Why Missions?

Before getting into the blog today, I just want to say to anyone reading who has no idea what I'm talking about, Jesus wants an intimate relationship with you:

Romans 3:23 - for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin isdeath, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 5:8 - But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 10:9-10 - that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 

2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 

We are told in 1 Timothy that God desires to see all saved and come to the knowledge of truth. That is my prayer for all of those reading now. If you have questions, please message me. This link also gives a more in depth look at what scripure says regarding our eternal destiny:

Salvation through Christ alone

As promised, a couple of photos of the city we now live in, El Progreso:

A good picture of what most streets downtown look like.

These motorcycles are always parked outside of the Dream Center and "La Mesa."

SOOOOOOOOO, WHY MISSIONS?

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" Matthew 28:19

This was the last command Jesus left us with before ascending into Heaven. If the goal was not ultimately to make disciples, this trip would just be some travel with a bit of humanitarian work on the side.The American church seems to take this command lightly in our modern age. God doesn't. God is still on His throne. God still wants to see people come to Him for salvation. For Kelsey and I that command led us to where we are at right now. For you it could mean in your current job. It might mean serving more in your church. It may even be calling you to move states or even countries. It might not. Regardless of where you are, for those of us who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ, the command remains the same: "Make Disciples." Jesus doesn't save us to leave us where we are at. We are called to "press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" -Phil 3:14. 

Since we have been gone, I have been looking through old sermon notes. Kelsey got me a notebook a little bigger than a wallet that I have filled with sermon notes over the past couple of years. In one of the sermons I came across last week from 2016, Joel, my father in law and preacher, discussed making Jesus Lord of your life. You can't make Him your Savior and reject Him as Lord. Sadly, that is what many try to do. We want the good without any sacrifice. There is no surrender on our part. There is no life change. There is no noticeable difference in the things we say, the way we live, or those we serve (we don't have to look any further than the mirror for that answer). This is not Christianity. This is a fabricated religion with some elements of good and evil that are ultimately self serving. I can attest to this lifestyle as I was the world's worst culprit for far too long. It is a daily struggle to put away the desires of our flesh and surrender to God. 

Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.Matthew 16:24 

This is not something we can accomplish on our own. It is only by God's grace. Apart from Christ there is no righteousness in any of us. Isaiah tells us our righteousness is "as filthy rags." All praise to God that He saw humanity as a whole, and each of us individually in this place of despair and loved us enough to do something about it. The word became flesh, lived a sinless life, and suffered beating, humiliation, and ultimately crucifixion at the hands of those He came to save. He covers the guilt and shame for all of those who call upon His name with His atoning blood.

"When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls."

1 Peter 23-25

This is a God who is worthy of being made not just Savior, but Lord of our lives.  

Kelsey prepared to pass out backpacks to the kids at June 22.

The HTH team minus Claire outside of the school at Campo Llano.

In Francis Chan's updated version of "Crazy Love" (I encourage any believer to read this book), he discusses the dynamics of modern Christianity in the states and how it compares to other places he has done ministry. His conclusion is that we are in the minority. We are radical for not living out our faith. We are radical for making our faith just another part of our lives rather than our lives. Here is an excerpt from a section in Chapter 11 titled "We are the Weird Ones,"

""During my time in India the commitment level of the believers there shocked me. I visited thousands of Christians who had been beaten or watched relatives murdered for their faith. At one point, I said to one of the leaders, "Every believer seems so serious about his or her commitment to Christ. Aren't there people who just profess Christ but don't really follow him?" He answered by explaining that nominal Christianity doesn't make sense in India. Calling yourself a Christian means you lose everything. Your family and friends reject you, and you lose your home, status, and job. So why would anyone choose that unless he or she is serious about Jesus?""

Chan goes on to tell other stories that mirror this one. One of these includes being laughed at by people in a bible study in China as they assumed he must be joking when he told them how church for Americans many times focuses on buildings where believers may switch churches based on music, childcare, preaching, or disagreements with other believers. It didn't make sense to them how a Christian "could reduce the call to follow Jesus and make disciples as an invitation to sit in church."

Beautiful Honduras from the roof of the Dream Center in El Progreso. 

Two grades sharing a room at the school in Campo Llano. (The conditions of the school really hit Kelsey hard).

Our churches can put off these vibes mentioned above when much of the congregation resembles the seed that fell among the thorns. That was me. In Mark chapter 4:1-20 Jesus tells the parable of the sower. I encourage you to read the parable and examine in your heart what kind of seed you are. The seed that is sown among the thorns "are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word and it proves unfruitful." Sound familiar? We may not have idols built to Ba'al in our homes. It might be sports, finances, family, security, or a job. These are all fine things until they become the most important things in our lives and we prove unfruitful. 

In contrast, we are called to humble ourselves to servants. Paul said he counted everything else as loss for the sake of knowing Christ. That's how much he loved Jesus! He was content in all things, whether having much or having little, he remained steadfast because knowing Jesus surpassed everything else. Before concluding, I want to look at my favorite passage in all of scripture to examine our Lord Jesus. I assure you, he didn't for a second resemble seed sown among the thorns:

"Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."

Philippines 2:3-8

How foolish we must look to an almighty God when those of us who claim to follow Christ cannot trust him with our families, our finances, and our careers!? We struggle to sacrifice the smallest of things for the sake of the kingdom, while God sacrificed everything for us! He wrapped himself in flesh and became a servant to all. When the disciples argued over who would be the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven, Jesus tells them, "..whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be a slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and give His life a ransom for many."

Mark 10:43-45

So I encourage you today, if you are a follower of Jesus, find a way to serve. Find a way to show the love of Christ to someone. Start laying up for yourself more riches in Heaven and less here on Earth. Find ways to get more involved in your local church. Perhaps you are called to start a new ministry in your church or city. Pray about what God would have in store for you and who God would have you to disciple. When it is revealed to you, be obedient! Act on it!  

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58

Thanks for hanging with me!

God bless 

-Clark 

P.S. The link below is to my fb album that contains many more photos from our trip:

Honduras pics