Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.
An unreached people group is a location where less than 20% of the people are churched. We’ve piously looked down our noses at the rest of the world too long!
Do you?
We’re gearing up for Vacation Bible School now and are one of the last daytime Bible Schools in our area. Each year God allows over 150+ children to come with less and less workers. Some say it is too difficult. It is too hard!
How dare we!
Here we are asking our IMB missionaries to do with so much less than we have. To risk their children, their future, their education, and their very lives. And we don’t want to overexert ourselves?
Jesus tells us the laborers are FEW! He also tells us how to solve our shortage of labor problem — PRAY!
Are you thinking about quitting something because it is too much of a strain? David said:
Then King David said to Ornan, “No, but I will surely buy it for the full price, for I will not take what is yours for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings with that which costs me nothing.”
We are living sacrifices and are called to sacrifice! Sometimes the other workers flake out for a reason — God is looking at us and asking us WHY are we doing it! If it is easy it costs me nothing.
What a great reward to work for God’s kingdom. Rejoice when you’re overtired, overworked, and overwrought for God’s kingdom. I count it great joy to sacrifice for him.
Today, let’s pray for our own churches mission organizations. Let us also pray today for a young ladie named Sarah Farley. She is an amazing NAMB missionary in Atlanta, GA. She has been in more than 10 countries working to spread the gospel of Christ and grew up as a Missionary Kid in east Asia. She has a special love for the Islamic people. I learned so much from her today and pray that I can help her and her other missionaries begin blogging for the Lord.
Dear Lord, please help us to be faithful. Let us run and not grow weary and walk and not faint. Let us hold true to your words that never fail us. Lord, please send more workers out into your harvest. I pray specifically for more leaders to work with our Girls in Action, Youth in Action, and Royal Ambassdors programs. I pray you will strengthen those who are working now and bless them. Lord, please help our missionaries that are working at the Olympics and let many come to know Jesus Christ at these games. Lord, bless Sarah Farley. Let the seeds of evangelism and missions support that were planted today in my church spring up in fertile ground. Forgive us when we have “pity parties” over little things when Christians around the world are dying to follow Jesus. The others are dying because they don’t know Jesus. Help us reach our missions goals! We need you, Lord. In Jesus name. Amen.
Can you pray over a web log? Is that allowed?? Is that how “churched” people are doing it now?
What kind of internet connection does God have?? I hope not AOL, becuase you can hardly ever get a connection through those people. What if I had an emergency??
I guess I could always send him a text message.
I’m not quite sure how the anonymous commenter meant the comment but that is not really important. The point is this.
Any way we can communicate we can pray. I have texted a friend and asked for prayer at that moment. Some ministries of churches give pagers to their invalids and as people pray, the person receives a page and knows that someone is praying.
Just as every created thing such as the rocks will one day burst out in prayer to Jesus Christ, I believe every medium is for praising God and praying to Him. I will pray any way I can but what you must know is that the prayers online are 1/1000th of my own personal prayers to God.
Finally, “churched” has nothing to do with it. If we are worshiping the Lord Jesus, we want to follow Him and the Bible says “do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together as is the manner of some.”
If we love Jesus Christ we will love His church. Anyone could love the ideal church, Jesus died for the real church which he said was full of hypocrites and sinners.
So anonymous, I’m not sure your intent but I feel it was to poke fun. I hope you have some insight into why I do what I do!
You are right that my intent was to “poke fun”. Thanks for playing along, that makes it much more fun to poke. As long as you’re going to be cool about it, I think I’ll do it some more.
If god knows your thoughts, and desires, and favorite TV shows, etc … then I really don’t see what extra utility is gained from “posting” prayers on the internet. Didn’t you already pray for Sarah Farley in your heart? Can’t you just say job done? Does Jesus need constant reminders of the jobs he should be completing? Doesn’t he have some sort of staff that could jot requests down for him (because I’m sure he’s very busy, what with wars, genocides, starvation, and Sarah Farley)? Public prayers smack of posturing to me.
If I remember correctly (and I think I do) Jesus was less than keen on public posturing in his or his Father’s name.
