We bought eggs.
We wanted more.
We had eaten all the eggs in the house. We have had guests in our home almost every day this month and served eggs for meals all week long. We like serving eggs for meals in a variety of ways. Scrambled eggs. Fried eggs. Egg casseroles. Fried rice with eggs. Omelettes. We like eggs. Desserts. Cakes. We want more of that.
We tend to invest what we have to get more of what we want.
After our Bible study on the first verses of the book of Genesis last Monday night one of the young adults professed faith in Christ while riding home with another. Equipping young adults for ministry and teaching God’s heart for the world is among our passions. We plan to continue Bible studies on Monday nights. …And Saturday nights. We want more of that.
We paid $50 to set up a display at a church Tuesday and Wednesday to engage a gathering of pastors about Ethnos360 and unreached languages. Some pastors told us about the missionaries they had sent to the mission field. Another pastor told us how his church’s interaction with and support of a young missionary family has stirred the church. We hope to set up displays at more gatherings of pastors. Perhaps more pastors and churches will send missionaries. We want more of that.
Last month I drove 550 miles away from home and stayed six nights to visit a Christian university. Each member of our team paid $175 each to set up a display for three days at that university for the privilege of talking to students about people who have no access to the Good News about Jesus. We want to help students to discover what God is doing among previously unreached languages and how they can join Him in His work to reach more. We present ways students might commit their lives to tell people who have not heard about Jesus; particularly where no one else wants to go. Some students are preparing to serve as career missionaries. The Lord willing, we will be back. We want more of that.
One university student told me that what I said to his class four years ago changed the course of his life. If my words motivated him, then I have more to say. If it is his faith in God’s word which moved him to action then that is a very, very good thing. His actions will bring glory to God and lead other people toward increasing faith. This is very good for himself, for others and their eternal future. We plan to go back in November. We want more of that.
Also last month, I drove for four hours, rented a motel room and paid $40 to set up a display and talk to high school students at a teen leadership gathering about people who had never heard of Jesus. Maybe someday one of the students will remember our conversations, apply God’s word to his or her own life and labor to share the Goods News with an entire language group of people who have not heard the Good News. We want more of that.
I just read a letter that some missionaries learning the language of the Amdu people in Papua New Guinea have reached a level of fluency where they are able to translate God’s written word into that language. We are interacting with gatherings of Christians at churches and schools in search of people who, by faith in God’s word, will commit their lives to go and do likewise. We want more of that.
Last week a pastor at a monthly gathering of pastors told me of his church’s upcoming missions gathering. He offered an opportunity to have a part. He talked with me about their support of an Ethnos360 missionary who is en route overseas. We hope to visit more monthly meetings to engage pastors. We want more of that.
A pastor who attended the Wayumi Church Leaders Retreat with me last year told me this week some of the results. What he learned has stimulated growth in his ministry and in his church. We invited hundreds of pastors and church leaders to a Wayumi Church Leaders Retreat. We plan to invite more. We want more of that.
Another pastor invited me to speak to his congregation. Pastors can open doors for us to meet people whom God is preparing to send to the ends of the earth. Bringing in our own experiences to complement his work can stimulate faith within the body. We will continue to meet with pastors. We want more of that.
There are places in the world where there is no church, nor is there work being done to establish a church. Where the Church is established the Church will do the work of the bride of Christ in those places: evangelizing the lost, feeding the hungry, clothing the destitute, freeing the captives, healing the sick and equipping disciples to teach others. We want more of that.
Where do we find people in our country who have adopted God’s values and want to establish the Church where Christ is not known? Who is seeking to lovingly provoke believers toward love and good works among the unreached languages? (Heb. 10:24) We hope to do that. Together we will have all of eternity to rejoice. We want more of that.
Will you pray the Lord of the harvest that He will send forth laborers? We want more of that.
Jesus is the Lamb who is worthy. Bringing people to worship Him with us for all of eternity is an excellent motive. We want more of that.