DO YOU HAVE A HEART FOR MISSIONS?
As a result of chatting to a young man in India (a Pastor’s son) who is currently in Bible College studying for the Ministry, I began to think of the development of Missions in my heart, from a mere mental assent to it becoming to me a personal revelation and how it has truly changed my life. I have actually been talking to this young man’s brother (who also has a developing ministry) for at least the last couple of years, at my suggestion they call me grandpa.
I entered full-time Ministry in 1965, but sadly there was very little Missions emphasis in my ministry until around 1974, when we were pastoring a church in Sydney. A young Singaporean Chinese man came into the church, he had recently come to Sydney to start a business. He had met a a Christian lady in Singapore and they fell in love, he began attending her church and became a Believer. He was still very young in the Lord when he arrived in Sydney but quickly grew in grace as he became involved in the local church. Within about a year he started coming into my office and started saying, “What are we doing about reaching out to the lost in Asia”, he continued challenging me, until about a year later I agreed to let him lead a missions team to Singapore and Malaysia, we invited a Ministry friend to be the Preacher for the team, and in 1976 some 17 young people went on that trip. It was life changing for them all. One lady has since been serving in the Philippines for probably 30 years, two of the men have also been in Pastoral Ministry in Australia for over 30 years, and the young Chinese man went on and developed businesses until he also went into Chinese Pastoral Ministry, and pioneered a great church, including learning to speak Mandarin which he had not learnt in Singapore.
This was the first SEED that was placed in my heart by the Holy Spirit. Then in January 1980 we moved North and took over a small hurting church of 40 people, that we saw grow to over 400 in 18 months, it was an awesome move of God. By 1982 we were ready to start leading Mission Teams to Asia (the very first team had 24 young people go), and again it was life changing for them. My personal exposure to South East Asia was a second SEED the Holy Spirit placed in my heart. In January 1985 I took a small team to India, to a short term Bible School, and to a Seminary (where the young man I mentioned is currently studying. The 2 Schools were both in the same state, but we had to catch a plane to go to the Seminary, and as we waited at the airport we spent some time in prayer to embark, God gave me a vision, that has changed my life, simply this JESUS CHRIST SHALL BE LORD OF INDIA. This truth has burned in my heart ever since, and that revelation has grown, over these last 35 years for me to believe. JESUS CHRIST SHALL BE LORD OF ALL THE EARTH.
The next unforgettable experience happened in around 1990, (or even earlier) a colleague and I were invited to conduct a Pastors Conference in Chiang Rai in North West Thailand. One afternoon i was taken for a drive, that included passing through the market town called Ma Sai on the Mekong River. Locals passed over the bridge regularly between Myanmar & Thailand, foreigners could only go half way, and armed guards saw that was not violated, I decided to go half way, and as I looked into Myanmar, an intercessory prayer burden came upon me for Myanmar. On my return home as I prayed for the Burmese people, a further burden came upon for the three Indo China nations, (Laos, Cambodia & Vietnam). I have only been to Myanmar once but over 30 times to Vietnam and many times to Cambodia, as Laos is a communist country the Lao come across the river into Thailand and I was able to minister to around 50 Pastors in a 3 day seminar.
When I concluded my full-time ministry at Hillsong College, the Lord opened the door for me to itinerate throughout Asia for over 10 years further deepening my missions burden.
I have shared the above, not to promote myself in anyway, but I asked the young Bible College student, “what was his dream and vision for ministry” ?his response “to minister to the unreached peoples of India”, His words reminded me of my experience in the Hyderabad airport over 34 years ago, JESUS CHRIST SHALL BE LORD OF INDIA, and that is why I have shared the above.
In Psalm 2:8 NKJV we are invited into the throne room of heaven and the Father says to Jesus “Ask of Me, and I will give You, the nations for your inheritance, and the end of the earth for Your possession”. The MESSAGE Bible says” What do you want? Name it: Nations as a present? continents as a prize?”
I AM SURE THIS IS STILL THE CRY OF JESUS TO HIS FATHER TODAY.
Paul tells us in Rom. 8:17 NKJV And if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, SO I HAVE EVERY RIGHT (as a joint heir) TO ASK FOR THE NATIONS TOO.
We used to sing a great chorus which I love:
Ask of me, and I will give the nations, as an inheritance for you, my children, ask of me and I will give the nations as an inheritance for you. Ask of me. Here am I send me to the nations as an ambassador for you my Father, here am I send me t5o the nations as an ambassador for you Here am I.
The late Ruth Heflin wrote an awesome song some of the words are:
I ask for the nations, I call them by name, I present them to the father in Jesus Name, may they not be found naked, may they not be ashamed when they stand before you on that great judgement day.
Many years ago I sang “Hear am I send me” and He sent me to over 25 different nations to preach the Word of God, now as I intercede for the nations, I am still visiting, this time in the Spirit, and declaring the truth. JESUS CHRIST SHALL BE LORD OF THE NATIONS.
Does the Great Commission grip your heart? Are you responding by going to the nations, either physically or in prayer (or both).
I trust when I enter heaven, many will come to me and say they heard the words of eternal life through ma, and the Holy Spirit drew them into a living vital relationship with God. When I receive my crown/s I will cast them all at Jesu’s feet and GIVE HIM THE GLORY THROUGHT ETERNITY.