Finally (for now), I grew up in church, but I don’t attend anymore. I don’t hate Jesus though, because he’s cool. Does that make me churched, or un-churched? Is it a bright line test, or something more subtle? Can one be half-churched? Does a half-churched person go to heaven or hell?
The End.
Hello, caustic. I’m so glad you returned. I did answer some of your questions on today’s post. But here it goes for some of your questions.
As for public prayers smacking of posturing that could be so. Let me explain it this way.
I love my husband and we have a great relationship. We spend a lot of time talking and enjoying each other’s company. When I am in front of others and it is appropriate I thank my husband, not because I’m trying to “suck up” to him, I’m already his wife. I do this because I love Him and want Him to receive honor.
Likewise, I pray to God publicly, privately, over text message, in my classroom, when I can’t sleep, sitting in the bathtub — not because I’m doing some duty or manipulating God in any way. I do this because He is real and I have a relationship with Him.
Perhaps if I was president of the US and prayed publicly out of an insincere heart that would be posturing. However, to know if someone was doing that, You would have to know that person’s heart.
1 Chronicles 28:9
“for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.
Finally, the first and most important question is what is your relationship with Jesus Christ. Churched or unchurched is more like a symptom of your heart than a diagnosis of your condition. Jesus Christ is the judge of the universe and not me.
I do know that when you are in love with Jesus and follow HIm, you want to go to church. You want to be with Him. You want to worship Him. When we see that people aren’t going to church, that just shows that their relationship with God is suffering. There are exceptions I’m sure, however, Hebrews 10:25
says to “not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some,”
At the end of time, caustic, it will not matter whether you think Jesus is “cool.” What will matter is if you call Him Savior. If you have called Him Savior and asked Him to forgive you of your sins He is faithful and just to do so!
Jesus Christ loved you enough, Caustic, to die for you. He did the same for me. He is not a puppet master, however, and gives each of us a choice. What choice have you made?
You sound like a nice person and one who has some excellent questions!
You might really like the Case for Faith, a book by Lee Strobel. Best wishes and I’ll be praying for you!
Holy Helen (greek god blasphemy), that was an unexpectedly long retort. I admire your spunk. I shall not be outdone for “windyness”!!
1. I didn’t say that you shouldn’t pray on your blog, it’s not really any of my business. I was just making the observation that it seemed a bit strange.
2. I think you may be reading a bit too much into Matthew 18:19. Clearly the passage isn’t meant to be taken literally. If the standard for getting what you wanted was: just find someone else who agrees with you, then surely we would always get what we wanted. Think about the missionaries that have lost their lives trying to spread the good word. Couldn’t those poor saps find anyone else who would agree with them in prayer (god, don’t let us die …. yeah god, I agree, don’t)?? Surely they could, and did, it just didn’t matter. Using a “prayer blog” to drum up more support for this or that request seems unnecessary. Surely everyone who you are praying for is being prayed for by at least one other believer, so the job should be done according to your reading of the scripture.
3. David did use written prayers in Psalms, so you’re right that there is some precedent. However, they are really a bit more like general “god loving” poems than they are specific requests. “God, please keep that Bathsheba the hell away from me. She seems like trouble in a sack. Amen.” Psalms 200:22 (the lost chapters). Additionally, he was the King of Israel, so he perhaps had more latitude with the big man than you or I. I guess under Jesus we are all equal, but God the Father was not so much about egalitarianism. He definitely played favorites … and a bit brutally.
4. I quote: “When we see that people aren’t going to church, that just shows that their relationship with God is suffering.” I’m not sure that’s at all true. The thing is, church kind of sucks. It encourages a sort of monolithic group think that Jesus would surely have despised. Isn’t a relationship with Jesus supposed to be personal? Does it matter for my personal walk with Jesus what Paul told the Hebrews to do about their walks? I thought it didn’t work like that. I thought Paul specifically said it didn’t work like that. Perhaps the modern American Christian’s emphasis on formal gathering is part of what makes the religion unattractive to many of those struggling souls you are so keen to reach. I’m just not convinced that a measure of the percentage of the county that’s “churched,” gives a constructive or fair account of how many people are without Jesus. Maybe the other 89% of people in Mitchell Georgia just think church is stupid, but that Jesus rules.
Ok. Good times. I’ll check in with you later cool cat.
