A MISSIONARY SPIRIT THAT NEEDS TO BE REVIVED
Aug/12/09 08:14
William Cooper and David Barrett, of China Inland Mission, were martyred during the Boxer Rebellion in China, July, 1900.
August 12, 2009 (Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org) -
The following article is reprinted from The Fundamentalist Digest, Nov.-Dec. 1997 (Don Jasmin, editor)--
In reading a copy of the Baptist Magazine (London, 1820), the writer read correspondence indicating that around the years 1819-1820 there was a group of 100 seminary students at the Andover Seminary in Andover, Massachusetts, who met regularly for the sole purpose of collecting material "concerning missions" to "enable each member to determine whether it is his duty to become a missionary."
These students prepared dissertations on missions regarding various foreign countries from the materials collected and then read them to the entire group. The Andover Seminary library was also seeking periodicals and books dealing with missions to add to its collection so that the above-mentioned students would have larger resources from which to draw, as they pondered God's will for their lives.
Could a group of 100 students be found in any fundamental Baptist seminary in the USA today who have banded themselves together solely for seeking God's will concerning missionary service? Christian writers termed that era "the Age of Missions." That pioneer missionary spirit needs to be revived in our fundamental Baptist circles today. [No Baptist seminary existed at that time; Andover was an orthodox Congregational seminary where the Baptists in America sent most of their students until the founding of the Newton Theological Institute later in 1 the 1820's-editor]
GOD’S BLESSING ON MISSIONARY GIVING
Jul/15/09 06:55
Updated July 15, 2009 (first published January 21, 2004) (David Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org; for instructions about subscribing and unsubscribing or changing addresses, see the information paragraph at the end of the article) -
Churches that desire God’s richest blessing must get 100% involved in missionary work. That is the Lord’s heartbeat. He emphasized this by repeating the Great Commission five different times in the Gospels and the book of Acts (Matt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15; Lk. 24:44-48; Jn. 20:21; Acts 1:8). According to the Acts 1:8 church is to seek to reach its own city, its own region, and the world with the gospel. Such a great task cannot be accomplished in our own might or through our own resources; it can only be accomplished by faith in God. One evangelist challenges the churches with these words: What will God give through you that He will not give to you? That summarizes the attitude that we must have in fulfilling the Great Commission. When we step out in obedience, we can expect God’s blessing and provision.
“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again” (Luke 6:38).
Churches that take steps of faith in going, praying, and giving experience God’s blessing. Let me give some examples.
Harold B. Sightler pastored the Tabernacle Baptist Church in Greenville, South Carolina, from 1952 until his death in 1995. He came out of the Southern Baptist Convention just prior to establishing Tabernacle. It was only the fourth independent Baptist church in that county. He testified that while he was in the Convention he never met a missionary. Tabernacle Baptist Church learned to operate its own missionary program, and by 1979 the church was giving 70% of its large income to missions, while operating the local ministry on 30%. Tabernacle sent out 36 of its own members as missionaries and was sending monthly support to about 280 others.
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Churches that desire God’s richest blessing must get 100% involved in missionary work. That is the Lord’s heartbeat. He emphasized this by repeating the Great Commission five different times in the Gospels and the book of Acts (Matt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15; Lk. 24:44-48; Jn. 20:21; Acts 1:8). According to the Acts 1:8 church is to seek to reach its own city, its own region, and the world with the gospel. Such a great task cannot be accomplished in our own might or through our own resources; it can only be accomplished by faith in God. One evangelist challenges the churches with these words: What will God give through you that He will not give to you? That summarizes the attitude that we must have in fulfilling the Great Commission. When we step out in obedience, we can expect God’s blessing and provision.
“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again” (Luke 6:38).
Churches that take steps of faith in going, praying, and giving experience God’s blessing. Let me give some examples.
Harold B. Sightler pastored the Tabernacle Baptist Church in Greenville, South Carolina, from 1952 until his death in 1995. He came out of the Southern Baptist Convention just prior to establishing Tabernacle. It was only the fourth independent Baptist church in that county. He testified that while he was in the Convention he never met a missionary. Tabernacle Baptist Church learned to operate its own missionary program, and by 1979 the church was giving 70% of its large income to missions, while operating the local ministry on 30%. Tabernacle sent out 36 of its own members as missionaries and was sending monthly support to about 280 others.
Read More...