Missionary Call

Moses was a soldier and God called him to lead His people out of Egypt! David was a shepherd and God called him to rule His people! Amos was a shepherd too and God called him to be a prophet! Jesus was a carpenter and He was called to fulltime ministry at the age of thirty! Peter was a fisherman and Jesus called him to leave the nets and follow Him! Matthew was a tax-collector and Jesus called him to leave his office to serve Him fulltime! Paul was a tentmaker and God called him for a global service demanding all his time ! Luke was a medical doctor and he joined Paul in the missionary tours! Whatever may be your profession, God can call YOU! God’s need for labourers is the same both in the Old Testament and the New. "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" (Isa 6:8). "The harvest is plenty but the labourers are few!" (Mt 9:37). There is always vacancy in God’s work! There is rush and competition to become doctors, engineers, lawyers and teachers. But few are those who take up Christian service. Will you accept this challenge? God had only one Son and He sent Him as a missionary-martyr into this world! Dear parents, why not send atleast one of your children for the ministry? We are two sons to our parents and I am the eldest. Both of us are engineers. They gave me to the ministry. There is nothing like serving the King of kings and the Lord of lords! It is the most challenging vocation on earth and the most rewarding in heaven! (Mk 10:29,30). The designations of God’s servants are the highest! Ambassadors for Christ! Coworkers with God! Fishers of Men! Only one life; it’ll soon be past! What’s done for Christ, alone shall last! Christian service is the most joyful one! It is the joy of a harvester or that of a father when his lost son is found! Job satisfaction is highest in Christian service! Perfect freedom, team work and loving fellowship! No bossing of an ungodly officer, but encourgement and support from godly and unselfish leaders! What is your taste and talent? You have jobs just suitable in the Lord’s vineyard. Are you interested in literature? You can become a Bible translator. There are nearly 200 languages in India without the Bible. Are you good in music? You will be an asset to any evangelistic team! Are you a doctor? Oh how many medical missionaries are needed! Computer programmers are wanted. David Livingstone was an explorer and he went as a missionary. C. T. Studd was a famous cricketer and he took up missionary service. Wllliam Carey was a shoemaker and he became a Bible translator. These and thousands of men all over the world found serving the Lord adventurous and satisfying. Women are no exception. We still need Mary Slessors, Ida Scudders and Pandit Ramabais. There were women in the evangelistic teams of Jesus and Paul (Lk 8:1-5; Phil 4:3). Several single missionaries are seeking life partners who will share the same vision. If you are a young man or young woman with a missionary burden, what is wrong in writing to trusted leaders of Missions to find you a missionary as a life partner? Don’t worry if you have no experience or Bible training. Most of the Missions have short-term training courses for cross-cultural evangelism or Bible translation. If you feel you must have a systematic theological education before you enter the ministry, apply to one of the sound evangelical colleges in the country. Beware of joining any liberal college. Don’t think a trip to the West is the best. True there are many good colleges there but the casuality rate is quite high among the Indian students who go overseas for Bible training. Many lose their original vision. Several of them settle there. I hear someone say, "I will serve the Lord fulltime after I retire from my secular job!" After you retire you will need people to serve you! Missionary work involves walking, bicycling, travel and so on. Give the best part of your life to the Lord. "Serve the Lord with all your strength!" "But there are so many who have not heard the Gospel in my own place," you say. Don’t worry. There will be always enough of people who stay back! Leave that job to them. "How about the material needs of me and my family?" It’s a good question. If you can trust a government or a company, you can always trust God ! The Lord has said, "Those who preach the Gospel should live from the Gospel" (1 Cor 9:14). God who fed Elijah even in the worst famine is alive today. He desires the prosperity of His servants (Psa 35:27). You may not become rich in material goods. But God will give you "people for your life" (Isa 43:4). "But how can I leave my people and native place?" Abraham left his "father’s house" and so he could become a blessing to "all the families of the earth" (Gen 12:1,2). Missionaries from the West left their comforts and homes and brought the Gospel to us. If they had not come, you and I today would be kissing an idol. Is it not now your turn to carry the torch to the people in darkness? "How about my children’s education?" If there is not a good school where you go, you can always leave them in residential schools, especially the ones meant for missionaries’ children. So many parents leave their children in India and go overseas to earn more—gold and silver. Can we do less for God and souls? "Seek first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added to you" (Mt 6:33). "I am afraid I may not hold on to the end," you say. Perhaps you have met some casualties or failures. This is the devil’s trick. Why look at Judas Iscariot? Eleven out of twelve made it! That’s a good percentage, isn’t it? Some pastors are missionary-minded. Thank God for them. But others would pour cold water on the fiery zeal of their youngsters. They are afraid of losing some of their active members. Be wise! Some missionary reports are filled with stories of lions and bears. Don’t be chilled! Be thrilled! It is good to go out to see some of them! "I will be with you always"—This promise of Jesus is only to those who "go" (Mt 28:19,20). "But should I not be called?" Yes, you must not go without a call! Dr. Christian Weiss speaks of the fourfold call— One is the call from the world within you. There is a growing dissatisfaction over your present job and a growing desire to do more for the Lord Secondly there is the call from the world around you. Millions and millions of people are without the gospel. The harvest is getting wasted without sufficient reapers. Thirdly the call from the world under you. Think of the countless millions who are dead and gone to a Christless eternity. They are crying like the rich man from hell to send Lazarus to preach the gospel to his relatives (Lk 16:27,28). Finally the call from the world above. God’s Spirit moves and directs you. He gives you an inward urge and uses the Scripture and the circumstances to confirm you are called. Why not decide now? Listen to Him! He speaks to you! Obey Him! NOW!