people going "under" every day due to finances, family crisis, alcoholism, drugs. Their eyes are beginning to roll back with no apparent Hope. We are ALL called as stated in Matt. 28. May God help us to extend His arms.