You Are On Missions!

The constant reminder of the Activity Director, “You are on Vacation” is still ringing in my mind as I write this article.  Her task was to keep encouraging the sailing vacationers to have fun and enjoy themselves because “you are on vacation.”  Doesn’t that sound like the continuous tug of the Holy Spirit on our hearts to remind us that we are always on missions, bearing the saving message of Jesus Christ and being His presence to those that He puts in our way?  God is passionately at work to redeem the lost and to reconcile the world unto Himself.  He chooses to use you and I in the process to be his presence so that the lost will be compelled to come into a personal relationship with Jesus.  Hence, You are on Missions.  II Corinthians 4:10-12 reminds us that “We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.  For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that His life may be revealed in our mortal body.” (NIV)  Jesus was dying to self daily so that others could come into a relationship with God the Father and be the whole person as God originally intended them to be (Shalom).  When we die to self so that Jesus can live in our body and conquer the flesh and trials of life then others can see the power and life of Jesus in us.  This then is being on Missions, be it in and around our own communities or beyond where we live.  We can be the presence of Christ ministering to the needs of others so that they might see the life of Jesus in us and be compelled to come into a relationship with our Lord.  This is being on Missions.

The Activity Director also gave constant reminders of upcoming opportunities for shows, entertainment, shore excursions, etc.  The Local Transformational Missions team would like to make you aware of some Summers Missions and Ministry Opportunities around the state of Texas.  We have received these opportunities from Missions Centers and Churches from around the state.  The list is not an exhaustive list of every opportunity so therefore we would like to know of the opportunities in your area so that we can make the list more comprehensive.  This list will become a page on our web site where you’ll be able to have access to all the opportunities that have been submitted to our office.  So send us an email identifying the opportunities and we will update this list with opportunities in your community, church or mission center.  Remember, You’re on Missions!!

Youth Can Be On Missions Too!!

After a long awaited two years of talking and learning about being on Missions, The Cornerstone Baptist Church Youth embarked upon their first Mission Trip. They were filled with excitement and anticipation concerning the Missions trip to the Rio Grand Valley scheduled for August 12th – 17th. Cornerstone Baptist Church members and supporters contributed to the Mission Trip via a Rice Bowl fundraising campaign. The youth prepared craft activities and Bible lessons for 4 days of ministry prior to the trip. The excitement built and the monies were raised and on Sunday morning August 12th, Pastor Chris Simmons prayed for and commissioned these youth and they were off on Missions to the Valley. As it turns out it was indeed a missions experience designed by God for these young people of South Dallas. They conducted Vacation Bible School in the Colonia called “La Fruita” located in Mission, Texas. They ministered to 40 children and youth and distributed 25 back packs to children returning back to school. The Pastor of this particular Colonia (community) is Pastor Omar of Broadway Baptist Church. The church is in the process of building a parsonage for their pastor and family. The youth got the opportunity to paint the overhang of the parsonage roof and clear a trash pile from the property. Keagan Oka puts it in these words “Every second of the trip was valuable in teaching us lessons of faith, contentment, and relationships.” For you see these youth have been on the receiving end of being blessed and can now be a blessing to others and realize just how blessed they are. Here’s the rest of Keagan’s testimony:

“The way the children looked forward to seeing what activities we had planned for them made me happy and the way the children had little more than nothing and never complained made me question my genuine happiness. I mean God continually blesses me and the more He blesses me the more I expect from Him.
The time spent in Mexico made me wonder how people can live in such horrible conditions. One guy tried to sell us margaritas (alcohol) while knowing none of us are of drinking age. While crossing the bridge to get into Mexico, people would beg for money while starving underneath the bridge. I had never seen anything like it. I am very thankful for all the things I’ve seen while on this mission trip and I’ll never forget it.”

The week was topped off with a day at Fiesta Texas which was filled with fun even though it was threatened by the remnants of Hurricane Erin on Friday. Even in this God protected us and kept us from the storm and rains. The week was a good week of ministry and we appreciate your prayers and support. The youth are already looking forward to next year mission trip. We solicit your continual prayers for these and other Youths. We pray that they will continue to grow spiritually and in a deeper relationship with our Lord as we join Him on missions.

Gerald Davis
Minister of Youth
Cornerstone Baptist Church

Meeting the Needs of Mission Brenham

In the midst of our distress, God looked down and saw how humanity wandered like lost sheep without a shepherd.  He came in the flesh and walked with us.  He felt the pain of human existence,-rejection, disappointment, hunger, weariness, torture.  The Easter story reminds us of His great sacrifice culminated in our eternal good.

Brenham is like the rest of the world, a place with real hurt.  In the housing projects many moms are afraid to send their children outside to play, little girls are abused by rarely seen uncles, sisters murdered brothers, laziness, drunkenness, lonely young ladies looking for love in uncaring arms, generational poverty, generational crime, and generational abuse.

It is our inclination to move towards comfort, which inevitably moves us away from those whose lives are filled with hurt, violence, abuse, depression, hopelessness, and frustration.  In this matter we must make a conscious effort to move towards the need, like a fireman who runs into a burning building.  We must slip on the sandals of Christ and walk where our feet don’t always want to take us.  Not to just care for others from a distance but have compassion (which comes from the Latin “to suffer with”).

Relocation is an important part of our community development plan.  Living and working in or nearby the housing projects has always been our goal.  Chris Gaines (youth) lives in the Gayhill projects and Lauren Hall (youth girls) is moving into the Clayton projects.  Marcus Lawhon (director/pastor) and family will be building a home within a year directly across from “The West” projects on Burleson St.