Hey cool cat. I was unhappy to see your most recent post. I did not intend to “zap your energy for posting.” In fact, I thought my comments may just have the opposite effect. My guess is that you live in an isolated world in which you meet two kinds of people.
1. Christians who act and think like you (probably 85% of your acquaintances).
2. People who are hostile to Christians and don’t like you or what you believe.
People in group one offer no challenge because they share your experiences and world view. People in group two (who tend to be mean, unreasonable, and stupid) are easily written off as persecutors. I’m neither, which presents you with an interesting challenge. Truly strong faith requires challenge. The beauty of the internet is that it allows you to connect with people who are otherwise completely out of your sphere. Chances of me ever stumbling into your church in Georgia (or into Georgia period): less than 0%. But I have run into you out here in the ether, and in the end, isn’t that kind of why you are bloging anyway? Don’t you want to run into idiots just like me?
Please know this: I say what I say with a smile. No harm is intended. I’m not trying to torment you, nor am I mocking you. I’m just playing, and looking for a discussion with someone whose life looks nothing like my own. I feel bad if I have hurt your feelings, or made you feel self conscious. That is not how I roll, and it was not my intention.
I have not finished “tormenting” you yet, and I hope you will not be too quick to give up the fight. Please take my comments to be good natured (though maybe not obviously so), because that is the manner in which they are offered.
Caustic,
I do have convictions and answers and replies to each of your items. However, I always have to look at where I am putting my energy. I have three children I adore and 100+ students that I love dearly.
I also find that your assessment of my life to be grossly off base. You probably look at my picture and assume things about my life that you clearly do not know.
For each relationship I have I must ask myself:
1) Is it adding to my life or is it taking away
2) Is it what God has called me to do.
Your answers to the questions and additional questions make me sad for you. There is a very real God. He is real. He isn’t some rhetorical question of life or some far of disconnected THING. He isn’t the grand “make life easy” kind of Santa Clause God that you seem to think I think He is. HOwever, He is a very literal God.
God is either God or He isn’t. He either either real or He’s fake.
Either Jesus was the Truth as he claimed or He was totally insane — there doesn’t seem to be a middle ground here.
Prayer isn’t about “drumming up support” it is about following the commands of Jesus.
Luke 21:36
Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Caustic, you aren’t tormenting me. However, no one person has time for everything:
1 Corinthians 10:23
[ All to the Glory of God ] All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify.
I received an e-mail from the missionaries in Africa today that great things are happening that have never happened before and they attribute it to the fact that people are praying. God has told me not to lose my focus.
Caustic, I will treat your questions and jabs with respect and prayer as I do all things.
I think, however, your problem is with God, not with me. I think, however, that you may think this life is just a sarcastic joke.
No, the church is not perfect but Jesus died for it anyway. You may look down your nose on my church as you do me, but it is a place full of love and hope and family. It is the sweetest, happiest, best place on earth besides my own home.
I wake up every day full of purpose and glad to be here. When I read my Bible I am full of hope and promise. Even my dreams are full of joy and happiness.
Is it because I live a sanitized life in some ivory tower. No. I have carpet as old as my fifty year old house. I have a hall that is half finished that needs more paint. I have full laundry baskets and cranky parents to deal with at school. I have bills to pay, a classroom to teach, and a business to run. But these things are nothing.
I have a family and one or two friends who I consider kindred spirits. I am an intellectual in a town of people who aren’t really that way. I have many friends from Georgia Tech spread around the world, some who are Christian and some who are not. In fact, you couldn’t classify my friends into any one category as they are of many races, creeds, and religions. I have always been taught to respect others religions. I also have been taught to stand up for what I know to be true when it is necessary.
You have many questions all of which are answered in God’s word. Caustic, this isn’t about church or who I am, this is about that Jesus died for you and can completely forgive you of your sins. He can wash away the guilt and forgive you and you can spend life eternal with him.
It is a misnomer that we die. We physically die, but our spirits are made to continue on to eternity future. Where will you spend eternity future?
