In his book, “An Unstoppable Force,” Erwin McManus writes, "The gospel flows best through the establishing of significant relationships that are authentic and healthy. When relationships become stagnant and the community of Christ closes itself to the outside world, the result is an institution rather than a movement.”

Jesus didn’t die to establish an institution; He died and rose from the grave to bring Salvation to His bride, the church. Since that is true, the church must spend its energy in continuing the mission He began and commissioned us to fulfill.

2 Cor. 11:2 (NLT) “I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God himself. For I promised you as a pure bride to one husband, Christ.”

For more information on An Unstoppable Force, go to http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764423061/fm082-20

In his book, Emerging Worship, Dan Kimball writes, “This book is dangerous if it causes you to build your church’s foundation upon the weekend worship gathering.” He goes on to explain, “Jesus gave us a mission to be his church and that is what we should build on—the mission, the worship service. I am fairly convinced that most churches build on the worship service, however despite the fact that they have a mission statement.”

Matthew 5:16 (NASB) "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

For more information on Emerging Worship, go to http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0310256445/fm082-20

In his book, "Radical Reformission", Mark Driscoll writes, "The mission is to be close to Jesus.This transforms our hearts to love what he loves, hate what he hates, and to pursue relationships with lost people in hopes of connecting with them and, subsequently, connecting them with him.This actually protects us from sin, because the way to avoid sin is not to avoid sinners but to stick close to Jesus."

Luke 19:10 (KJV) "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."

In his book, "Future Church", Jim Wilson writes, "Ever since I was a child, I've had a heart for missions and have been willing to go overseas if God calls me.

Certainly my wife knew about my heart for missions and that I'd go if God calls me. But what she didn't know was that I'd been praying he would open that door and that he'd lay it on her heart to want to go too.

I prayed that if God gives me the desire, he would give it to her too—not just to go with me because I was going but also to go because God was moving her to go. We never talked about it. Not once did I ask her how she felt about going overseas. I just prayed and asked God to speak to her.

Susan initiated the conversation and said the words I'd longed to hear: 'I believe God may be calling us to missions, and if he does, I'm willing to go.'

I didn't tell her about my prayer at that time; instead, we just held each other and wept."

Wilson continues, "Later I went on a 'praise walk'—just me and God. 'Thank you, God for speaking to Susan,' I said.

We're ready.' I'm not sure what I expected God to say in the silence that followed, but certainly not what he said. 'I'm glad you're willing to go and be a missionary,' I sensed God saying.

As a result of that prayer, Wilson went back to school to learn Spanish so he could begin to proclaim the gospel in the language of the people that live around his church.

He learned the important lesson that being a missionary isn't a matter of geographic location, but of attitude and approach. Wilson doesn't know if the Lord will ever relocate him overseas or not, but he does know that he is called to be a missionary wherever he is.

Psalm 96:1-3 (NLT) "Sing a new song to the Lord! Let the whole earth sing to the Lord! [2] Sing to the Lord; bless his name. Each day proclaim the good news that he saves. [3] Publish his glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things he does."

In his book, "The Radical Reformission" Mark Driscoll writes, "... God's mission is not to create a team of moral and decent people but rather to create a movement of holy loving missionaries who are comfortable and truthful around lost sinners and who, in this way, look more like Jesus than most of his pastors do."

1 Cor. 9:22-23 (NASB) "To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some. [23] And I do all things for the sake of the gospel, that I may become a fellow partaker of it."

In his article, "The Changing Face of the Church," Kenneth Woodward reported, "In 1990, the beginning of what American Protestants christened as "the Christian Century," 80 percent of Christians were either Europeans or North Americans. Today 60 percent are citizens of the 'Two-Third's World'-Africa, Asia and Latin America."

Praise God that the church is gaining ground in the "Two-Third's World!" That's the good news. The bad news is that the need for missionaries to come to North America is growing.

Matthew 28:18-20 NIV "Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [19] Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.'"

Jenny Rogers had a good job and was doing her part for missions as a staff writer for the International Mission Board. Then at an appointment service for new missionaries in Norfolk, Virginia, in May of 2000, God spoke to her about crossing that line from loving missions to being a missionary. Today she is on the field in Japan as a missionary teaching English as a second language as a strategy to present the gospel.

