Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Why Support Missions?

So I've felt a need to do this for awhile and am just now getting to it. But a lot of you know because you've read my blog posts about my brother and his family going to South Africa. You read how I felt when it was my last time to see them, you read about how much I love them and want to support them however I can, you read how proud I am of them. Now I want you to read this.

I don't know all that my brother is doing, he posts on his blog a lot to keep us all up to date (he's good about it unlike this side of the Reeds). I've seen a huge change in him since he was even in college. (It's amazing what women do to us!) But he has grown up so much, his heart has become sensitive to God's calling in their life. He is pursuing the kingdom as God has called each of his followers to do...."Go and make disciples of ALL nations" it's in Matthew 28 I believe. He doesn't send us all overseas, most of you need to do this in your own workplace, but Joe and Natalie felt the call to go to South Africa and they stepped up to the plate to answer that call. They are making a difference, they are being changed, they are being obedient.

I'm in missions as well, locally. And when I started out, we had the dreaded task of raising our own support. Which meant relying on others around us to help us meet our needs financially. I didn't accept the call to ministry so I could drive a luxury vehicle or live in a mansion. I did because that is the direction God has for my life, to impact others for Him. But God also didn't call me to poverty. Many people did and do support me financially in this area of ministry in my life.

Why am I writing this? Because I came across a website today and it made me think of my brother. It showed me reasons why God tells us to support missionaries:

1. The greatest mission ever known was when God looked down and sent His

Son ~John 3:16.

2. The world will never be brought to Christ unless we bring Christ to the world.

We are ambassadors ~ II Corinthians 5:20.

3. Jesus taught that missions was the way to make disciples.

4. Because Christ commanded us to do so. The great commission has never been canceled.

5. We cannot be happy unless we’re totally committed to telling others of Christ

~Romans 1:14-16: I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians, both to the wise, and to the unwise. 15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

6. If we don’t it’s a sure sign that we’ve lost our vision or never had one. ~Selfishness is a contradiction to Christianity.

7. A missionary spirit is the hope of the world and the nearest thing to the heart of God.


Joe didn't ask me to do this, he doesn't even know I'm doing. He may even ask me to remove this from the blog. But I want everyone who comes across this to atleast be praying for my brother and his family while they are over there. But if you know you can do more, please keep up with what they are doing, go to: http://sareeds.wordpress.com/ you can read all of their blog stuff which will honestly teach you a lot too. Joe has a gift of writing and I learn all the time from what he writes. But at the top is a support tab where you can choose to support them. I know they have not met their goals, but they are already over there and can't raise support from new people here if they're not here. So I think it's my turn to step up and ask those of you that I know that have any connection to me to consider supporting them in what they're doing. It's hard enough to live off of what support SHOULD come in, but it's even harder when you haven't met that goal.

Luke 12:48 says, "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

Not "much has been asked", NOT "much has been suggested. It says "much will be DEMANDED". So please, be praying for them. I'm not telling you go support Joe and Natalie Reed, but who are you supporting? Where is your money going? If God expects us to give the way He says too, what are you doing about it?

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