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Missionaries?
Jbenjesus:
I
wanted to ask you for your thoughts on missionaries. What do you think of
missionaries? Are they just what they referred to in the bible as
evangelists or apostles? Or did men make up that name and it's function in
the body?
The reason I ask is because over the past year I have made acquaintance
with 3 "missionaries". One had his mission in Sudan, another in
Colombia and another in Peru. You may know already that Sudan is one of
the most persecuting countries of "Christians" in the world. The
stories I heard from this missionary were like: Being taken to jail and
being commanded to renounce Jesus or we'll beat your family, kill or rape
them or all three of them. And if they didn't renounce they would see
there wife or child hit with a bat. Or worse. And then asked again to
renounce. So the stories are told.
Anyway, these missionaries preach the gospel in their countries to people
who don't know a lick of English. They translate the message so that they
can hear, and what they preach is the story of Jesus, His life, death,
burial and resurrection. But then what they ask them to do in response to
that message is pray the "sinners prayer" of inviting and
accepting Jesus in their heart. The missionary to Sudan, will baptize them
in water, but I never heard whether they received the Spirit.
In Colombia, the missionary describes them receiving the word spoken and
praying "the prayer", but I never heard him mention that they
received the Spirit by baptism. The missionary to Colombia, I believe (but
I could be wrong) received the baptism in the Spirit. The missionaries to
Sudan and Peru, I don't think they did.
So they go and risk their lives to go to the remotest parts of the world
where at any turn they could be killed to preach the gospel of Jesus. But
the response they expect from the people is different from what Peter,
Paul and the rest of the apostles expected (in Acts). These three
missionaries each have there own story on how they were "called"
and the events that transpired for them to be in that mission. Events that
seem miraculous and supernatural. They have stories telling of the acts of
God and the miraculous things that have taken place during their ministry.
Some have brought translated Bibles in the dialect of the people. Some of
these people don't even have a written dialect of their own. One
missionary has translated the Jesus movie by Campus Crusade for Christ
into many different dialects of the different tribes of Peru and has shown
it to them. After watching the movie the tribes people are in tears and
end up praying the "sinners prayer" of inviting and accepting
Jesus into their heart. I have a feeling that these tribesmen leave
thinking that the person they saw on TV was actually Jesus and that is the
idea of God or Jesus that they are left with. And these tribesman buy it
because they know any better. They are captivated by the visual images of
a black box that is able to make sounds and show things.
Praise and worship songs are translated into the dialect of the tribe for
them to sing to Jesus and radio programs are being established in their
dialect to preach the "good news"
Is this why the true gospel has yet to reach the ends of the earth,
because it is either a portion of the gospel or another gospel, depending
on how you view it?
I know their intention is good, but is God in it? If so, how is He in it
if they expect something different from listeners than what the apostles
expected? The expectation being that after hearing the gospel and
receiving conviction they should repent, be baptized in Jesus name and
take the Holy Spirit (evidence by speaking in tongues).
I was really addressing this to elders in the body, but anyone can answer
with any biblical support.
Forever His in Jesus,
j
I will
answer with a scripture.
"He that is not against us is with us".
There was a fellow casting out demons in Jesus name and one of the
apostles of the Lord went to the fellow and told him to stop it, he then
told Jesus.
Perhaps he was expecting Jesus to praise him for his zeal, but instead
got a rebuke from Jesus.
Jesus clearly told him, that any one who is advancing the kingdom of God
is on God's side.
Yes I am fully aware that some are not preaching the fullness of truth,
but think about this.
Where are the Oneness pentecostals?
Where are the Oneness missionaries?
Why did we not get there first?
Are those tribes poeple suppose to remain unreached generation after
generation, until we get around to it?
People are hungry for God's word, and if we are not going to the lost,
then God will send someone who wants to further his kingdom.
This should put us to shame, and instead of condeming others for
spreading the knowledge of God, we should redouble our efforts to send
even more missionaries.
And instead of condeming those fellow preachers, we should be like
Priscilla and Aquila who took the Preacher Apollos and expounded the
gospel more perfectly to him.
Did you noticed it says expounded, and not Pounded. Many of us try to
pound our teaching into other preachers and berate their efforts and
ministry, instead of gently guiding them into more truth.
Jbenjesus:
I
want to make it perfectly clear that I am not condemning these men.
I'm not trying to reach an us against them issue.
I'm seeking replies to the questions I have.
j
Jben,
Concerning missionaries & the bible: Jesus gave the great
commandment to go into all the world. Those that do this have been given
the term "missionary" because it means "one who has
undertaken a mission, esp. religious".
Concerning those who are preaching easy believism, although it is no
biblical, at least they are laying a foundation and a ground work. The
people are given Bibles, and I believe that God can and does lead and
guide these people further into truth. It's unfortunate that we do not
have the funding to send missionaries to every country and region that
needs it.