Perhaps you are expecting for me to tell you about the thousands of people she’s lead to Christ over the past few years and how a great spiritual awakening is spreading throughout Japan because of her efforts. Maybe one day I’ll be able to do that, but not now. Instead, I want to read an email she wrote on October 9, 2001.

“As for my faith and life in Japan, there are bad things and there are good things…

Here’s the bad (and the very ugly)…I’m still plugging along, dealing with culture shock and uncomfortable new things daily, but it’s really starting to take its toll. I feel totally inept and altogether infantile. I have lost all confidence in being able to do anything or at least do anything right. Everything I touch seems to fall apart.

None of the kids showed up for my English class. I missed my first (and thus far only) prayer advocacy deadline…I’ve gotten lost, missed important events and held up long lines of impatient people while the bus driver tries frantically to tell me (in Japanese) something I’ve done wrong. I’m ‘big’ compared to tiny Japanese women. I told my language teacher I eat ‘children’ rather than ‘fruit.’

But when these things build up, it can be overwhelming…I feel like nothing I’m doing is making a difference.”

Now those are feelings I can relate to. How about you? Do you ever get discouraged in the Lord’s work? Do you ever feel like you aren’t really making a difference? Aren’t you glad that you have family, friends and a church to stand behind you when you are feeling that way? I know I am.

And I also know that Jenny doesn’t have those things, at least now with her—she’s left them all behind to penetrate another culture to shine the gospel light in the darkness. That’s why I’ve got to love missions—because people like Jenny are counting on me to pray for them so they have strength to go on, and sacrificially give so they can afford to do what they do.

In Isaiah 6:7-8, Isaiah tells us about a life changing vision—it was the day he crossed a line from loving missions to being a missionary, it says: “Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?’ Then I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’”

That’s what Jenny did. She heard God’s call and she responded. She went. So we who love missions pray for her and we sacrificially give to help support her and other missionaries.

And God is honoring her commitment. Later she wrote, “There’s a quickness in my step not just because the spring thaw is on the way…for the first time in many months I feel THERE IS HOPE—there is a way—maybe, by the Lord’s grace, I’m going to make it after all.”

On June 10, 2002, in another email, she wrote, “I just COMMUNICATED with someone. I just carried on an entire CONVERSATION with someone. Not an, ‘Excuse me, where’s the bathroom?’ No, this was a giving and taking of information, a blending of lives at tiny, interconnecting points.

Today Jenny is functioning in the language well enough to lead in Bible Studies and to tell people she meets about the God that loves her and them. She’s been there just a little over a year now, who knows what kind of impact her faithfulness will have on the kingdom.

Jenny was faithful to go. She crossed the line from loving missions to being a missionary. Is it a line you’re willing to cross?

Psalm 96:3 NIV “Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.”

In his book, "An Unstoppable Force", Erwin McManus mentions the church shopping phenomenon when he writes, "'We're looking for a church that meets our needs.' It seems like I've heard this one a thousand times. The phenomenon of church shoppers has profoundly shaped the contemporary church.

The entire conversation is not about relevance but convenience. The focus is not in serving the world, the church itself became the focal point.

Our motto degenerated from 'We are the church, here to serve a lost and broken world' to 'What does the church have to offer me?' This move has made the pastor the only minister, while making the members the only recipients of ministry.

Certainly every member has needs for a church to meet. And the church has needs for them to meet too. But what can never be lost in this equation is that the world has needs that only the church can meet. What is wonderful in God's design for the church is that while we work together meeting the needs of other people in the church and the world one of our greatest needs is met in the need to make a difference in the world and join Christ in the revolution He established 2000 years ago at the empty tomb.

2 Peter 1:16 (NASB) "For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty."

A minister from the West preached at a Mission’s conference to a Chinese Christian group about the call to Missions. When the group prayed, he said, “I sense God is calling someone from this group to become a missionary.” No one responded to his word, so they continued to pray. Again, he asked, if someone sensed that God was calling him/her to missions. No one said anything. They prayed again, but this time when he asked, one woman responded that she sensed that God was calling her to Myanmar, an Asian country. The group laid their hands on her and prayed for her until the class ended after midnight.

The next morning, he scanned the room and noticed the woman who expressed a call to missions was absent and asked the others where she was.

“Well,” a man said, “she was called to missions last night so she lined up a partner and they left on the bus at 4 a.m. this morning!”

