The most immediate way is to contribute to an already established work. God's people make numerous gifts, with a mountain of small, seemingly insignificant contributions from the working poor, being a major portion of the funding.
If you want to go, the first thing to do is ask the Lord for guidance. Is there some one place or type of ministry which grabs your attention? Do you pray for a specific people group or country? Do you read about the local culture and try to learn some of the basic language?
It isn't necessary that you do any or all of them at this point, but it is something to consider starting if you want to go somewhere specific. Are you willing to ask for others to pray for you, to help in the spiritual arena, as well as the financial needs? Never go anywhere without understanding Ephesians 6.
If God has told you to go somewhere, He will provide for your needs, and He will prepare the way for you. The success will be in following His lead, and not boxing yourself in. Allow that what you think your itinerary will be may be changed by a missed flight or an unexpected "chance" meeting with a stranger in a foreign land, whom God has prepared to bless you. My best trip was the one where everything I had planned was turned on its head. It was an amazing adventure.
If My people want to know where they are needed...
Posted : 19 Jan, 2016 11:23 PM
""My most valuable treasures on earth are also locked up." I then saw Jesus standing in front of seemingly thousands of prisons and jails."
I have a blessed life. I've been privileged to born in the United States, gone to good schools, and have a good life. There was tragedy and loss and loss of innocence along the way, the same as all others. I had the opportunity to study God's word at an excellent bible college. I was able to go to law school and pass the bar exam. I am blessed to spend extra time with my clients who are in custody at the local jail. I witness, and provide literature for them to read, and help them to work through some of the core issues of faith, reliance upon God, and owning one's own sin, that they might move on from their bad place in life, and become a productive citizen. I've also been on short term missions a number of times, mostly to Europe, but also to Mexico.
The quote above offends me. It says what cannot be true. While some of the people there turn out to be good servants, these are not the ones who had Christ's attention as the most cherished. "Suffer the little ones to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of God."
I saw an article the other day that said 0% of the Iceland population under 25 years old believe that God created the earth. None. The children's bible education has been abandoned. Parents are too busy making sure everyone is happy, overfed and overindulged. They want their sex outside of marriage and dishonor their marriage vows and then claim they are single, all the while making the children bear the burden of their lusts for things and quiet and pleasure. The mission field starts with sacrificing fun so your children know God, and love God, and so your neighbor's children know Him and love Him too. Your nieces and nephews need to see you live out your relationship with God, without holding anything back. Love is a verb as they say, which leads one to act in the best interests of the object of your love. It isn't a knot in your stomach that makes you feel funny. That is visual and emotional attraction, which in most cases is not on the same path as true love.
Few know the needs of those who are incarcerated better than I, but that is no reason to overstate your case. The effectiveness of the church is weakened when the mission is based upon a lie.
"Immersing is something which is happening continuously"
Actually, "immersing" is an activity of the ecclesia which is expected to be happening as a regular ongoing practice of the ecclesia. It is not a continuous act of the one being baptized. Jesus was baptized in the river Jordan. It was a physical act in time. It was a regular practice of the Jews which Christ demanded John observe on His behalf. It is a separate and distinct activity as compared to the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which is also a one time, in time, event, as evidenced by the 3 major baptism acts recorded in the book of Acts. First Jerusalem, then Samaria, then the gentiles, to show that both water and Holy Spirit baptism were for more than just the Jews. Submission to the Holy Spirit is a keep on doing it kind of activity for the saints. Being baptized is not. Water baptism is the outward expression of the inner baptism of the Holy Spirit at the time of belief. The 3 successive baptisms, of the different people groups; signaled the end of the age of the Jews, and showed God would now work with the whole world; the Jews, having been set aside because of their unbelief, and rejection of the Christ.
God chose Greek for the N.T. and the name Iesous (Jesus)
Posted : 18 Jan, 2016 11:29 PM
I saw this heresy in an earlier thread titled "Who is Jesus?": "There simply was never a man in Israel 2,000 years ago named "Jesus": and it is necessary to expose this lie.
Father God chose the Greek language of the new testament. Father God inspired the writing of the New Testament, through the Holy Spirit. Father God decided what to call Jesus. To deny that there was a man named Jesus, which is the English name/word/transliteration/derivative of the Greek name Iesous, is to call Father God a liar. Father God chose to not reveal in scripture the Hebrew version of His name on earth. He still existed, and He is still God. It doesn't matter if we know not the exact day of His birth on earth. He was born onto earth. That is what we celebrate.
