Sunday Morning Recap: An Ark, An Altar, An Aroma

WGM President Hubert Harriman brought the final address of the 2015 International Celebration of Missions. He said he felt deeply impressed to speak about Noah.

The Bible says that “Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God.” (Genesis 6:9 NLT)

Noah, a builder, took God’s design for the ark and brought it to fruition. And there are three things we, too, must build.

The first is an ark. We associate the ark with the judgment of God, but the ark itself was not an instrument of judgment but of salvation. What motivated Noah was the coming judgment, and that should motivate us too. Christ is coming back, and it may be sooner than we think. In light of the lostness around us and of Christ’s coming again, Dr. Harriman challenged us to “build an ark.”

Second, we must “build an altar.” As soon as Noah was off the ark, he built an altar. Our lack of altars today is an indication of the loss of divine moments. When God moves in our lives, is speaking to us, and is doing a new thing in us, we must stop at that moment and build an altar or we will miss the most important moments in our lives that have to do with saving souls.

Third, we must “build an aroma.” The Lord smelled a pleasing aroma from the sacrifice on the altar Noah had built. We need to have the aroma of the presence of Christ in our lives. The aroma the world needs to smell is that we know Christ and have been with Him.

Without God’s Spirit, we can’t do any of this. But when His Spirit comes on us, we can do things we can’t do in our own power.

We must purpose to walk before God faithfully and without blame. We need to build altars and have the aroma of Christ in us.

Dr. Harriman’s prayer as we left the sanctuary was “God, please lead us out of here with purpose and the aroma of Christ.”

Saturday Evening Recap: God Possibilities

Missionary Speaker: Nathan Waggoner, Albania

"Demonstrations are more powerful than just telling." ~Nathan Waggoner

Nathan and Cydil Waggoner have demonstrated missions in Albania through the Village Portrait project. Through the gift of photography, the Waggoners were invited into the homes of those who live around them in order to take that family's photo. The photos are then sponsored by someone in the U.S. who promises to pray for the family. The Waggoners have 52 more families that need sponsors. Photography has become their way of demonstrating missions in their village. What is yours? 

Keynote: Tim Hawk, Retired Missionary

Tim Hawk reminded the congregation that compassion is seeing the needs around you and asking what God would want you to do about it. Evangelism is a huge job. As Christians, we can't take the easy way out and it will take each of us, as believers, time before the cross. Are you ready for the hard job? Are you ready to get dirty, if that is what it takes? 

It's not going to be an easy job. Who is your world?

Job classification doesn't matter. God has people near you who need to hear about Jesus, and that's your highest calling. We need to walk through our villages and see the needs of the people and pledge  to get involved with our neighbors. All people are God's creation, and all people have God possibilities. God will meet them where they are.

Seeing through the eyes of Jesus will change our view of missions. He will open God possibilities for all of us. What is God saying to you?

ACT: If God wants to give you a vision or renew your vision, go to the altar of prayer. Let God meet you where you are. Ask for your God possibilities.

Saturday Morning Recap: "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands"

Those who attended the Saturday morning service at the 2015 International Celebration of Missions were privileged to hear from WGM missionary Dr. Michael Johnson. Michael, along with his wife, Kay, serve with Out of Nazareth ministries in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, working with medical and community development in an urban setting. 

Michael and Kay were serving at Tenwek Hospital in Kenya before a medical condition forced them to move back to the United States. Even though it was a difficult time of transition, they knew that the Lord was repurposing them for the next step in ministry.

They began working with the least of these in Philadelphia, following the Lord's call on their lives. "He's got the whole world in His hands." Michael challenged us to continue to love and serve the least, not just the people who are easy to reach. The lost, the broken, the murderers, and the abortionists are all in HIS hands. 

In working with Miriam Medical Clinics, Michael has the opportunity to accept patients who normally would not be able to receive medical coverage. They are able to reach people with little health insurance, inadequate health insurance, or even no health insurance at all. What an opportunity to share the love of Christ to those who need it most!

If we continue to look at the world the way God does, with every single person in His hands, new opportunities for ministering to the least of these will arise.

ACT: Challenge yourself to share the hope of Christ to those you do not like, the lost, the broken, the downtrodden, and the used. These people need to hear the Good News and they're ALL in His hands!

The Family Reunion "Celebration" Continues

Friday Evening Service: The Great Evangelical Feast

Rev. Eric Rodriquez

Despite the enemy’s attempts to thwart this evening’s service, the Spirit of God prevailed. While the original speaker had travel conflicts, and the second speaker had a medical emergency, the third was truly a charm.

Rev. Eric Rodriquez, pastor in Cuba, shared the parable of the wedding banquet in Matthew 22. He reminded us that just as the king invited everyone to his wedding feast, the Father invites everyone to follow Him.

“The Great Commission is more than an invitation,” Rev. Rodriquez stated. “God is commanding us to go.”

