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GOD USES THE BROKEN

2/28/2019

How many times have you told yourself that you weren’t a good enough person for God to use? How many times have you thought that you were too damaged or broken for anything good to come from you? Well, you aren’t alone with these thoughts! Many Christians today believe the lie that they will never be good enough for God to use. But, that is all it is, a lie. God uses the broken and He can use you!

You are Chosen
We are God’s chosen people. God chose us because he wanted us to do His work. God doesn’t have favourites that He chooses. He chooses all of us. We may think that we will be the last chosen because we are more broken or we sin more but Romans 3:23 says “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. We all have sinned! Before you were even born God planned your path, and he chose you for a specific purpose. You are a chosen child of God; you may be broken but it doesn’t mean you can’t be used. God isn’t done with you yet.

-Jeremiah 29:11, Ephesians 1:3-4, Philippians 1:6

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last."
John 15:16

God Walks with You
We may be broken, but God often uses brokenness for His glory. When God calls us to service, I think we sometimes forget that we aren’t doing it alone. I don’t know about you, but, as a broken person, if I were to try to do anything God asked of me alone and on my own, I would fail. So I am super grateful to know that I am never alone. God doesn’t call us to do His work and then just leave us to do it alone and on our own! He provides us with the strength, the knowledge and the tools to complete our task. In Matthew 28:19-20 we can find the Great Commission where God calls us to go and make disciples, but do you know how it ends? The Great Commission ends with God telling us that He will be with us the entire way!
-Isaiah 41:10, Psalm 118:6, Matthew 28:19-20

God Chooses the Least Likely
You may think God won’t call you to do something because you don’t think you are qualified to do it. That isn’t how God works. God doesn’t necessarily call those that seem the most qualified. God calls anyone and everyone and then He makes them qualified for the job. Don’t believe me? Well, look at a few examples in the Bible. Moses was called to speak in front of Pharaoh, but he wasn’t good at speaking. Elijah was a Prophet; he was also suicidal. And Job, Job went bankrupt but God still used him even after he had no money. These people may never be our first picks to do our work, but they are God’s. Why? Because God can and will use anyone. God wants to use those less qualified because it shows His glory more when He makes them qualified and they succeed at their work.
-1 Corinthians 1:26-31, Exodus 3-4, 1 Kings 19:1-18, Book of Job

God doesn’t necessarily call those that seem the most qualified. God calls anyone and everyone and then He makes them qualified for the job"

God knows how we humans work. He knows that we relate better to those of the same kind. If you went bankrupt and were struggling, who would you rather talk to about it, someone who has been where you’ve been, or someone who has never known the struggle? God takes what we call weaknesses and He makes them our greatest strengths. You may think that because you’re depressed you have nothing to offer, but you do! You have the ability to talk and help others who also are depressed in a way someone else can’t. He prepares you. Maybe you don’t think you have the money to serve, but if God calls you, He will provide the funds for you to go. He equips you. Look for ways that God may be preparing you for service because God can use you! You’re His chosen child and He has a use for you! Are you ready to let God turn your weaknesses into strengths?

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
-2 Corinthians 12:9

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God's Call

2/21/2019

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Following God’s call to become a Christian missionary is a great way to serve the Lord. Yet, there’s more involved than just declaring that you want to be a missionary. Each mission field, mission agency and mission opportunity will have its own special requirements. You will need to take time to prepare for serving the Lord long-term.

And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” --Isaiah 6:8

Missionary Calling
A speaker may emotionally move you to go and serve, but this emotion will only sustain you on the field for a short time. A true sense of calling by God is what’s necessary to keep a missionary on the field.

So, how do you know you have been called to mission work? Well, first, there should be an internal compelling desire to serve the Lord in some capacity. You cannot deny that God is leading you, by the Holy Spirit, to perform a task.

The best external indicator of God’s call is your pastor. Your pastor can often see fruit in your life and recognize God’s leading. Of course, they can be wrong, but most pastors will be able to honestly evaluate and either confirm or caution you. It is always a great idea to talk to your pastor before making any life changing decisions.

The Initial Preparation
Once God’s call to be a missionary has been confirmed, you should begin preparing for service. Many decisions must be made in the process including:

Where to serve?
What type of ministry?
What mission agency?
What special training is needed?

Preparation to be a missionary should begin by seeking your pastor’s council on a mission agency. The mission agency does not take the place of the pastor or the church, but they assist in getting you to the field. Your pastor may even have suggestions of which mission agency will suit your needs best.

Formal Preparation
The formal preparation for becoming a missionary is schooling and educational training. It may or may not be a Bible degree but many agencies will require that you have a college degree of some sort. This requirement is so they can know that you have the character to complete more training if needed.

