Perspectives on Missions Book Review by Jeff Bush

by Dr. Don Sisk

  • There are many enemies. If you do not believe it, consider this: there are more than 5 million fundamental Baptist Christians in America today. But these 5 million Christians have fewer than 5000 foreign missionaries., Which means it takes 1000 fundamental Baptist to go to get one missionary on the field. Last year, less than $75 million was given through all fundamental Baptist mission agencies for worldwide evangelization. This represent approximately $15 per fundamental Baptist per year for foreign missions. This is enough to convince anyone that to the average person, missions is not considered obligatory, but optional. Many show a token interest in worldwide evangelization, but only a few our whole heartedly involved. — page 21
  • When He directs people, He has a purpose for them. God prepares the fields before He directs the workers. — page 23
  • The Moravians had such a missionary zeal that 1 out of every 92 members of their congregations were serving God on a foreign mission field. It was not long before the Moravians in foreign countries, outnumbered the Moravians in Germany by 3 to 1. I do not know that there has ever been a more intensified effort on any group to get the gospel out around the world than this group. — page 25-26
  • I believe the missionary should plan his furlough around his work, instead of planning his work around his furlough. — page 39
  • In June (1990), BIMI will be 30 years old. I try to check our pulse regularly. I have a phobia of being a part of something that has lost its purpose. I have a fear of having a name that we live, but are dead (Revelation 3:1). A wise man once said, “Many Christian institutions are dead, but we can’t bury them because they are too heavily endowed.” — page 63
  • As I check our pulse, I must say: “Praise God, we’re alive! Let’s not go to sleep on the job. Let’s not rest on our past and become useless for the present and lose our opportunities for the future.” 
  • I have some visions for our 30th anniversary year:
        1. A gain of 30 missionary couples per year for the next 10 years. (Since every mission loses missionaries each year by death, retirement, etc., we must have at least 60 new missionaries each year.) This would give us 1200 active missionaries by the year 2000.
        2. Thirty new supporting churches for the home office each year. (Administrative cost increase each year. We must have help from churches to keep down the cost for the missionaries.)
        3. Thirty new fields opened in the next 10 years. (There are more opportunities now than at any time in the history of BIMI.)
        4. Thirty new churches established by our missionaries each year for the next 10 years.
  • We are alive! Will you allow us to help you? As your church thinks about missions, would you let us suggest some missionaries? Could we help you in your missionary conference? As you consider the mission field, would you consider BIMI as your mission? Pastor, would you recommend to your church BIMI for monthly support? — page 63-64
  • Someone has well said, “God accepts us as we are, but He loves us too much to leave us as we are.” — page 67
  • How sad, but throughout Christian history, some have come to believe “If I said it, you should believe it.” No man should assume that, and none of us should give any man that kind of allegiance. Any man can make a mistake, and any man can be replaced. We are instruments. God changes instruments, but God does not change. He buries his workmen, but his work goes on. — page 78-79
  • The cry of a Mexican pastor, Brother Enoch, continues to ring in my ear as I remember hearing him say, “There is enough of the Bread of Life to feed the whole world. There’s enough of the Light of the World to enlighten every person who lives on the face of the earth. There’s enough of the Water of Life to quench the thirst of every thirsty soul in the whole world. But the great majority of the people of the world know nothing about the Bread of Life. They know nothing about the Light of the World. They know nothing about the Water of Life.” — page 138
  • Perhaps there are 200 Bible-believing, Gospel-preaching churches in this (Mexico City) city. There’s about 1 Christian worker for every 300,000 people. In contrast, there is about 1 for every 150 people in Chattanooga, Greenville, Dallas, Jacksonville, and Memphis. On we could go naming cities in America, where the Gospel has been preached. — page 139
  • I have a dream… that pastors from all over America can come here to the World Missions Center and, in modular courses, be trained in worldwide evangelization by pastors and mission personnel, who have experienced firsthand what missions is all about. — page 148
  • God never commands the impossible, and He has commanded us, “Go, ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). — page 148
  • We (BIMI) are not a fellowship, we are not a denomination, we have no authority over any church anywhere. It is not our job to keep everybody straight or even to determine who is right and who is wrong. It is our task to serve. To that purpose, we want to get in totally dictate ourselves. — page 152
  • Available! The laborers are in the Bible-believing, fundamental Baptist churches in our country. There are at least fifteen thousand fundamental Baptist churches in North America. However, there are fewer than ten thousand fundamental Baptist missionaries. Thousands of churches have never sent one missionary to the mission field. Thank God for good sending churches. However, this is not a task for a few, but for all. Every church should be sending forth missionaries. — page 170
  • I often say to people, “It is always too early to quit.” The great difference between winners and losers is not that winners never fail – they do. There will always be failures in any endeavor. The difference between winners and losers is that winners never quit. — page 174
  • Approximately 80% of the independent Baptist churches in America do not have a missions conference. That is, they do not have a time during the year that is set apart for the emphasis of worldwide evangelization. I am aware of the fact that we need not to emphasize world evangelization every Sunday; however, churches that are being used by God to make an impact in world missions set aside some time every year for missions is the main emphasis. — page 184
  • The problem is not with the harvest; the problem is a lack of laborers. After making that great statement, Jesus commanded his disciples, “Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest” (verse 38). What if you and I would go before God daily, and pray to Him that He would send forth laborers into this great harvest field? — page 185
  • Someone has well said, “We should not pray unless we are willing to be the answer to God’s prayer.” — page 186
  • It was not until God allowed the persecution of the church to come that the fulfillment of Acts 1:8 began to be unveiled. — page 220
  • It would be impossible for anyone to read the Bible, and not realize that God is interested in the whole world. — page 229

