Missions Conference Begins

Tonight the AFLC annual missions conference at the Bible School began at 6:30 sharp. For years I've wanted to be able to attend this, never guessing that one day I would be living 1 minute away from the chapel. The mission conference is mostly attending by Bible School students, but it open to area churches as well. This is a treat indeed and I thought that some live blogging of the conference events would be fun.

Day 1
Bible school students are filing in, dressed like Eskimos in their overstuffed jackets. It's a chilling 0 degrees outside. The chapel quickly fills.

Pastor Rolf, dean of the Bible school announces the theme verse from Matthew 9:35-38
And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;
Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

We sing hymn 303, O Zion Haste. It's not a common mission hymn, but it has powerful words. It's well worth learning.

Chuck Lindquist is introduced from the World Mission Prayer League. WMPL is in 17 countries and has about 120 full time missionaries. Pastor Lindquist shares three moving stories, spanning a century, all about God using ordinary students of the Bible to touch the world in extraordinary ways. "Dear God, do it again," was his concluding passionate prayer. I felt that prayer throbbing in my heart too. "Yes, Lord, do it again!"

We split into small groups for about 20 minutes of prayer time for the the week, for missionaries, for our own hearts to be sensitive to the message the Holy Spirit has for us.

Next we have a some students get up and sing a beautiful song with the guitar. I've never heard this song before, In Me, (but googling it afterwards I see it's by Casting Crowns). It's so fitting for this mission week. Here's one of the verses.

If you ask me to leap
Out of my boat on the crashing waves
If You ask me to go
Preach to the lost world that Jesus saves

I'll go, but I cannot go alone
Cause I know I'm nothing on my own
But the power of Christ in me makes me strong
Makes me strong

Cause when I'm weak, You make me strong
When I'm blind, You shine Your light on me
Cause I'll never get by living on my own ability
How refreshing to know You don't need me
How amazing to find that you want me
So I'll stand on Your truth, and I'll fight with Your strength
Until You bring the victory, by the power of Christ in me

Missionary Dan Giles is the main speaker for the week, former missionary in South America for 30 years. (And here is where my blogging gets a little sporadic. Pastor Dan has me listening so deeply to his stories and challenges, that it's hard to write them down. I'll have to finish this part of the blogging afterwards...)

He doesn't paint a glowing picture of missionary life, or of great revivals and ease. Rather he describes the lostness of people who are living in bondage to the enemy. And the only hope is Jesus.

Re-reading over Matthew 9 he puts things in perspective. Jesus is in the midst of a revival, people were being healed, believing, the kingdom of God was at hand and growing in the hearts of people (v 35). But then, in verse 36 we see a contrast, as He looks out over all the people, all the thousands of people milling around him, who were not all part of the immediate, up close happenings, lost, hurting, wondering about like sheep without a shepherd, and it caused Him to cry out in compassion to His disciples..."The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest."

As Pastor Dan spoke I came to better understand this verse and the the heart of how Jesus must have said it. There were several parts in his message where you could have heard a pin drop, he had the whole room listening so intently. Praise God for faithful messengers of His Word.

Here's the closing challenge: Until I come to a point of seeing people as Jesus does, His purpose in my heart has not yet been fulfilled." Pastor Dan's direct goal is not to make missionaries of us. God is the one Who does that. His heart is to help us, through the power of the Holy Spirit, see people as Jesus does. And from that, a missionary heart is inevitable.

It was a stirring opening night. Look for another post tomorrow.

Lord, may your Kingdom come, You will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.