I have to admit...I've missed writing. I've been away for to long. It has come to my attention that apparently I have a small commitment problem. I say I'm going to write a new blog every week, but in all truthfulness, I know I'm not going to do that. But heres to turning over a new leaf.
I have had a lot on my mind the past few weeks (better stated...months). With scheduling classes and having to deal with many small things, I feel as if I'm running all the time. The big thing that is pressing on my mind got even larger with the Missions Symposium I attended last week here in Conway.
The BMA holds a Missions Symposium once a year. This is a time where different speakers and missionaries share about their past year and hopes for the next year. The theme for the missions office and BMA for the next year was presented...."White Fields".
When titling my blogs, I try to think of something catchy and relevant to my point. When typing this one, I specifically placed a dash in between White and Fields. This has a purpose. I am not trying to say one word is more important than the other, because they relay fully on each other. But each one stands for something different at the same time.
Scriptures tell us that the "fields are white and ready for harvest". The term 'white' refers to the fields being completely ripened and ready to be picked, harvested, gathered, taken up, reaped. When someone talks about missions, typically the first thing we think about is a missionary on a foreign land, somewhere in the middle of the jungle, preaching to the bush people, when in fact, the world's 3rd largest mission field in the entire world is the United States of America. For a specific people to be categorized as unreached, the evangelical percentage has to be less than 2%. (keep in mind that evangelical combines Christianity, Catholicism, Mormon, etc.) In the US, there are several UNREACHED people population. For example, most of the New England states are considered unreached. Salt Lake City, Utah is a an unreached people group. These statistics put a whole new meaning on missions now that we see that a large mission field is actually a 2-3 hour plane ride away.
Taking the word 'fields'...in South Mississippi, you have different large land areas. You have yards, food plots, pastures, power lines, and fields. A field is typically the larger of the previously listed (unless hunters go a little bit overboard). When Jesus said the fields are white, He wasn't talking about a few people that were ready and in need of salvation...He was talking on a much grander scale. The world is ready. The US is ready.
To take in full affect of the scriptures you must read the whole thing. Jesus continues His statement with the sobering words, "the laborers are few". This should be a slap in the face to all Christians (myself included). Every day people all around the world are dying and going to hell while we sit comfortably in our Lazy-Boy recliners watching the ball game. No, Jesus did not call everybody to pack up their families and move to Cambodia, but He did call everyone to be a missionary. The people you sit beside at school, at work...the people you walk beside on the sidewalk or in Wal-Mart...these are you mission fields. These are the people we are called to reach.
A couple of days ago I mentioned to a friend that I wanted to start an evangelistic campaign here in Conway using students from CBC. They agreed with the idea but she dealt back a harsh reality that I hadn't considered. Just because we go to Christian school, doesn't mean everyone is a Christian. This is very true. Therefore, before we can begin our Conway outreach, we must start at ground-zero. This is evangelistic-discipleship at work. The game plan: build relationships with fellow student, share our faith in Christ, and then take the time to invest in them using scriptures to help them grow.
Where are my fellow laborers? This is no easy task. Several prayers and tears have gone into this. I pray that you will see the need in the people and places around you. I pray you see it before it is too late. The fields are white...all they need is someone who cares enough to go out and harvest them.
"I wanna be Your hands and feet. I wanna live a life that leads. To see You set the captives free. And I pray that they will see, more of You and less of me. Lord I want my life to be the song You sing...Until the whole world hears."