As a child, Eric wanted to go to China to tell people about Jesus. However, people were not allowed to travel outside Cuba at that time. He was encouraged when a teacher pointed out to him that he had Chinese and Haitian neighbors who needed to hear about Christ’s love for them.

“Cubans who want to minister and travel overseas can accomplish that now,” Rev. Rodriquez happily shared. “Although we are still limited, I pray that we can be empowered to do missions—first in Cuba, but, if God allows, in other places as well.”

Rev. Rodriquez offered an altar call, encouraging people to answer or renew God’s call on their lives or to ask Him to recharge their spiritual batteries as together we fulfill the Great Commission.

“It doesn’t matter what people say or do,” Rev. Rodriquez began. “You have to keep your belief. God exists, and He is the creator of the world and everything in it.”

PRAY: Please pray for the people of Cuba as the doors are opening for missions. May the Lord work through the hearts and minds of Cubans to spread His love in their country and beyond.

I Spy Missions: Kids’ World at Celebration

Missionary kid Ella Olsen (Kenya) is on the hunt
for clues about missions and God's love.

Discover. Decide. Defend. This is the motto that the children attending International Celebration of Missions are following during this year’s Kids’ World program. While their parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles are learning how to “Demonstrate Missions,” the kids are exploring missions and the life of Jesus as undercover spies. They are searching for answers to these important questions: Is Jesus really God’s son? Was Jesus more than just a good man? Was Jesus’ death real? Is Jesus alive? What do I do with the evidence about Jesus?

During the opening session on Thursday night, June 25, while the group was waiting for the missionary speaker, missionary kid Lucas Bowen (Paraguay) said, “Well, I’m a missionary.” What a quick learner!

Director Victoria Herring (Homeland Ministries support staff) shared that there were 46 children registered for the nursery (0-3) and Kids’ World (4-11) programs. Missionaries John and Beth Muehleisen (Uganda) brought down the house Thursday night as they introduced the kids to Lazarus, John’s ventriloquist dummy friend. Lazarus combined humor with Bible stories about Zacchaeus and Jonah to remind the kids that God always hears their prayers and that there’s no better place to be than where God calls you.

Upcoming missionary speakers include Lisette Lewis (Uganda), John and Linda Spriegel (Kenya), LeRoy and Sandy Anderson (American Indian Field), Mike Chupp (Kenya), and Billy Coppedge (Uganda).

PRAY: Please pray that the children will have open hearts and minds as they explore missions and God’s love for them. Pray also for creativity and energy for the missionary speakers, lesson leaders, and volunteers as they help the next generation learn how to “Demonstrate Missions.”

Friday Morning Recap: Let's Get Busy

The Friday morning keynote session celebrated two strong women leaders who are doing great things for the Lord.

Featured Missionary Speaker: Linda Spriegel

Tabitha Ministry was born out of a simple prayer: "Lord, give me a small group of Kenyan women who I can study God’s Word with." That one group of two ladies grew quickly, and after six months, 50 women were coming to Linda's home each week. Soon, groups were planted in local villages, and today, over 2,000 women meet to study God's Word in over 200 groups. Over 7,000 Bibles have been distributed, and compassionate care is given to those in need.

ACT: To learn more about Tabitha Ministry and to view photos of the ministry in action, visit www.tabithakenya.blogspot.com.

Main Speaker: Joy Phillips

Joy shared four paradigm shifts that have developed in missions.

1. Globalization
Two small areas of globalization that affect missions are technological advances and a more active global Church. Joy shared the story of Adhanom and Helen Hidug, WGM's first international missionaries. Missions is no longer "the West to the rest." Instead, it is "everyone to everywhere."

ACT: Use the resources of the Internet to be more intentional in prayer and in learning about missions and people around the world.

2. Diaspora movement
This group includes those who are forced to leave their homes because of conflict and economic hardship, as well as those who emigrate voluntarily. Many have fled countries that are close to impossible for many missionaries to go to - and instead find themselves in American suburbs.

ACT: Open up your home to an international student or refugee family. Reach out to undocumented aliens.

3. Biblical worldview as it relates to personal brokenness
Our own personal brokenness can be hard to diagnose. Joy shared her own story of a realization of having a "God complex" in relation to fixing problems she saw around her in rural Kenya. She came to a place of understanding that she needed to approach the issues she saw with an attitude of humility and with an awareness of her own brokenness.

ACT: Read Discipling Nations, by Darrow Miller and Stan Guthrie. This book builds a powerful and convincing thesis that God's truth not only breaks the spiritual bonds of sin and death but can free whole societies from deception and poverty.

4. Helping without hurting
Missions often makes the harmful, albeit with good intentions, mistake of doing for people what they can do for themselves. The more loving and kind thing is to be "thoughtful helpers," giving the right help at the right time.

ACT: Ask these questions before embarking on a ministry or mission.
1. Does what I am doing honor God as the creator of this person?
2. Does this take away from their dignity?
3. Does this help people see God at work in this person's life?

Let's seek the Lord in how we can embrace our changing world, and get busy!