Mission Brenham is set in May to purchase five acres next to the Clayton housing projects.  This will be another base of operations as we reach out to our low-income neighbors through tutoring, job training, chronological bible storying, Bible studies, summer camps, computer training…sharing our lives together.

A Volunteer Deficit in the Valley

I am sure that most of us are familiar with Luke 5:1-11 the biblical passage of the great catch of fish.  The part of the passage that really gets my attention is the part that says the catch of fish was so great that they had to ask for help from another boat to get them.  Then both boats were so filled with the fish that they began to sink.  (vs. 6-7)

The Passage goes on to say that all the people were “astonished” at the catch.  Jesus calmed them by saying “Do not be afraid, From now on you will catch men”.

Every summer we have hundreds of Summer missionaries come and help us with VBS.  Yet every year we can only fill about half of the 30-40 requests that we receive requesting VBS groups.  We are asking for your help to bring in this “big catch”.  Summer VBS is probably the biggest evangelistic event we have in the Valley every year. Let’s work together to answer the call for help.  God wants to bless us with a “big catch”.

Trust in Him,
E. Daniel Rangel
Rio Grande Valley Baptist Association
Director of Missions

For more information you may contact Vanessa Quintanilla, Mission Groups Coordinator, at 956-968-3161 or e-mail: borderministries.rgvba@gmail.com.

LifeChangers Wanted!

The Dallas Baptist Association is looking for six young people, eighteen and older, to serve as our LifeChangers summer missionaries.  This summer we are going to be serving in many different ways. We will lead a few soccer camps, work with refugees transitioning into life here in Dallas, work with the mentally ill, do some construction projects and so much more. We will also, for the second year, take a life-changing trip to Waco to participate in one of Mission Waco’s poverty simulations. LifeChangers are going to have a blast this summer discovering all that God has in store for our time together.  For more information you can visit our website: www.lcdallas.org or contact Stacy Alvizo, Community Ministries Intern at the Dallas Baptist Association.  I can be reached at 214-319-1169 or 214-324-2803.  See you there!

A Deeper Insight- Show Me The Kingdom

“Show me the Kingdom,” is the sentiment of many who are not quite convinced that the Kingdom of God is at hand. The Kingdom has come near you, this is the promise and mission of our Lord which is to make His Kingdom apparent and available to you and I here on Earth as it is in Heaven. In fact, are we not instructed to pray for this? Pray “Thy Kingdom come Thy Will be done on Earth as it is in heaven.” So our real question ought to be where is it taking place and what does it look like? I’m glad you asked. Jesus encountered a similar response from His Disciples as He sought to help them understand the Kingdom and how to recognize it when it is revealed. He speaks in parables to unlock the mysteries of the Kingdom for His disciples. Matthew records seven of these parables in Matthew 13:1-50. The parables recorded here are: The Sower, v 3-23, The Tares, v 24-30, The Mustard Seed, v 31-32, The Leaven v 33-35, The Hidden Treasure, v 44, The Pearl v 45-46 and The Net, v 47-50.

Several of these parables have gripped me and the Lord has used them to open my eyes to His Kingdom here on Earth and how I am to live in it. This is what I wish to share with you in this Deeper Insight.

I’m intrigued by the hidden treasure parable. Note, Jesus says: “The Kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” What’s so intriguing to me is if he found it why didn’t he just keep it (finders keepers – losers weepers) or why didn’t the man just buy what he had found? It’s because the essence of the parable points to the fact that because the treasure meant so much to him he was willing to sell and sacrifice all he had to obtain it. The treasure in my mind represents possessing a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Paul puts it this way, “I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things, I consider them rubbish that I may gain Christ and be found in Him…” (Phil. 3:8-9). How are we as followers of Christ living lives of sacrifice for the sake of Jesus? He sacrificed all for us and as His followers our lives should reflect the same. Note that Paul also alludes to not just knowing and being in relationships with Jesus but he desires to be found in Him. To me that’s synonymous to the man in the parable buying the entire field. He not only wanted to posses the valuable treasure but he also desired to own the open field that contained the treasure. The endless benefits and opportunities of the field was also his. Consider the never ending hope and blessings that we have in Jesus and the opportunities of service and sacrifice on behalf of others which comes with having a personal relationship with Jesus. The parable speaks of the joy that the man had which drove him to take this drastic measure to give up all that he had to possess not only the treasure but also the field. Another insight that I see is that what he had was enough. He gave what he had. The parable doesn’t indicate that he was like the wealthy rich young ruler which had much to give up. Regardless of that, he was willing to sacrifice all to possess the treasure and the open field. Maybe he had the idea that the benefits and opportunities of his new acquisition was far greater than all that he possessed. We are beneficiaries of many blessings and hope in Christ Jesus. We have opportunities to share Jesus and the Good News of the Gospel to those that need Him so badly. The fields are white and the harvest is waiting. Not only is the harvest ripe unto salvation but we have endless opportunities to make sacrifices and to serve others for the sake of Christ. Like the parable of the Pearl, the man and the merchant were willing to sacrifice all to purchase their treasure. The Kingdom of God becomes more apparent and a reality to us as we live sacrificially for the sake of Jesus Christ. God then takes our sacrifices and make them monumental blessings so that His Kingdom will come on Earth and apparent to all.

In the next Deeper Insight, I’ll focus on the Mustard Seed parable and how it reveals the Kingdom.

Gerald Davis