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Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s Word on Bibleline, everywhere, every time. Here God’s truth on Bibleline. Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida. Clearly declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the internet. Your regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the air. You can reach us toll-free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made by clicking on the donations link on the BibleLineMinistries.org homepage. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, and that today’s first part of this two-part message will be a blessing to you and your family.

I wanted to talk to you about how to pray for a missionary, but as we read some of these, I want you to think of how can this apply to me? Remember, we always want to, even when you read scripture, how can I learn from this? What can help me to be a better Christian? And believe it or not, there may be some of you sitting here right now, And you’re thinking, I believe the Lord might want me to be a missionary.

I just might want to be a missionary. Well, I got news for you. You are a missionary, even if you didn’t know it. You’re either a missionary or a mess. You’re either going to the mission field or you should be part of the mission field. If you’re not reaching somebody, somebody needs to be reaching you. We used to have a sign on the back door back there as you walked out, entering the mission field.

Wouldn’t it be a good sign to have it back here over the door as you’re now entering the mission field? So every one of us needs to understand the importance of being a missionary. Now take your Bible and turn with me to the book of Matthew chapter 28, Matthew and chapter 28. These are scriptures that you and I have read many, many times. We know them well, but I wanted to just show you three things from these verses. One is our right, one is our responsibility, and one is our reason.

You see there in verse 18 in Matthew chapter 28 page 1044 in an old Schofield reference of Bible. It says in verse 18, And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. You realize that if it’s all been given him, he has it all. He is the authority. That’s where you and I receive the right to do what we do because he is the source of authority. And all other power is under his power.

When it talks about obey the powers that are over you, that means also government are supposed to obey God. supposed obey God. He made the world, he made people, he’s the one that has the right to set the laws. And so some of them he’s written in our hearts and some were written on stone. And we have now the word of God written. In verse 19 where he says, go ye therefore and teach all nations. Now why should I go?

Because of the authority, the authority of who he He is, and what He says to do. He’s in charge. He has the right, the power, the authority to tell us what to do. So He makes a statement here in verse 19, go ye therefore and teach all nations. Not some of them, all nations. And then He makes a statement in the book of Mark 16, talk about, preach the gospel to every creature. So it’s the will of God that we preach the gospel to every person and every nation on the earth.

who gave us the right to do that? God, there is no power greater than that. So he is the authority. Now you may have to suffer consequences seeking to get that done. There might be people in places that says, no, you can’t do that. But we still have a responsibility and we got to find a way to get it done and stay alive if possible. Now in verse 20, because see, That’s our responsibility. Go. And baptize, when it says baptizing them, this is something that we do, then this would always be water.

If it’s not what we do, then chances are it refers to the baptism of Holy Spirit. But here it makes a statement in verse 20, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And then when it says, and lo, I am with you always the reason that I should go, and the reason that I should do such a dynamic thing, such a challenging thing. The greatest thing in all the world is because the reason look who’s with me.

And he says, I’ll never leave you and never forsake you. So I know that over the years I’ve seen a lot of missionaries go to the fields and I’ve seen a lot of them come back home. And many times because people at home don’t keep supporting them and then they have to give up and come home because they have responsibilities and most of them cannot work on the foreign meals. Now what I want you to do is just take a look at the page that I gave to you, how to pray for a missionary from A to Z.

Now as you go down through here don’t you dare try to apply any of this to yourself. Don’t even look at this with the idea that you know that might be good for me too. You know always think it’s somebody else, it’s always somebody else. But number one there, as you go to ABCD all the way down through. There’s a nice little word that kind of helps us to apply to a missionary. But remember, in reality, you are a missionary.

It’s just what kind. Are you full time? Just part time. On the job, do you know a woman that just stays in harm and does her work, she’s a missionary because of the way she does her work. And she’s on a mission, even if it’s helping her husband accomplish what he does. Even if she just talks to the neighbors and wherever she is, and kind of a testimony she has when she goes to shop and all the things that she does, everybody is a testimony of what the Lord has done for them.

So keep that in mind. Unknowing, pray that the missionary will labor under the power of the Holy Spirit, because if it’s His work, we want His power. We wanna do what God wants us to do with our life. Isn’t that a wonderful statement? I think it’s a great statement. You know, the Bible even talks about the Apostle Paul. made the statement, pray that I may open my mouth with boldness. See that number two, pray that the missionary will speak the word of God with boldness.

We have missionaries that are on the foreign fields. They’re all of the world and they need to be bold. But sometimes we get intimidated. Don’t you get intimidated? Don’t you get a little afraid, a little scared? Even to hand out a track. I talked and challenged this one guy to pass out tracks and so he He would always put tracks in the bathroom behind the mirror. If you ever tear that building down, somebody’s gonna find the track. But at least he was doing something.

