Reflection from Missiology Class.

This past December, I took a J-term with a former missionary for the IMB, who is now lead's their theological education. This class covered a different perspective from what I received at Liberty. It was theological and practical, which was theologically founded. Here are some thoughts from the class:

1. The church needs to become mesmerized with the gospel again. Missions flows from people that believe in the saving power of the gospel. American Christianity has a problem that people attend Sundays and maybe Wednesday but they really do worship God every day. Now worship is more than singing songs. Traditionally, worship included singing, praying, and listen to God speak through His word (thus hearing and listening). The Bible shows the pereminates of the gospel as God's ordained way to bring sinners to life in Him.
2. Worship, Theology, and Missions are completely interdependent of each other. Simply put, Worship without theology is idolatry, Theology without worship kills the soul by lead to pride, Worship fuels missions, missions is needed because worship is not, theology is the basis of missions, in missions, we teach theology. When one of these is missing, the church becomes ineffective in this world. Now this also displaces the people are too heavenly minded to be earthly good. Theology is the foundation of doing anything good in the world.     
3. The American church as a whole fails to see the importance of missions in the daily life of the church. Missions requires us to to give up and lean on Jesus. It requires a devotion that cannot be found in money or possession. It calls us to die to self and follow Jesus even through suffering. It calls to rethink our possession and be more willing to give for the advancement of the gospel.

These are some quick comments about my class but there needs to be output. All of these require a response of obedience to the call of missions. All of these reflect a deficiency with my own life and most likely yours too. God desires to save the nations and He has accomplished it through the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son when people repent and trust in Him. 

A New Semester is Here!

So this week starts a new semester as I finish my second year. This semester's courses will provide more than enough problems with reading and translation. I finish learning the basics of Hebrew and I take a more advance Greek class. All of this will provide me some background for Historical Theology class.

All of this last night made my freak out last night as I look at all of my syllabi for this year. There is tons of reading which I am not good at but this also provides a great opportunity to force to find my strength in Christ. This has been the biggest lesson I have needed to learn while at seminary, that and time management. This next semester will provide abundance opportunity to realize that I am weak.

There are a couple of passages that come to mind while I think about the great strength that God gives to those that trust Him. 1 Samuel 16 provides a great example. David and Goliath, a well know story for sure, shows that God is faithful to His promises and will deliver them in mighty ways. David knew the promises that God will provide the land and he trusted God that he would deliver Israel from their enemies. God provided the strength that was needed for David to kill Goliath. So with my pending semester, God can provide the power to push and learn more about Him. He must the strength that I lean upon as a weak vessel.

Another verse is Matthew 6:25-34. Here Jesus explains that God provides the necessities for living. He tells His disciples that all they need to do is trust God and seek after Him and the things they NEED will be provide. This need part is important because God does not promise that He will give everything that we feel we need. He gives to us what we need to live in this fallen world. This may be different items but everything comes a gift. Yet I do not worry about how this semester is to go because He will be with me and provide for me always. I need not worry but to trust Him fully.

As my pastor said yesterday, a good theology is needed before bad times hit so you can come to Him boldly in prayer and get help in times of need (Heb 4:14-16).