It is Not a Job, It is a Calling!

Daniel H. Brokke

The prophet Isaiah heard the voice of the Lord asking, “Whom shall I send?” His reply was, “Here am I. Send me!” It was this radical heart in Isaiah that God could use. He was an instrument to share the heart of God, to instruct kings, and to prophecy the coming of Immanuel – God with us. Just as there is a calling to go and there is a calling to send.

The founders for Bethany International responded to God’s call in the same way. When they discovered the deep love of God through Jesus Christ and that their lives were “hidden in Christ in God,” they gave their all to make Him known. Because they were unable to go personally, they committed to sending others. It became clear to them that training was part of the sending equation. It was God’s calling for Bethany. Today that calling remains strong and growing.

Going with the Missionaries to the Field!

Through the years more than 3000 people have been trained for missions at Bethany College of Missions. Nearly 75% have served as pastors, leaders of ministry, missionaries and ministry professionals. More than 700 have served directly in long-term cross-cultural missions. The simple, radical obedience of one generation sets the course for others to follow.

Training and sending missionaries is not a job, it is a calling. As we commission and send missionaries, we are able to experience the tremendous blessing of literally going to the nations. Training and sending missionaries is not just a dream, it is a reality!

One of our young mentors at the Bethany College of Missions said to me, “We (younger generation) are the sails, but you (older generation) are the rudders.” I loved the imagery this brought to mind. It excites me to see a fleet of ships with sails furled heading on a mission together. My generation serving anointed youth pursuing God’s purposes for reaching their generation.

We Need Each Other!

It also enforced another key foundation for this year and years to come – we need each other – and only together will we fulfill God-given mandate to us. We are part of a multiplication of “workers into the harvest field.” (Matt 9:38) But, this mobilization of workers is resulting from many in the body of Christ working together as never before.

As we consciously and intentionally join together in prayer, bringing our abilities, and fulfilling our tasks, God is able to break and bless the offering of our lives and multiply the impact. Our lives together bring a rich heritage and a bright future of loving Jesus and fulfilling His great commission to make disciples of all nations.

Stay in the Center of His Will!

There is a tremendous temptation to become more relevant, to be on the cutting edge, and to have something more compelling to offer. The most relevant message is the message of the cross and the most compelling reality is the good news that Jesus is our life. Each year, each new season, each new week and each new day becomes relevant when the core to the Gospel message is renewed in our hearts.

If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old has passed and the new has come! All this is from God, (2 Cor. 5:17-18).

There is a great hope in the fact that God’s mercies are new every morning. This points us to God’s leading in our lives. As we receive His mercy we should also seek His will for that day – listen to His voice, agree with what He says, and then do it. He will lead us as we love Him and abandon ourselves to follow. This is the center of His will!

For us at Bethany this is simply the calling to train and send missionaries! Today, God is doing this through the church in many nations.

Be Led by the Holy Spirit in Our Training!

There is a call to come with Him, to be led by the Spirit believing the words He has spoken, and to live in the reality of them by faith, not being discouraged by what seems to resist, but listening to Him and walking it out in obedience. “He who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion,” (Phil 1:6).

It is not just the walk, nor is it just the training, but it is the work of God that makes the difference. If the Holy Spirit is not front-and-center in our lives, the training will be words without power. Absolutely nothing of eternal value happens without the Holy Spirit’s work.

We know the One we are following is able and is faithful. He provides the resources we need as we step out and walk with Him! Just as the life of a missionary is one of faith, the life of a missionary trainer depends entirely on Him, for His wisdom and understanding.

God has a wonderful future for us individually in His plan for reaching to where the church is not today!! He works on our behalf as we obey Him. If we could see heaven’s view of our work on earth, I believe we would see the hand of God through the Holy Spirit working in response to our simple acts of obedience.

Missionary Training With Eternity’s Values in View!

That is why we need to “Live with Eternity’s Values in View,” and this represents the heart of what we are called to everyday. The call of God to us is to “have this attitude in you that was in Christ Jesus,” to “keep seeking those things that are above” or to “set your minds…hearts…affections on things above where Christ is seated.” Unless we embrace and daily choose this place, we will be captured by temporal perspective. God has so much more for us!

We want to work His plans, not ours; to do His work, not ours, and to see His glory, not ours fill the nations.

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