Adoniram Judson was a famous missionary to Burma(Myanmar) during the mid 1800’s. In reading about Judson I came across a letter that he wrote to a missionary association in America with ten bits of advice for those considering missions. I thought some of these were very interesting and useful to those involved in missions today. Here they are, and I have highlighted the most interesting and convicting points:

Imagine that you suddenly received a calling to be a missionary. God has been working on your heart and maybe you even know that you are going to be a missionary in India. So now its time to start making plans. Oh, wait. What about the $300 car payment, $1,100 mortgage payment, $35,000 student loan, and the $5,000 in credit card debt?

On one of my recent journeys, as I gazed from the coach window I was led into a train of thought concerning the conditions of the multitudes around me. They were living carelessly in the most open and shameless rebellion against God, without a thought for their eternal welfare. As I looked out the window, I seemed to see them all… millions of people all around me given up to their drink and their pleasure, their dancing and their music, their business and their anxieties, their politics and their troubles. While my mind was thus engaged, I had a vision.

What are the things we should be doing as Christians while we are on this earth now? Here are some of the common answers I have heard when asking this question: Prayer/Intercession, Worship, Fellowship, Evangelism/Missions, Bible Study, Becoming more Christ-like. But there is only one thing that can only be done while we are still here on earth.

The other night I was eating at a restaurant near downtown Dallas with my family. There was an older couple sitting in the table next to us. They asked us to take their picture for them, and after dinner the gentleman asked my wife if we were in missions because he had overheard us talking about smuggling Bibles into China. He then introduced his wife to us. “You know who this is don’t you? This is Elisabeth Elliot!”

The story of the Tower of Babel is one of the most interesting in the Bible. It details some of the earliest known history right after the great flood, and the creation of the languages of the world. But this story is also shrouded in some mystery. How many of you can truly say that you understand WHY God judged the people of Babel. Why did God create the languages of the world? And what about this story can possibly apply to your life today? Listen after the jump »

So when we read and study the Bible, we normally stick to one subject or narrative. Very rarely do we step back, zoom out, and adjust our focus to see the big picture. There are underlying themes or threads that run throughout the scriptures that can affect the way we interpret everything. These are the teachings I love and thrive on. The ones that make you rethink everything you’ve read in the scriptures, and make everything fresh again.

This message is one of these kind of teachings. It is …

Now that you are a Christian, why are you here on earth now? What is our purpose? Are we just waiting for Christ’s return, or is He waiting on us? What is delaying the return of Christ?

Listen after the jump »