This weekend we begin our Lottie Moon offering focus. Those who 'grew up' Southern Baptist and attended the countless Royal Ambassador or Girls in Actions (including Mission Friends) classes remember well the stories of our missionaries who gave their life in service to the Lord Jesus. We have many in our church, however, who come from different denominational backgrounds and upbringing and might be unfamiliar with Lottie Moon or our Christmas offering. It is my prayer that this blog would help us refamiliarize ourselves with a worthy offering and be reminded of the importance of missions in order to reach the lost world. The following is found at the www.imb.org web site found in the link titled 'Lottie Moon':
Lottie Moon - the namesake of the international missions offering - has become something of a legend to us. But in her time Lottie was anything but an untouchable hero. In fact, she was like today's missionaries. She was a hard-working, deep-loving Southern Baptist who labored tirelessly so her people group could know Jesus.
Why was the offering named for this early China missionary? Throughout her career, Lottie Moon wrote numerous letters home, urging Southern Baptists to greater missions involvement and support. One of those letters triggered Southern Baptists' first Christmas offering for international missions - enough to send three new missionaries to China.
This letter that triggered our offering closed with the following words that have caused my heart many times to reflect on these words: "...who imagine that because Jesus paid it all, they need pay nothing, forgetting that the prime object of their salvation was that they should follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ in bringing back a lost world to God, and so aid in bringing the answer to the petition our Lord taught his disciples: Thy kingdom come." [L. Moon. September 15, 1887. emphasis mine]
This Sunday will begin our focus on the Lottie Moon Christmas offering. I would encourage you to consider the following action steps. One, go to the website listed above and read more on the life of Lottie Moon including her letters of urging. Ask the hard question about "following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ in bringing back a lost world to God"... Lord, 'how will you use me?' Second, as a family sit down and pray as to what God would have your family give as an offering to this mission fund above and beyond what you give as a tithe. This amount God blesses by using 100% for missionaries - no administrative costs are absorbed with this money, it for the spreading of the Gospel. Third, go back in prayer individually and as a family seeking God's direction on how He would take you into the mission field (locally and abroad) to share God's good news - Salvation to mankind in the name of Jesus Christ.
May God bless you this Christmas with a needful reminder of why we celebrate this day... For God so love the world that He gave His only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth on him will not perish but have everlasting life. God so loved the world! Do we in Christ have this same like passion for the world - in the manner in which we would follow the footsteps of Jesus to bring back a lost world to God?
God bless!
Pastor Fred
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1 comment:
Pastor, I watched all the video on the church website and I was really moved. I was ashamed that i have not share more. This guy had gas pured on his and all he was thinking about was sharing the gospel. I think must people would have been tring to get out of there alive. What dedication and faith this man must have had. I pray that I could have faith like this.
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