Church. Church. The woman at the well tried to debate Jesus about where she should have church — the mountains or the church. She tried to sidetrack the real issue. Here is His answer from John 4:
23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
25 The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.”
26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”
Dang cool-cat. You’re kind of sensitive. Why don’t you just ignore me and not post my comments? I may have been wrong before, you may indeed be able to outperform me in the windyness department. Perhaps you have 18 fingers for typing rather than the 10 of a mere mortal that I possess. I must number my response out of an autistic desire for order:
1. I see that I said you only MEET two kinds of people. I didn’t mean that. Clearly you meet all sorts of people, even in Georgia (god bless it). But I’ll wager that you surround yourself almost exclusively with people who believe just as you do. It has nothing to do with your picture, and I’m certainly not “looking down my nose” at you. But I looked over your entire web site … and your language leaves little doubt in my mind that most people in your life tend to reinforce what you already believe. If that’s not the case, then I stand corrected (it will be the 765,645th time I was wrong).
2. I also have friends from Georgia Tech. Well, just one actually, but we have that in common at least. He used to be a Vegan (another practice that should be looked upon with skepticism), you would think Georgia Tech wouldn’t be producing lots of Vegans, but apparently the place is crawling with um.
3. “Where will I spend eternity?” Good question. Hopefully not at the airport in New Jersey, or in that gray, drab, lifeless place C.S Lewis describes in The Great Divorce. Are you a Calvinist? Do you think that once you’re “saved” you are “saved” for good. If that’s the case, then I think I should be in the clear. My heresy came to me late in life, so I’ll guess I’ll see you up there.
4. You should get new carpet. Old carpet is so full of microbes and stuff.
5. I weighed 9 lbs 11oz at birth. So my mom can relate to your “valley of death” child bearing metaphor (although I have been a continuous plague ever since, she may have forgotten all about the uterus pain).
6. I do not have a problem with God or with you (I know nothing about either).
7. Life is a joke, of that I am certain.
Keep it real cool-cat.
1- Jesus told me to be in the world not of it. Therefore, those Christians who surround themselves with only like minds are not following his commands, as far as I’m concerned.
Additionally, as for judging my life by this one blog, here you are seeing the blog that is intended for my fellow Christians who pray for our Southern Baptist missionaries around the world. If you will visit my professional blog you will see a different side of me.
The information posted on this blog is intended to exhort Christians and isn’t really an evangelization blog although that is a byproduct of any work for Jesus Christ that is done.
There is nothing I can do or will do to convince you that you know or understand me. I will, however, say that both my husband and I have been recognized by GEMA, FEMA, the Rotary Club, and the Leadership Georgia foundation for our work in tornado recovery and with people of all walks of life in our community.
I love my community and each student I come in contact with. As for being judged for my motivations, associations, etc. that is for Jesus to do and not you nor anyone else.
2. Many friends of many types at GT. It is a great school and I still love going back there every year for Homecoming. I wish basketball had had a better year…there’s always next year.
3. Doctrine. Doctrine. It is something people hide behind. I believe that if you honestly have given your life to Jesus Christ then you are currently running away from him.
If there’s no God, then there’s no such thing as blasphemy. You list that as your favorite hobby. Who are you blaspheming against if He’s not real?
4. I’m saving for new carpet. I have other priorities with my money — educating my children, supporting my church, and other things. I do not believe in going into debt and paying tomorrow more than absolutely necessary. Mary Hunt of Debt Proof Living has great philosophies.
When I look at my carpet I rejoice in the laughter I hear and remember that I quit a six figure job to be a stay at home Mom. My top priority is to raise children that will follow Jesus Christ and have an authentic relationship with Him, if I fail in that, my life is a waste.
5. It sounds like your Mom is a Christian too, she knows what I mean, then. I’m sorry that you don’t.
6. With God, you’re either against him or for Him. Unfortunately there is no gray area of ignorant bliss. I hope you’ll open a Bible and at least see what it says to decide if you believe it or not.
7. I’m very sorry that you think life is a joke. There is nothing to joke about when a parent dies. When a friend is undergoing chemotherapy. When a puppy gets run over. There are tough things that can make us bitter — things we do not understand!
Life is not about pleasure for if it were, we’d never really stay happy. It is about living one’s life with a purpose in worship of the God who made us. Therein we find true joy. I’m thankful for my Jesus and that God has allowed me to blog about my daily walk with Him and see prayers answered daily.
He transcends you or I or this conversation.