Isaiah 6:8 NIV “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’"

Matthew Parris is a self-proclaimed atheist who writes for the London Times. Late in 2008 his column was titled, As an atheist, I truly believe Africa needs God. (London Times Online, December 27, 2008). While recognizing the existence of government programs and international aid, he makes this statement. “These alone will not do. Education and training alone will not do. In Africa, Christianity changes people's hearts. It brings a spiritual transformation. The rebirth is real. The change is good.” And this is from an atheist.

Parris grew up in Africa. Recently he returned to his boyhood home for a firsthand look. What he discovered was that “Christians black and white, working in Africa, do heal the sick, do teach people to read and write.” He goes on to confess, that even though it does not match his worldview, it is not just the help missionaries give but the faith they transfer that makes a difference.

(See a review of this article, Cheaney, Janie B., The horror, the hope, World Magazine, January 31, 2009, p 28.) Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Jesus Christ remains the hope of the world whether in deep fractured Africa or suburban America. In the central cities of the United States and the cities of the world, the answer to the problem is the same. Men and women with a deep faith in Jesus Christ turn their worlds upside down. While we do not need the testimony of atheists to know the hope is true, it is satisfying when one admits they can see the difference faith in Christ makes.

Acts 17:6 (KJV) “And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;”

An Indian man named Jayesh was deeply committed to his beliefs, until he met a local pastor. As they were walking through the village one day, the Pastor stopped to tell Jayesh about his love for Jesus. Jayesh became very angry and accused the pastor to trying to convert people to Christianity. He warned the pastor to leave town or he would turn him in to the local authorities. The pastor said he wasn’t worried, and this made Jayesh so made that he decided that he would not only report the pastor, but would kill him also. To justify his plan, Jayesh began following the pastor around determined to catch him doing evil things. After following the pastor around for some time, he became confused because he nothing but a genuine love from the man. One night, while the pastor prayed with other believers in the church, Jayesh sat outside listening. He realized he needed the forgiveness the pastor spoke about and began to cry. Inside, the pastor heard him, and went to comfort Jayesh. The pastor brought Jayesh inside and prayed with him. Afterward Jayesh confessed his plans, and repented, choosing to follow Jesus from that day forward. Speaking about the pastor later Jayesh said, “Now I know that there is no blame on him. He worships the real God.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Man Plots to Kill Local Pastor, Finds Jesus Instead, http://www.charismanews.com/world/40663-man-plots-to-kill-local-pastor-finds-jesus-instead, Accessed August 16, 2013.

Philippians 2:15 (NASB) so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,

A book of psalms dating to 1640 and believed to be the first book published in the United States was auctioned for a record $414.2 million. The book was one of several originally owned by the Old South Church in Boston. The church has the distinction of being known as the church Samuel Adams attended, and where Benjamin Franklin was baptized. The church voted to sell one of the two copies of The Bay Psalm Book that it owned in order to raise money for ministry purposes. The book was published on a printed press brought over from England twenty years after the Pilgrims landed in Plymouth. It is a translation of the original Hebrews psalms in English and was one of 1,700 copies printed at the time. The church originally owned five copies of the book. One is now at the Library of Congress, one is at Yale, and the other at Brown University. The pastor of the church says they were pleased with the sales price and added, “This is enormous for us. It is life-changing for the ministries we can do.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Book believed to be first one printed in the US sells for record $14.2 million at auction, http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/11/27/tiny-psalm-book-from-1640-fetches-record-142-million-at-nyc-auction, Accessed November 27, 2013.

Hebrews 13:5 (NASB) Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,"

One quarter of the world’s people have the condition known as myopia, or nearsightedness. That represents a 66% increase since 1970. Experts say the condition has skyrocketed as children spend more time indoors, staring at computer screens. The prediction is that by 2020 the number will increase to one third.

There is such a condition in the church also. We get so involved looking at the things around us, we fail to see the spiritual condition and the spiritual need in the greater world. Pray for eyes that can see the fields white for harvest. --Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/05/nearsightedness-and-the-indoor-life/361169/

John 4:35 (HCSB) (35) “Don’t you say, ‘There are still four more months, then comes the harvest’? Listen ?to what? I’m telling you: Open your eyes and look at the fields, for they are ready for harvest.