Some areas of ministry may require special training beyond your normal schooling. This may be practical training such as on the job experience or formal training in the specific area. For example, if you are looking to be a missionary working as a teacher you may need formal training as a teacher.
Language training may also be required if you are doing cross-cultural missions. It is always beneficial to know the language of the people you will be serving. It is wise to start language training as soon as possible so you can be prepared. Online tools and apps are great ways to get started!

Practical Preparation
Practical preparation is not necessarily required but it is highly recommended and beneficial. It can include reading, going on a short-term trip first and finding fellowship.

Read
Reading missionary biographies will help the you learn about life on the field. Knowing that others have gone through incredible trials of faith can be encouraging when you learn how God demonstrated his faithfulness.

See the Field
Going on a short-term mission trip before committing to long term missions can be beneficial. The experience can help you see what it is like to be on the mission field. It can also give you a better perspective of what the people need.

Like-minded Fellowship and Counsel
A great idea if you are wanting to become a missionary is to get to know other missionaries. It allows you to build relationships with others who understand what you will experience on the field. You can also receive council and encouragement from veteran missionaries during trying times.

Following God’s call will take time. Rarely does someone hear God’s call on their lives and goes to the field in a matter of weeks. With choosing the right mission opportunity, the training and the extra preparation, it can take years. As a missionary you will also be called to raise prayer and financial support. This involves several months of visiting churches, pastors, friends and family to share about the call God has placed on your heart. But don’t be discouraged. All the preparation is necessary to prepare you for a lifetime of service. God is getting you ready to follow His call. Are you ready to get started? Click here to see the 10 Steps to Becoming a Missionary.

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GOD AT WORK THROUGH HIS PEACE MAKERS

2/21/2019

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After 10 days of Haiti at a stand-still, paralyzed by high prices, lack of fuel, political tension and mounting fear, this morning began with loud mayhem and the sounds of glass shattering, right in front of the Emmaus gate.

Throughout the night a few young men worked, blocking the road with large rocks, setting a few tires on fire, attempting to continue the chaos and fear. Throwing bottles and rocks at passing motorists, around 7 am a motorcycle with three people was hit and plunged upside-down in the ditch.

Yesterday the village church prayed with urgency, heard the Gospel with hope, and glorified God with faith, and were reminded by the local pastor: We are not to think as the world thinks. We cannot respond as the world responds. We cannot do what our neighbors do, no matter how hard things get. Remember Whose you are, and let everything you do be done as a child of God, reflecting God. Never forget we are God's people!

No sooner did the moto hit the pavement that the church and the community hit the road. They ran to the assistance of the injured. They pulled every rock from the pavement, women swept every shard of broken glass away, men pushed burning tires into the ditches to extinguish, and Emmaus' man at the gate called the police. As the peace-makers worked, the trouble-makers fled.

I share this story from our morning because THIS is what the Gospel does, THIS is what God is doing through His people, THIS is what Haiti needs. This is what Emmaus is here for, empowering and encouraging and equipping men and women for transformative Gospel sowing and living--
in good seasons, and even more-so, in dark ones.

Haiti needs men and women, heavy in prayer, full of the Holy Spirit, strong and courageous, to peacefully transform the violence, the lawlessness, the corruption, the history...every single day. The problems run deep and deeper still, and the government has spoken up several times in the last days, outlining some good, solid strategies for deep-rooted, incredibly difficult change.

Maybe things will. Maybe they won't.

But when the church stands steady and rises up well in the face of fear and injustice, allowing it to continue no further...change in our communities, in people's hearts, is imminent.

What a joy to see big trucks, the first in almost two weeks, whizzing by Emmaus right now. What a joy to see students and staff coming this morning, asking about classes. What a joy to hear leaders on the radio urging schools to reopen and children to get back into them. What a joy to see clinics and businesses and schools trying to reopen today.

There is a long way to go. But as long as we are praising God in the uncertainty, as long as men and women are refusing to fear, as long as His children can be faithful, waiting upon the Lord...change is coming. Change is coming.

We ask for and are grateful for your continued prayers. Pray for our staff and students and brothers and sisters right now, peace-makers spread throughout Haiti this morning. Pray for their courage and their peace.

Pray for Haiti, keep on.

For His glory, we will keep on, too.

**Thank you for being a praying, giving, going part of developing Christ-like leaders for Haiti, for such a time as this.**

Stacey Ayars, for the Emmaus family

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KNOWING GOD'S WILL

2/14/2019

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A friend of mine was trying to decide what to do next in life and was struggling. She told me that she wanted to do God’s will but His will is so complicated and hard to know. But I think she is wrong. I think we are the ones that make it complicated. We try finding God’s will as a pinpoint accurate thing, but we should be seeing it as a whole wide circle.