And you’d be surprised, I’ve gone into restaurants around here and I go into the restroom and lo and behold, there’s one of our tracks laying there on the sink. And in other places. Somebody’s been here, and Kilroy was here. No? A missionary been here. Chances are, when you see these little tracks that we have, somebody from Calvary Community church has been there. And because, see, y’all are sowing seeds all over. Everybody’s sowing seeds. Somebody even asked me about these Christmas cards.

You know, last year Gary made up a little Christmas card, but it was another way just to get the gospel out. And then he did it one on the people dying. It’s another way. Always trying to find a way to get it done, But to pray that God will help them to be bold. To know what you’re doing, who you are, the message you have, and to trust the gospel. Trust the gospel that when you give it, it will do something to people.

Believe in that message, it’s a powerful thing. The next statement, pray that the missionary will find comfort when discouraged. There’s no place like the foreign mission feels to get discouraged. you’re away from home and you don’t have relatives there with you, you don’t have mama or grandma there and sometimes when they have children it’s a very difficult thing. I just finished talking yesterday to Irene. Irene is the mama of Paula that’s down in Brazil and of course they’re trying to get rid of it because they want to go down there and see the kids and to see the other grandkids and so There’s always something that comes up and there’s always problems and there’s somebody that may pass away and it might throw a cog in the wheel.

But when you don’t get to see your grandkids for a while, that’s hurt. And I know, I used to see them every other day or week. Now it’s six months. That’s too long. But when you’re on the mission field, you get very down, you get very discouraged. And if you think and things are moving so slow and people are not responding, what it can do to you? So anyway, whenever you’re praying and you say, I don’t know what to pray for the missionary, don’t let bless our missionaries.

I know that that’s good, but be a little bit more specific and say, Lord, maybe they’re discouraged. And I pray that they can be confident because of somebody to go and visit with them or send them something special in the mail or write them a nice letter of encouragement. And a lot of time we just out of sight, out of mind. And so people don’t think about those things. The next statement, pray that the missionary will send God specific directions in his ministry.

Because you’re always seeking to find out what is it that God wants me to do, the right direction. You see, a lot of us are willing to go where God wants us to go. We just don’t know where it is sometimes or how to get it done. Now as I’m reading some of these things and make me a little comment here and there, there isn’t anything in here that you can gain some knowledge for yourself is there. I mean you wouldn’t ask the Lord to do that for you too would it.

I mean when you stop and think about the people in the church here do you think it’s a possibility? lo and behold they might be a little discouraged or you might need some direction or somebody else needs some direction and you say I just I need to pray for this person this person. So it’s not just for the missionary on the foreign field. It’s also for every person who’s trusty Christ’s Savior who needs some direction in their life. Do you know the reason we try to have ranch or camps and things like trying to help teenagers have some direction?

Because see they’re fixing to make some of the most important decisions of their life. Because when they’re young they have so many desires and desires are coming and going and they get just sometimes they can’t make up their mind. And they’re going to be choosing a guide that they’re going to be hooked up with for the rest of their life? Think of how critical that is. Or the education that they receive for the purpose of their life, do kids need help.

And that’s why us older adults are supposed to try to give them some directions. And the way you give sometimes directions is the direction you’re going. How are you doing with the Lord leading you? Do you believe that you’re doing what God wants you to do with your life. Very, very important. Look at the next statement. Pray that the missionary will send someone to encourage the missionary. That’s why even among you, you may not think it’s that important, but just sometimes by the sweet, casual word that you say to somebody can so encourage them.

You know one of the encouraging things I think of our church here is that we do have a time and sometimes you have to watch it doesn’t just become you know this is what I’m supposed to do when we have greet one another. Here are those famous words greet one another and what do you usually do huh? Stand right there don’t move or you can get out of your seat and go meet somebody who said Well, I’ve already met everybody.

Do it again. It breaks the monotony of your own self-centeredness. You got to think about somebody else. And you shake somebody, you realize that I’ve had some people tell me, says, I can’t believe it. I walked into that church and 15 people shook my hand because of what we do. They like a warm, friendly church where you smile. Do you think, oh, I’m glad to have you. We’re just thrilled. We’re so excited. Or can you, you know, put a little spring in your step and walk up to somebody and say, hello, my name is in.

What is your name? I’m glad to have you here. Have you been here many times? Oh, about five years. On Sunday night, I had a guy, and I talked to him in the coming on Sunday morning. He always come on Sunday night. He came on Sunday morning and nobody knew him. I said, how long have you been coming? He said eight years, but he just come on Sunday night and somebody else, they come on Sunday morning. So they never, and never the two show me.