Immigration is a big topic in US and world politics. It also impacts mission work. How?
During the last century, Latin American Protestants rose from 50,000 in 1900 to 64 million in 2000, according to Evangelical scholar William Taylor, with Pentecostal and charismatic churches making up three-quarters of this number.

Central Americans have been migrating to the United States and Canada for decades now. An estimated 2 million of those who fled from Central America from 1974 to 1996 settled in one of three countries, Mexico, United States or Canada.

In 2014 the news media reported on another Latin American crisis. “There is now a humanitarian crisis in Central America,” according to Maria Cristina Garcia of Cornel University. “When police officers are forced to flee because they can’t receive protection from their own state against criminals, when you have clergymen, NGO workers, doctors and lawyers who are fleeing the region because lives have become insupportable and unsustainable, it is a humanitarian crisis.”

Guatemalan military officer Melvin Cameros, left Guatemala with his family and immigrated to Toronto, Canada in 2005. He and his family are believers and his immigrating to Canada was out of obedience to God. While surviving life-threatening injuries from fighting narco-traffickers, Melvin promised God that if he survived, he would serve Him as a pastor, preaching the Good News to others. Leaving his homeland was traumatic because he was a wealthy landowner. After moving to Toronto, the family established a small Hispanic church on Progress Avenue in Toronto’s east side. God has provided opportunities for their church to minister to the large community of Muslims from Central and Southern Asia. A Mexican family became part of their fellowship. The son, Miguel, made friends at school with Ali, from Afghanistan. When Ali turned his back on Islam, his family kicked him out. The Mexican family took him in, demonstrating God’s love for him. --Jim L. Wilson and Daniel Hall

http://ncronline.org/blogs/all-things-catholic/dramatic-growth-evangelicals-latin-america
http://opencanada.org/features/the-think-tank/interviews/canadas-central-american-connection/
Interview with Melvin Cameros, August 11, 2013.

God is at work in the Americas through the scattering of Christian people from their homelands to new places, particularly to the world’s big cities, taking the gospel with them and sharing it with people who speak the same language. Some are crossing cultures in the marketplace, at school or with neighbors to share the Good News.

Acts 11:19-21 (NIV) (19) Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. (20) Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. (21) The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.

On November 12, 2017, Marquise Goodwin caught a strike from quarterback C.J. Beathard, ran for 83 yards, skillfully beat his defender, and scored the historic touchdown. When he finished the play in the end zone, he did not dance arrogantly or taunt the defenders: instead, he pointed to the sky, knelt on one knee, and prayed.

There was clear evidence that he was in turmoil. His touchdown-prayer is just one indication of what was going through his heart during the game. He left the locker room immediately after the match to be with his family, but not before securing the victory for the San Francisco 49ers. That Sunday, he was able to fulfill his mission as a working man, athlete, husband, father, and son. On top of that, he was able to witness to his team as a Christian man through his unwavering dedication to the players, coaches, and fans. —Jim L. Wilson and John Pyo

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/21394528/marquise-goodwin-san-francisco-49ers-stars-death-baby

Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he told the disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” Taking along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. He said to them, “I am deeply grieved to the point of death. Remain here and stay awake with me.” Going a little farther, he fell facedown and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. He asked Peter, “So, couldn’t you stay awake with me one hour? Stay awake and pray, so that you won’t enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Again, a second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” And he came again and found them sleeping, because they could not keep their eyes open.

After leaving them, he went away again and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? See, the time is near. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up; let’s go. See, my betrayer is near.”

The Plateau Valley Church has less than 50 members, yet they feed hundreds of needy people each week. The church is located Colbran, Colorado, a ranching town with a population of 700. Every Friday the volunteers pass out food to over one hundred families from the community. Before handing out food, the church provides live worship and a devotional, along with a hot meal. Pastor Joshua Yaffe said his inspiration comes from Jesus who took time to fulfill people’s needs both physically and spiritually. Yaffe said that the church provides the food and leaves the rest up to the Lord. He does not believe it is their job to judge whether someone is hungry or not. The small church has been growing as a result of their outreach, about one third of the attendance each Sunday can be traced back to the food bank ministry.—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

http://www.klove.com/news/2018/06/05/The-Math-Of-Faith-Church-Of-Less-Than-Fifty-People-Feeds-Hundreds-podcast

Late in the day, the Twelve approached and said to him, “Send the crowd away, so that they can go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find food and lodging, because we are in a deserted place here.”

