No, but...God will

"The man… looking at him with a smile that only half concealed his contempt, inquired, "Now Mr. Morrison do you really expect that you will make an impression on the idolatry of the Chinese Empire?" "No sir," said Morrison, "but I expect that God will."

- Robert Morrison

Praying for China

Have you been praying about the horrible circumstances in China lately, with the earthquake? My heart breaks for those tens of thousands of people who have had their lives turned upside down. For those without Jesus, who is there to cling to in such hours of suffering? Who gives hope? Who will never forsake? There are still so many millions unreached in China. I think of my two visits to China and all the precious people I met and visited during those travels. When I hear the news reports, their faces come to my mind. Some of them I have no way to contact. I wonder if they are ok.

May God open doors for the Gospel even amidst the devastation. May Christians in China be strengthened. May they reach out as the hands of feet of Jesus. Let us be their Aaron and Hur, supporting them in prayer.

Continued..."How can I best prepare?"

A few more practical suggestions from the Dohnavur Fellowship...

• Spending Money- There are many unnecessary gadgets and ornaments that it is very nice to possess, for which we spend money without thinking. All our money is God's if we are His children. Rich and poor, we should think and pray before we spend, and we should learn to do without. Some, after indulgence in small ways, find it very hard to stop. The people among whom we are to live in the mission field, for the most part never could buy such things or their local equivalent. The unnecessary separates us from those we come to serve. Do not let us live like misers, but pray before we spend.
• Pride- If you take offense easily, do not come to the mission field thinking that is does no matter. He humbled Himself. He did it deliberately. So let us not care overmuch for the praise or blame of men, even of other Christians. To our Lord we live. If something is misunderstood, learn to go directly to the one concerned. Be frank and humble and straighten it out.
• Joy- Be glad always. Praise God continually. When you are ill or tired or tempted or at your wit's end, learn the habit of perpetual praise, for it prepares a way whereby God may show us His victory.
• Adaptability- We must learn to be adaptable, be willing to start from the beginning, go to school again to learn the language and the customs and the mind of the people to whom we go. If we do not like having our careful plans altered and something quite different substituted, the sooner we learn to be able to take this joyfully the better.

Hmm...good thoughts. Convicting to my heart. These things aren't just helpful for those headed to the foreign field-they are for all of us who want to give 100% for the Kingdom, wherever we are.

How can I best prepare for the mission field?

"How can I best prepare for the mission field?"

"How can I discipline my life for maximum kingdom impact?"

"What practical, down-to-earth, suggestions are there for living out a missionary heart right here in the United States.

Have you ever asked yourself any these questions? They have certainly come to my mind, and I've asked them frequently to those older and wiser men and women around me. It's usually not the lofty, theological answers that grab my attention, although they have value--it's the practical ideas for Kingdom living here and now.

I ran across an anonymous little article, "Discipleship means Discipline"(July 2007 Heartbeat of the Remnant) that was originally published by the Dohnauvur Fellowship in Wimbledon, London (founded by missionary Amy Carmichael). It's full of succinct, sometime humorously blunt, wisdom nuggets for over two dozen life issues (difficulties, sleep, speech, books, social life, prayer, etc...) that relate to missionary service. I'm interested to know if Amy Carmichael wrote these ideas down herself, as they reflect some of her writing style.

So if you've been asking yourself lately, "How can I best prepare for missionary service?" here are a few ideas to get you started...

Effort- It will not be easy. We must go out of our way to acquire this preparedness. We are called to a strict training for a hard fight which will not end till we hear God's 'well done.'


Difficulties- Let us learn to choose the hardest things, to do what others leave undone. We can begin in the ordinary affairs of home life. The joy of hard climbing and the glory of the impossible should not be mere phrases but experienced facts.



Helpfulness- Make opportunities each day to help others, in inconspicuous ways, not grudgingly but joyfully, though it may mean far less time for yourself. Be king and thoughtful. Be courteous and goo mannered: 'Love is never rude, never selfish.'


Food- 'I don't like this.' Well, learn to like it, unless it actually does physical harm. Be grateful for what God has given. If it is just a case of likes and dislikes, learn to be able to eat things that are not your choice-and enough to keep you fit and strong, not a mere mouthful. The ability to eat unflinchingly may mean much for friendship with peoples of another land whose food is very different from ours.

More from "Discipleship means Discipline" to come. Please check again in a few days...

Enlarge My Vision, Lord

Enlarge my vision Lord! Help me to see
A whole vast universe in need of Thee
Increase my love I pray, cause me to hear
The cry of dying souls afar and near.
So prone am I, dear Lord, to dwell within
My own secluded realm. Forgive my sin!
Enlarge my vision Lord, teach me to care
With Thine own heart of love, this is my prayer.

~ Avis M Christiansen

The above poem was written shortly before she died while in her 90's. May this be my passion till the end!