But anyway, look in the next statement, pray that the missionary will guide their children in the way they ought to go. Did you know that a lot of times people judge you by how your children are doing? And sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s not. But today it’s not just the family that’s raising their children. Everybody’s having a part raising their kids. But don’t you remember what Hillary Clinton said that you’ve got to have it takes a village to raise a child.

But… Today, TV’s raising our children, and sometimes humanist educators are raising our children, and teaching them things that we don’t want them to learn. And so, mom and dad, they see them just a little bit in the morning when they ship them off the school. They come home at night, and then everybody’s tired, weary and worn, and they doing this and that and that. And so, by the time, you know, what was your name again? Dad, I’m your son.

Oh, and you don’t know each other. You never spend time with each other. But anyway, you need to pray for the children’s mission, their kids, because it is such a difficult, see, if I was the devil, if I was the devil, no, I’m not. Some people think I am, but I’m not the devil. But if I was the devil, and if I couldn’t get the man of God, I’d try to do what I could to get to his wife.

Because you see, he’s not gonna do too much if I can discourage her, because see, she will do everything in her power to discourage him. And whenever I get her, I can get him. But if I can’t get her, I’m going to go after the kids. Because see, it’s a system that always works. And so the devil is going to work on children, goes after those young kids and then try to get those teenagers. Because he, that is something that the parents really love.

And sometimes for the sake of their children, they begin to change or to alter things and their steadfastness with the Lord. And so they don’t want to offend their kids now. But wouldn’t it be great if the daddy loves the Lord, the mama loves the Lord, the children love the Lord, and everybody just served the Lord together? Wouldn’t it be me? Where the devil can’t get at that family. That would be the ideal, but in most cases it’s not.

And a lot of missionaries struggle on the foreign fields. Their kids don’t have others strong kids that know the Lord, love the Lord’s a lot of times they don’t have a youth ranch ministry or they don’t have a Christian school and so they struggle. Always pray concerning that and always keep in mind. Pray for your own kids too. Look at the next statement. Pray that the missionary will live each day to glorify the Lord each day every day to glorify the Lord.

The next one, humility, develop a sense of humility and reject pride. If there’s anything that God hates, it’s pride. It’s when you begin to develop the ability to see how great and wonderful you really are. And you begin to exalt your talent or your boldness, your ability. Over your dependence upon the Lord. In spite of everything, you and I should keep it in mind. If it wasn’t for the grace of God, we couldn’t do anything. If God didn’t protect us, we wouldn’t even be here.

God has been good to us. Make sure that in your life you’re giving God the credit for whatever God does through your life. Because see God in heaven, he knows how you think and he knows how you feel. And just because a person may talk proudful and so forth doesn’t mean he is. humility is a position of the mind, not a position of the body. You can bow at the altar, as some would say, or at home, but God’s more interested in do you bow your will to His will.

Pride is when you seek your own way. Humility is when you humble and do the will of God. So do what God wants you to do. And so if you’re humble, so you always want to pray that missionaries and everybody else humbles themselves before God and not to try to give God directions and leadership. You see, the truth serving the Lord is always yielding to the leadership of the Lord, to do whatever God wants you to do with your life.

That’s what God wants. Look at the next word, the insight. We’ll see people and things from God’s perspective. See, there’s always these two perspectives, the divine perspective and the human perspective. Where you see things from God’s viewpoint, and you see things from man’s viewpoint. Now, because you and I, we trusted Christ as our Savior, so we have a spiritual part of us that’s divine. And we have a human spirit, and so we have a human perspective. So we see sometimes things from different perspectives.

So what you have to do as a child of God, try to see everything from a divine perspective. So the regardless of what goes on, and I’m going to cover a little bit about this tonight, concerning the will of God. Because when something really goes wrong, bad, I mean, you consider it as really bad. At that point, at that moment, you still have to ask, what is the will of God? . . 2 . . . . . .

For me at this point in my life, when everything seems to be falling apart, am I then still supposed to yield my will? Am I still supposed to seek the will of God? Regardless of what’s happening at every moment in my life. I believe it is true, but that’s another sermon for another time. Oh, look at the next statement. Joy, pray that the missionary will be full of the joy of the Lord in all situations. Because even though a lot of things go wrong, and you may not walk around all the time with a big smiley face, you can have the joy of the Lord in your heart.

Because you know that regardless of your inability, you know about God’s ability. And that the one who has all the power in the authority gave me the right to do what I’m doing. He told me to do what I’m doing. And therefore I will do it and trust the Lord for the outcome. So I can’t see how everything is going to develop down the road. So you learn to walk with the Lord and God is going to bless you.

And doing that is what brings you to personal joy. See God says, my joy I give, no man can take it away. And so if he can’t take it away, then the only one that can get rid of the joy of the Lord is yourself. So you can be as happy in the Lord as you choose to be. Happiness usually comes from happenings. And if it happens according to your likes, then you’re happy. And if that doesn’t happen according to your desires, then you’re not happy.