One of the biggest questions when someone is considering doing missions is if it’s God’s will for their lives, "Does God want me to go, is He calling me?" This is a great question, but how do we know if it’s God’s will? Let's take a look at 7 tools that can help us discover God's will.

1. Walk with God – Proverbs 3:5-6
First things first, have a personal relationship with God. Read the Bible and do devotions daily. Pray and talk to God honestly. And get involved in Bible studies, and at a church so that you may learn more about God and His love for you.

2. Surrender Your Will — Romans 12:1-2
It isn’t our will with God’s approval, but it’s God’s will alone. To hear God’s will clearly, we must leave behind our own plans and get rid of any expectations that we may have. We must remain open-minded to what God is wanting for us.

3. Follow What You Already Know – The Bible
We aren’t starting from scratch when it comes to learning of God’s will. All Scripture is filled with guidance and God’s plan, not just for us individually, but for all humanity.

4. Seek Help – Proverbs 11:14
Seek guidance and input from Godly people in your life. Sometimes other people can see things in our lives that we miss. By sharing our lives with others, they can help us see more clearly what God is doing and what He may be calling us to.

5. Discover Your Gifts – 1 Peter 4:10
What are the gifts and talents you have that you can use to honor God? God has created us for specific roles and He has blessed each of us with the gifts needed to complete these roles. If we are able to discover our gifts it may help us have a better understanding of what God’s will is.

6. Listen – John 10:27
A good relationship is about talking AND listening. When we pray, we are fulfilling the talking part of our relationship with God. But have you ever sat in silence and listened while praying? Next time you pray, try sitting quietly for a few minutes. Clear your mind and open it to listen for God’s voice. Meditate on specific questions you have for God and even write down what you hear.

7. Listen to Your Heart – Psalm 37:3-5
God wants His children to be happy. As you grow in your relationship with God, His desires will become your desires. God’s will is not restricting or oppressing. When we follow God’s will for us we will feel peace, joy and freedom in God. Your heart will be one with God’s.

We can’t just ask the yes and no questions in life, and what we want can’t take priority. When asking whether you should do missions don’t wait for the yes or no answer. That may be the easy way to do it, but God has been showing you the answer your entire life. He has been preparing you every step of the way to do His will. When we develop an intimate, lasting relationship with God and learn to trust Him, our life’s pathway becomes clearer. Don’t be afraid to ask the hard questions. If you need help knowing what questions to ask leave a comment with your email and we will send you a list!

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WHAT IS A MISSIONARY?

2/7/2019

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There seems to be considerable confusion today with regard to missionaries. Some say all Christians are missionaries. They say that we are all called to give our lives to Christ and to witness to our neighbors. But is that the only thing that makes you a missionary? What qualifies someone to be a missionary? Boundaries need to drawn around the term 'missionary'. If the word missionary means the same thing as the word Christian, one of the two words has lost its usefulness.

Sometimes two words have overlapping meanings, but one is broader than the other. All Christians are people but not all people are Christians. A Christian is a particular sort of person. A fireman is a person, but not all people are firemen. The term person is broader than fireman. Likewise, the term Christian is broader than missionary. A missionary is a particular sort of Christian.

So if a missionary is a particular sort of Christian, what makes them a missionary? In its basic meaning, a missionary is a person sent on a mission. In its Christian meaning, in addition to the intention to help people come to know Jesus, at least four things qualify one to be a missionary:

1. It is a vocation, not just an activity, hobby, or event.
2. It includes crossing barriers. Almost always cultural barriers but often also language, distance,
religion and worldview barriers.
3. It requires some special study and/or training, not only willingness.
4. It requires sending. A missionary must be sent or commissioned to go.

Being a missionary is more than wanting to travel and do good. It is about answering the call that God has placed in your heart.

So what about those who go on short term mission trips? Consider this; a doctor is a person who works at the hospital for their vocation. You can volunteer at the hospital 7 days a week but that doesn’t make you a doctor.

Christians who visit or volunteer on the mission field are not necessarily missionaries. They may be called to go and cross boarders to do the work of a missionary, but it isn’t a vocation. Short term missions also don't need special studies/training. Sometimes those who go are simply visitors or volunteers on the field.

Have you ever considered doing missionary work? Have you ever felt drawn to go on a short term missions trip, or felt a nudge to go serve overseas for a month or more? Is it something you are still considering? We would love to hear about your attraction to missions. Tell us about it in the comments section below!

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OMS BLOG

GOD USES THE BROKEN

God's Call

GOD AT WORK THROUGH HIS PEACE MAKERS

KNOWING GOD'S WILL

WHAT IS A MISSIONARY?

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