“We have no more than five loaves and two fish,” they said, “unless we go and buy food for all these people.”

In his book, Leading Major Change in your Ministry, Jeff Iorg writes, “Over time, mission drift occurs in almost every organization. Followers and leaders alike can lose focus of their ministry’s true purpose and allow their efforts to become more about meeting their needs than fulfilling the organization’s core mission. This is usually a subtle change, not an intentional choice. Because it happens gradually, it may be almost imperceptible and require concentrated effort to correct.” —Jim L. Wilson

I know that you have persevered and endured hardships for the sake of my name, and have not grown weary. But I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember then how far you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

Lt. Col. Daniel Thompson made a lot of adjustments to minister to the people he shepherds. During the quarantine he counseled people sitting six feet away and limited worship services to 10 people at a time. Thompson said his mission was especially important because the people he serves are fighting both a pandemic and a war against terrorism. Thompson said he would get creative and walk around giving hope to individuals in need of advice and encouragement. He also gave away an MP3 player containing a verbal recording of the New Testament with music. He also shared with many more people using a podcast. Overall, Thompson said he found the soldiers, airmen, sailors, and Marines he served in Afghanistan were very resilient during difficult times. He added, “What the coronavirus may have meant for evil, God has intended for good.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result—the survival of many people.

A church in Goodlettsville, Tennessee decided the best way to help their community during the coronavirus crisis was to donate money to small businesses where the members live and worship. Since many small businesses took a financial hit during the shutdowns, the church gave money to three businesses. Pastor Tim Stutler said he thinks the faith community can make a big difference by paying for hair appointments in advance, buying gift cards and tipping well. He even suggested members do some of their Christmas shopping early. Stutler hopes other churches will follow their lead. He said, “We believe it’s a great way to keep the economy stimulated and keep these businesses open. We love those folks who invested in our community and we want to help them keep their people employed.” Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

Two sisters from Dallas saw a need in downtown Dallas and decided to help by providing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. The girls, Bella and Riley Sauter recognized a lot of the homeless people in the area did not have enough food and they wanted to be part of the solution. They made 30 sandwiches and delivered them to people they found living on the streets. 30 sandwiches soon became 100, and word spread on social media making their operation even larger. The sisters have named the project Feed the People and each week they set up assembly lines and enlist as much help as possible. They said they have gotten to know some of the people they visit very well, and they hope their efforts helps other people see the homeless differently. Bella said, “They’re always so thankful. And that feeling is worth more than anything.” –Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

And whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple, truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward.”

In Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen, Donald Miller writes, “A true mission isn’t a statement; it’s a way of living and being. A mission is more than token rituals that make momentary reference to the things your employees should care about. A mission is a story you reinforce through every department strategy, every operational detail, and every customer experience. That’s what it means to be a company on mission.”

Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Art historians are examining a 17th century baroque era painting after it was spotted hanging in a New York church. Assistant Professor of Visual Arts at Iona College said he was visiting the church in New Rochelle when the painting caught his eye. He knew at once it was an Italian Baroque painting and after snapping some pictures and showing them to his colleagues, the piece was identified as a lost work by Florentine master Cesare Dandini titled, “Holy Family with the Infant St. John.” The church said the painting was donated in the 1960s by someone who has bought it from a gallery in London, but they did not know it was such a valuable work. The parish agreed to loan the painting to Iona College, where it will be displayed for three months before returning to the church. –Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2021/09/14/long-lost-painting-Cesare-Dandini-Holy-Family-Church/3411631639726/

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

Members of a church in the nation’s capital helped 250 drivers put gas in their vehicles and saw eight people give their lives to Christ. Church leaders thought about hosting a soup kitchen or collect items for a food bank but decided to take a different approach instead. They sponsored a Gas on God event and put $20 worth of gas in the cars of 250 people. Some volunteers pumped gas while others asked patrons if they needed prayer. The church’s co=pastor said, “Jesus instructed us to care for our neighbors and to love them This is a sign of that and we hope we’ve in some way changed their lives.” –Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2021/november/dc-church-gives-250-drivers-free-fuel-during-gas-on-god-event-8-customers-accept-christ