A HEART FOR MISSIONS

Neal Pollard

I just sat through one of the most enjoyable half-hours of my life, listening to Tony Johnson talk about his first year of work as a missionary in Tamale (TOM Uh Lee), Ghana.  While I listen as one who considers Tony a dear friend whom I had the blessing of teaching "Preacher And His Work" while he was in school, the thrill came from who Tony is and what he is doing.  He has a superior understanding of what it takes to do missions, a rare intellect and knack for analysis, and a heart for soul-winning.  He would excel in a pulpit anywhere in America, but he has chosen to help evangelize, edify, and extend benevolence to the almost entirely Muslim areas of northern Ghana, western Togo, and southern Burkina Faso.  He joins other excellent workers in that region like Steven Ashcraft, men of ability, intellect, and integrity who are faithful to the Word.

As I sat there, this thought occurred to me.  Wherever you and I find ourselves, whether in lesser or greater fertile fields, we need to have a passion and fervent heart for our Lord's mission.  While listening to Tony made me want to make plans to go to a third-world nation, I was made aware of how diligently God wants me working in the field where I have been planted.  Wherever we find ourselves on this earth, our heart must beat for the purpose for which God has us on this earth.  It meant so much to Jesus that He left these as parting words to the disciples before His face and those who would thereafter read them:  "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem."

Doesn't that stir your heart to missions? To His mission?

WE ACTUALLY SPOKE TO EACH OTHER!

Neal Pollard

Everyone who attended last night's devotional at Bear Valley seems to share the sentiment that it was tremendously uplifting.  The theme was timely, the songs, scriptures, and prayer reinforced it, and the men who led, to the man, did so with apparent passion and skill.  Each moment was "savory" and satisfying.  Everyone surely felt closer and closer to the throne of God with each successive moment.  Yet, there was one moment I want to isolate which I particularly appreciate.  Bob Turner led us in "I Want To Be A Soul-Winner" and encouraged us to do something "interactive."  He asked us to stand and face the section across from us (we cordoned off the "north side" so that we all were seated in the center and south section of pews).  Then, he told us to look at each other and sing to one another, especially since this song was a profession of intent written to be spoken to one another.

No doubt for expediency and orderliness, churches more than a century ago adopted pews for a seating arrangement.  Perhaps it facilitates an optimal arrangement for seeing the preacher as he delivers the sermon.  Yet, it has created a few circumstances in our singing that could be deemed unfortunate.  It has isolated us in our singing.  We are typically tunnel-visioned, almost as if with blinders on our faces.  Perhaps we are staring at the back of the heads in front of us and maybe looking at the song leader, but we are not in a position to see one another.  Also, we have buried our faces in the "pages."  I say that because whether a congregation uses a songbook or projects songs on a screen, we have become conditioned to fixing our gaze on that rather than each other.  That means burying our heads in a book or riveting our focus on the paperless hymnal.  Hasn't it made us uncomfortable, in many cases, with actually looking into the faces of our brothers and sisters while teaching, admonishing, and encouraging through song? 

I am grateful that Bob had this idea.  It is hard to describe the joy and encouragement felt when looking into sincere, smiling faces of fellow Christians in the midst of worshipping our God and also speaking to one another in song. I encourage God's people to consider incorporating opportunities like this into the worship, to facilitate the command of "speaking to one another" (Eph. 5:19) and "teaching and admonishing one another" (Col. 3:16) "with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs."  The effect may pleasantly surprise you!