Inspirational Article From Joanne Lowe Index of Writings by Joanne Lowe on Gospel Web

HOME MISSIONS

“Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first findeth his own brother, Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.”

John 1: 35 - 42 King James Version

When I was a teenager, we had a missions conference at our church. The missionaries who spoke to us the second week were home missionaries. They told us about their burden for home missions and showed us the slides that they had taken. One of the missionaries who spoke during this week while he was giving a call to missions during his presentation said “I think that sometimes we over emphasize foreign missions to the detriment of home missions”. He told us that just as a true revival must start in our hearts so telling people about Jesus must start in our homes.

The first week we had foreign missionaries speak to us and give a call to foreign missions. They also showed their slides of the countries where God had placed them. The slides from both the foreign missionaries and the home missionaries made a tremendous impact on my heart. The slides that the foreign missionaries showed us had pictures of children starving and with sad eyes. The tragic thing is, and a picture that has stayed in my mind and heart all these years and will until the day I die, when the home missionaries showed their slides, there were also pictures of children starving with sad eyes. O friends, how can we possibly reach the children in other countries effectively for Jesus if we can’t even reach the children in our own homes and country?

That day God burned into my heart the urgency and importance of home missions. Yes, it is very important and also urgent that we have foreign missionaries because God has commanded us to do this. However, I think we would have a far greater impact on the places that God sends us if they saw the difference that Jesus can make right here in our own country.

The Bible tells us that Andrew not only first found his own brother and told him about Jesus but He also brought him to Jesus. Many times we tell our families about Jesus but we don’t bring them to Jesus. A pastor friend of mine said in a sermon “The greatest evidence that Jesus has changed you into a vessel fit for His use is when your family sees the difference that Jesus made in your heart”.

How about your home? When your children and spouse look at you, do they see the difference Jesus made in your life? Are your children and spouse eager to be around you because you are loving, tender and kind to them? If not, ask Jesus to forgive you and help you to be the lighthouse for Him that He wants you to be. It is time that all of us become home missionaries starting in our own homes and then branching out into the neighborhood and into the world.

Joanne Lowe

September 22, 2007

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