August 29, 2003
Vision for the Future
When God gives somebody a vision of what He can do through their lives, it becomes an overbearing passion that grows stronger with each passing moment. I thought that today I would take a little time to share with you (and the vast sea of humanity that comprises the regular readers of this blog!) the vision God has given me.
Let me quickly add that this is not the last-night-I-had-a-vision-that-I-must-gather-a-following-of-people-and-lead-them-in oxcarts-to-Utah kind of vision. I say this in case anybody happens to be reading from here or here or even here. This vision is, rather, a deep desire that is the product many years of prayer and supplication. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
1.I have a vision for Brazil. Since a missionary came to my church when I was 10 and showed slides of his ministry in Bahia, Brazil, I have been hooked on that country. When I was 17, I went to visit that same missionary. I am sure I was not much of a help to him while I was there, but God used that two-month experience to hook me on Brazil. I still required some time to surrender to ministry, but Brazil was in my blood from that time on.
The vastness and diversity of Brazil give it enormous potential on the world scene. I pray daily that God will visit true revival on that great nation, and that the world will marvel at what He has done there. To this end, my wife and I have joined Baptist Mid-Missions in order to join with an excellent team of missionaries with the same vision.
2. I have a vision for the state of Maranhão. This is my wife's home state, and there is much to be done there. I have a dream of starting a church in São Luís--the capital city--that will in turn start other churches in the state and throughout the northeastern region, and then on into other regions of Brazil. I also envision it being a missionary church, training up and sending out missionaries throughout Brazil and the world.
3. I have a vision for the world. Brazilians are beginning to look beyond their own borders, to the white fields around them. There are virtually no countries in the world where Brazilians are not welcome (contrast this with the number of countries around the world where Americans are NOT welcome!).
I forsee and army of Brazilian missionaries around the world, proclaiming Christ in places thought un-accessable. To do this, we will have to establish active mission agencies in Brazil and educate the churches on how-to's of sending and supporting missionaries. It can be done, and I am convinced it can be done in my generation.
Thank you for your patience with my "soapboxing" today. These are subjects that weigh heavily on my mind all the time. It is my prayer that each of my readers will catch a vision for what God can do through them, and then pursue it with every fiber of their being.
Posted by Andrew on August 29, 2003 11:59 PM.
Comments
Posted by: anonimo at March 9, 2004 4:04 PM
That is probably the most frequent question I am asked by those unfamiliar with the Christian world-view. Our post-modern society wants to think that all belief systems are equal.
This is not the case. I believe the Bible is absolute Truth, and were people's beliefs diverge from the it's teachings, they are wrong.
The Bible teaches that God's judgment is on all humanity because of their sin, but Christ's death on the cross, and subsequent resurrection, made a way of escape.
You would not respect me if I saw somebody bound for certain disaster and failed to warn them. This is what missions is all about. Warning people of certain disaster and showing them the Way to escape.
I my little answer here has created more questions that it has given answers. Please feel free to write me any time with any other questions/comments you may have.
Posted by: Andrew at March 9, 2004 4:22 PM
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I respect your Religion choice and also beleive you have the best of intentions in all this.
But why not let people around the world beleive in what they want to beleive in instead of preaching your own religion on them?