There are several derivatives of the name Jesus in the Greek New Testament. Iesous, Iesoun, Iesou, at just a quick glance are there; and there may be more.
"At the name of Jesus (Iesou) every knee will bow" Philippians 2:10.
"you shall conceive in your womb, and bring forth a son, and shall call His name Jesus (Iesoun)" Luke 1:31.
" Then Jesus (Iesous) came from Galilee to John" Matthew 3:13.
"But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed." Galatians 1:9,10.
A "gospel" with a different Jesus is accursed, anathema. Our Jesus is described by Our Father in heaven in Hebrews chapter 1. Father God, who calls Himself Theos in Hebrews 1, calls Jesus by the same word, Theos, which means God, and He is to be worshiped as God, with the Father.
I found this heresy, that Jesus did not exist, in an earlier thread. Mark those who preach this heresy for the antichrist that they are. (See 1 John chapter 2.)
"Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you have learned, and avoid them." Romans 16:17 NKJV
Deal with them as they come along, but once they are exposed as an enemy of the truth, don't allow yourself to get sucked into unending debate. See also 1 Timothy 6 and 2 Timothy chapters 2-4.
The top priorities for all mankind are to know God (personally), John 17:3; and to love God, Mark 12:30. Drink up the pure milk of the word, 1 Peter 2:1-3; and obey it, James 1:22.
Do not listen/read/accept the false teachings of anyone who refuses to worship Jesus Christ as God who came to earth and took on flesh for the express purpose to pay for mankind's sin with His own blood. Hebrews 1, John 1, Acts 20:28, 2 Corinthians 11:3-4, 1 Timothy 3:15-16
G1577 ekklesia - "from a compound of G1537 and a derivative of G2564; a calling out, i.e. (concretely) a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation (Jewish synagogue, or Christian community of member on earth or saints in heave or both):--assembly, church"
I have a copy of Strong's Concordance in book form. The word church is part of the definition in the book, and online. Your failure to accept the use of one of the very definition words; church; and synonyms in general shows a severe lack of understanding of language.
"The batter" and "the hitter" describe the same person in baseball. It is the same with "my car" and my automobile". You among all adults seem to be the only one who doesn't get it.
Do you believe Christ drank the actual vessel and not the wine which was in the vessel which was given to Jesus to drink, "to poterion ho dedoken moi ho Pater ou pio auto" (<------Greek), in Matthew 18:11? biblehub.com/interlinear/john/18-11.htm
Your refusal to acknowledge legitimate synonyms is a distortion of both the English and the Greek languages. (Or should I say tongues? My native tongue is English.) With every post you tear at the cohesiveness of the ecclesia. This is not good, and you need to stop.
What is this bizarre rambling and attack on the church of God all about? Of course the "church of God" is mentioned in scripture, indeed, in the Greek New Testament, and it is of God.
Strong's Concordance 1577G ekklesia, the called out assembly of believers, the Church, a local church, the body of believers, a body or group of believers in a particular location
Matthew 16:18 "I will build My church" (mou ten ekklesian - My church) Jesus Christ
Acts 20:28,
1 Corinthians 1:2, 7:17, 10:32, 11:16, 11:22 ("do you despise the church of God?" biblehub.com/interlinear/1_corinthians/11-22.htm), 12:28, 14:28,33, 15:9,
2 Corinthians 1:1, 8:1,
Galatians 1:13,
Ephesians 3:10
1 Thessalonians 1:1, 2:14,
2 Thessalonians 1:1,4,
1 Timothy 3:5, 15,
Hebrews 12:22-24,
3 John 1:6,
Revelation 2:7,18, 3:1,14
And of course there is a historical record within scripture of the church, and of specific local churches. It is not an exhaustive history, but there is history of the church none the less.
My Favorite Verse(s). Quote your favorite verse(s), and let the rest find the address in scripture.
Posted : 7 Jan, 2016 09:43 PM
"The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works."
I love these two verses. These verses remind me that we are the apple of God's eye, and He is a good Father with a loving eye for His children.
