140 Years of OMF/CIM

If you want to know why I am going to Mongolia short term with OMF, and why I would greatly love your prayers for the Mongolian church, just watch this video.

I can't watch it without crying tears of joy. Tears of joy at the great work Jesus has done through his blood on the cross, and joy at the way he has continued to work through ordinary people, and driven them to extraordinary lengths to see his gospel go out.

Also tears of sadness that people still live without him.

Please pray, that God would take his gospel to the ends of the earth, pray that he would change people from serving idols so that they would serve the true and living God, and pray that he would keep rescuing people through the works of his rescued.

One reason why I will still probably use my Engage ticket this year

Don Carson.

To know why, watch the interviews that ACL has linked.

Now, that may seem a bit unusual to come from me.  I don't usually like going around and making a big fuss about big name preachers.  But the small amount of Don's writings that I have read have been helpful to me, and also, he has a "local church first" perspective on things that is worth continually being reinforced with. 

All of this, and the chance to hear from Mark Driscoll too makes me reconsider how much time I should be willing to spend at the OMF National Conference on the same weekend.

But that all said, if enough city workers decide to go to Engage through the City Bible Forum, and a deserving person misses out, I am freely happy to miss the conference.  

Not sure what to write

There is something that surprises me every so often, and that is the force with which I hold certain views.

This is a struggle for me, and I need to be careful to appropriately express these thoughts. 

Please keep me in your prayers.  I need to keep upholding Christ as king, and living it by example, whether at work or at play.

Not going it alone

Today was an exciting day, getting to go and hear all these wonderful stories from Overseas Missionary Fellowship missionaries, and to tell people about Mongolia (and show the DVD).

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)

One of the great joys of today was realising the fellowship that exists and the extent of the networks which work within the OMF structure to encourage their workers.  You could really tell just by watching all of the things going on that there was true love and care from old to young, from member to member, and from supporter to missionary. 

Fellowship is such a glorious thing, it describes more than just the act of sharing time together, but also describes the real bond people have when honouring and serving their Lord Jesus, and having their sins purified by him.

After giving my talk I was trying to run off to soccer, so I wouldn't miss too much more of my game, but I was struck by how some of the people wanted to share with me about their links into Mongolia, and to try and help me adjust before I go. 

Thank God for the wonderful people at OMF.  Thank God for the way they continue to look after their missionaries.  Thank God for the wonderful people that have been called into his harvest field.  And most of all, thank God for the way that he continues to reconcile people from every tribe, tongue and nation to him, through the death of Jesus on the Cross, raising them to life with Christ in his Resurrection.

Praying for a friend, thinking about me too

Tonight was a night to support a mate in his ministry training.

He wants to serve, knows where to serve, and has a good support group of people praying for him.

Once again, hearing what he is doing and why has helped me think through what I should be doing too... it isn't the same thing, but it can be similar.

Anyway, time for some rest.  Big OMF day tomorrow will say more later.

Speaking about Mission

OMF has a meeting this weekend.  

I've been asked to go and do a segment on my trip to Mongolia. 

It is weird being asked to go and talk to people.  Part of that weirdness is probably coming from me deluding myself about what I'm doing.

I blog about mission quite a bit, and my excitement about Mongolia has me talking about it all the time, because it is such a big thing happening in my life. 

But at the same time, while I like talking about what I'm doing, I sometimes find it awkward sharing and asking people to pray for me because it feels like it would burden them, and that it would be somehow selfish, especially since I'm only going on a three week trip.

So here goes, please pray that God will continue to genuinely humble me, so that he may be glorified through my service of him.