Should I go on a Missions Trip?

By Austin Gardner

You should not go on a trip if the following is true in your life:

  1. Your personal comfort is a priority for you.
  2. You are unable to be flexible.
  3. You do not have a true desire & attitude of service.
  4. You will not be able to focus on the culture & those around you instead of yourself.
  5. You are unwilling to submit to the leadership of someone else.
  6. You are afraid to try new things.
  7. You do not have a vital growing spiritual life.

Continue reading “Should I go on a Missions Trip?”

Why have a Missions Conference at your Church?

Probably only 30% of Baptist churches hold an annual missions conference. Of course there are different emphasis, theories, and “ways” in ministry, but I want to share a few ideas of why an annual missions conference can be a help and blessing to your church.

  1. The conference will help put missions in front of the people. Don’t forget that we are to be witnesses in our Jerusalem as well as in the uttermost parts.
  1. The conference places a healthy role model for the church. We get what we honor. If we bring in missionaries and let them share their burdens for the lost around the world, our children may look up to them and want to be like them. We all agree we need more laborers, but if we don’t show examples of what laborers are we can’t get upset that the people are not surrendering.

Continue reading “Why have a Missions Conference at your Church?”

Preparing for missions conference

  1. Choosing a speaker

Some choose missionaries they have at the conference, others bring in a speaker. Although you definitely want testimonial and presentation time from every missionary, I believe the most beneficial would be to bring someone in that can challenge your people and giving and getting involved in missions. Most missionaries are timid to speak about money but a discreet missions conference speaker contact fully challenged and help your church and giving and doing more.

Just because a preacher as a friend, can preach well or has a growing church, does not mean he can adequately help your church in the area of missions. You will want to choose a speaker who will help your church in the effort of worldwide missions. And this may require planning and scheduling a year in advance.

  1. Choosing missionaries

The wrong Missionary could discourage your church instead of encourage the Church. Call around and research in order to schedule missionaries that have goals, are passionate, have the right preparation, a good recommendation from his pastor, is raising his support quickly and is sure of God’s leading in his life. This kind of Missionary Continue reading “Preparing for missions conference”

Themes for Missions Conferences

(Many I have gathered from conferences I have attended or have heard of, others I have gathered in the past from other sources, those of which I do not remember)

How Beautiful are the Feet – Rom. 10:15

Punching holes in the darkness

Hear their Hearts Cry

That All the Earth May Know – I Sam. 17:46, Prov. 25:25

How to Build Waist Cities – Is. 64:1

Ambassadors for Christ – II Cor. 5:20

Set Sails for Souls

Is There Not a Cause – I Sam. 17:29

Is it Nothing to You? – Lamentations 1:12

Reaching this Generation

Enlarging our tents Continue reading “Themes for Missions Conferences”

A Missions Parable About Lost People:

Putting World Evangelism Statistics In Perspective

By James M. Weber, missionary to Japan

    Once upon a time there was an apple grower who had acres and acres of apple trees. In all, he had 10,000 acres of apple orchards.
One day he went to the nearby town. There, he hired 1,000 apple pickers. He told them:

“Go to my orchards. Harvest the ripe apples, and build storage buildings for them so that they will not spoil. I need to be gone for a while, but I will provide all you will need to complete the task. When I return, I will reward you for your work.

    “I’ll set up a Society for the Picking of Apples. The Society — to which you will all belong — will be responsible for the entire operation. Naturally, in addition to those of you doing the actual harvesting, some will carry supplies, others will care for the physical needs of the group, and still others will have administrative responsibilities.” Continue reading “A Missions Parable About Lost People:”