Jbenjesus:
Thank
you Singin4god,
Your words ring true. I (We) seem to lack the greater scope of vision or
purpose in what God is doing. It's truly amazing how He truly is in all
things...
All in all.
Even the seemingly wrong things or the ones that have some error.
But then again, we only need to look in the mirror and ask, "Why did
you choose this earthen vessel? Me."
j
Jben,
We had a missionary come and speak to our church 2 weeks ago. According
to him, over 2000 people in Kenya has received the Holy Ghost thanx to
him and his "staff". I think this is wonderful. His wife told
a story that stuck with me. She was talking about the narumbi
(spelling?) tribe. It is the most feared tribe in Kenya. When boys are
just 12 years old. they go out and make a club (i forgot what its really
called). they then practice w/ that club until they are skilled in it.
They are known for stealing cows. they think that all the cows belong to
them. if you put up a fight, they throw the club at you..and it will
kill you. needless to say, theres not a lot of ppl that stand in there
way. anyway, this missionary and his family went into this tribe of ppl.
they taught the word of God to them..and many received the Holy Ghost.
It was awesome! Before the missionary left to come back to the US..many
ppl from different tribes came to present them with going away presents.
well..one of the narumbi's came up to his wife and gave her his club. he
said "this used to be my weapon, my protection...i dont need this
anymore b/c now Jesus is my weapon and my protector" For this boy
to give up his club was no small feat. These boys ALWAYS carried around
their clubs...they even slept w/ them. This says a lot to me.
Missionary's are truly a blessing. I would love to go and do what they
do..and one day soon i hope i'll be able to. God bless!
~*~ Sis. ******* :-)
I have
been a oneness,missionary for 33 years so maybe my answer will help in
some way. Missionaries are often misunderstood people. It is true that
some missionaries are odd, some missionaries are in it for money, but
there are a real true blue army of men and women that have given their
whole life on some foreign soil that many times did not even care to
have them there.
I do not belittle anything anyone does for the cause of Christ for
according to the Book keeper even a cup of water is rewarded. I
appreciate thousands of trinty missionaries that have worked lifetimes
translating Bibles, teaching people to read, writing alaphbets, building
hospitals, and on and on. We oneness people are to fast to belittle
others and judge ourselves owners of truth. Now, please do not judge me
before you know me. I am a oneness, holiness missionary.
Different missionaries really fulfill different callings, some seem to
function as apostles, others seem to be teachers and so on. (Ef. 4:11)
I personally am none of these for I never really "heard the voice
of the Lord" call me to go "preach", but He did call me
to be a missionary. One day I heard him call my name. He told me to go
to the people of Brazil. What could the word "missionary"
mean? The meaning of "missionary" has various meanings to
various people. One dictionary says it is a group of envoys
(representatives or messengers) to a foreign country.
Well for me, it has meant going into the cities, the villages, the
jungles, and telling a pagan people about the life-changing story of
Jesus Christ. It has meant being challenged by witch doctors and
priests, being threatened by bandits, standing before cannibal Indians,
working in a leper colony as well as speaking in public schools and
universities of Brazil.
It meant going into places where male preachers had never been yet they
speak evil of me for being willing to go. I had to wade across
alligator-infested streams just to reach and baptize new converts. Being
a missionary meant mixing mortar and laying bricks to build new
churches. It meant performing weddings, burying the dead, and sometimes
delivering babies.
It meant teaching new converts and preparing people for the ministry. It
meant seeing a work be born and grow into maturity. It meant hours of
radio programs. It meant long nights without sleep, traveling in the
back lands, drinking contaminated water and eating all kinds of so
called foods (some of which were indescribable). It meant sharing rooms
with bats, rats, and all sorts of animals that crawled and flew at
night.
It meant sitting in the conventions in the homeland and listening to men
who made cutting remarks about women in the ministry. It meant being
willing to go against the tide and obey a call that is stronger than
meager earthly ties. It meant being different from the ordinary. It
meant loving souls, no matter the circumstances. It meant taking in
abandoned children or children whose mother was murdered, adopting them
and loving them like my own. It meant traveling down the lonely road of
not knowing where the next meal would come from, nor the money to pay
for the food should it come our way.
Perhaps most prophets and prophetesses in the Bible had to travel down
lonely roads themselves to obey God yet they could not understand why at
that moment. I, too, am at a loss for words to describe the desolate
anguish I had experienced at times. Equally difficult to explain is the
call of God so strong in my heart. Maybe it's all part of being what is
known in our terms as a missionary.
We believe and teach the same thing it takes for an American to be saved
it takes for our people here to be saved. We baptize our converts in
Jesus Name, we teach the infilling of the Holy Ghost, living a holy
life, paying tithes, ect. I hope this has helped to answer your
question.
Sister ****** ******
Name ***** for reasons of
privacy.
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Edited: 06/03/2009