So there’s a lot of people who are happy and unhappy, happy, unhappy, unhappy, unhappy. But a Christian, regardless of what’s happening, can have joy because he knows I am doing the will of God for my life. And that satisfaction that you have between you and the Lord, no man can give it and no man can take it away. That’s what causes the Christian to be stable. So when you pray for missionaries, you want to pray that not only do they do that job that are supposed to do, the work of the Lord, but they can also have the joy of the Lord.

Look at the next statement. We’ll continue to be filled with the knowledge of God. You see, if your outflow supersedes your intake, then your outflow will be your downfall. If you’re always giving and never taking in, you’re going to come up dry. You see, you have to have water in the well in order to draw water out of the well. So that’s why you as a child of God must always be reading and studying the word of God. Always be talking to the Lord.

The joy of the Lord is my strength. So if you don’t have the strength in the Christian life to maintain a good Christian walk with the Lord, it’s because there’s something missing. You’re not going to the right well to get the right water, the strength that you need. And if you do, then you will have what you need to sustain you. So as the Bible talks about the knowledge, and he talks about in 1 Peter talking about growing in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

So God wants us to continually keep learning, keep learning, stay in the book. And you’ll be surprised as you get on down the road a few more years, that a lot of the things that you might not even thought about, scripture will come into your mind. It seemed like just the right time. And it says, the Holy Spirit shall quicken your mind so that you can know the things that are of God. And the Holy Spirit’s main responsibility is to teach you about Christ.

He said, he doesn’t talk about himself. He talks about the Lord. So you study the word so that you can continue to grow in the grace of our Lord. Look at the next word, love. The missionary will be a vessel through which God love flows. How do you know God loves you? Because, and you always say, well, because of what Christ did on the cross for us. All right, if you didn’t know what Christ did on the cross for you, you would not know that God loved you.

That’s how God proved his love. He sent his son to die to pay for our sins so that we don’t have to pay for them. So how is the world out there going to know that God loves them? Well, that love has to flow from somebody to somebody. You are the channel, the vessel that God wants to use to flow that love through you. To another person, to the lost man. And the lost people will never know about the love of God if you don’t tell them about the love of God.

So it’s the love that you and I have for him that’s supposed to motivate us to tell him about his love. And that’s why I made this statement for the love of Christ constraineth or motivate us because we thus judged that if one died for all, then we’re all dead. that they which live should not live unto themselves, but unto him who died for them and rose again. So the purpose of my life is the life of the one who died for me.

So it’s clear in the word of God. Look there at the word motivation. Sometimes I feel like I’m motivated beyond my ability to perform. I want to do more and more than I’ve ever done in my life. I feel like with all 50 years experience, I should know more. I should be wiser. Shouldn’t I be wiser? I would think I’m supposed to be, but when the body doesn’t want to go, well, the mind should make up for it. See before, I had a little wisdom, but boy, the old body was rare to go.

I had what you call an a reckless abandonment to faith. it boils down to is I did a lot of stupid things. I would just do it and say the Lord is going to bless. Phew, I didn’t worry about nothing. So I knew a little bit and I did a lot and a lot of mistakes and a few things right. But as you get older the body came to it so you try to make up for the lack of the ability in the body and the wisdom that you have.

So now I should make wiser I should be smarter than I’ve been. And then you make some decisions, you think, now, what did I do? I was talking to somebody just recently. I said, you know, I thought, you know, would it be neat just to have a motor home and travel around the country and go where you want to go and do whatever you want to do? You know, just retired, just do that. Stop and think about it. Wouldn’t it be a nice way to live?

And lo and behold, here I am. I told my son, sell my motor home. I guess I’m going to stay here for a while. And we’re going to try to start a Bibleline Institute. So we’re going to try that. So I guess I’ll be here another year anyway. Well, however long it takes to do all this stuff. Because I see such great potential here. I saw that when I first came down here and I still see it. I mean, the way y’all respond and y’all are so teachable and you just love the Lord and you’re just willing to do whatever has to be done.

And you can’t get that anywhere. So I guess when you found a good fish and you know, you might just keep fishing for a while. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. Part two of this teaching will conclude with tomorrow’s broadcast. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll-free, one, 800-576-3771.

That’s one, 800-576-3771. To listen to today’s message again, or to obtain a free download of any of our Bible and programs, just go to our homepage at BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the Radio Broadcast link. If you are in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services begin at 10-30 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by clicking on the Calvary Community Church link at BibleLineMinistries.org.

Thanks for joining us on Bibleline, and now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friends, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound, and we will be changed. Caught up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day, believing that the Lord is coming soon, and just keep looking up.