Increase in Activity

I'm not on the field....yet. Fortunatly where i plan on going its a little harder to get in and thats a plus and a minus but anyways, I have many friends who have worked in Peru, South America. I actually saw this when I was down there. Mormoms bring in missionary after missionary to different places. They already know the language when they arrive (their language school teaches more languages than the US military language school)

But when a new Mormom is born they already start saving money for a 2 year mission trip. It's part of their beliefs. A missionary i know was in Lima trying to get a new visa for his stay. He was able to talk to several mormoms there who told him this is the first time they have met a baptist missionary. And they have dozens go through the visa offices every week.

Its sad but I believe we are too focused on ourselves and the states than the rest of the world. Think about this: Which topic is perhaps the least visited or contributed to? could it be the missions/evangelism one? in a Christian book store there are so many books on self-help and doctrine and such but do you see much of a missions section? There is Focus on the Family (our family) and so much help for ourselves but there aren't many radio stations that focus just on evangelism.

It is an ignorance and apathy of ourselves. The average Christian thinks he serves God by going to church, putting money in the plate, and listening closely. We lack a commitment in Christ. We say we believe in hell but our actions speak so much differntly.

 

Be encouraged. The IFB movement is the only group in evangelicalism growing our missions force. On another thread I did a comparison, and one of the figures I came up with was that we have 123 (I actually think it is more) missionaires in Japan in 2006, up from 120 in 1980.

Your field is new to the IFB movement, as you know, but there you are, serving there! I daresay that since God has sent you as a pioneer, He has others waiting in the wings to join you.

The Charismatics may be increasing their missions force, I don't know. Time will tell.The A of G has always been a strong missions denomination.

The Mormons? I find them largely ineffective in Japan, and predict they will be so there also. The reason? Mormon "missionaries" only come out for a two year "mission," so they have no long term commitment and do not learn the language or the culture. The JW's are far more effective, but they eventually shoot themselves in the foot because of their odd beliefs and tactics. (They are going downhill in Japan.)

I basically ignore all those guys, though, except when they try to steal my sheep. The JW's and the Charismatics have each done that to me once, and the next attempt by the Charismatics I opposed vigourously, and God preserved my sheep.

 

Actually, from what I've seen their language school doesn't give them enough time to really learn an Asian language. For example, it takes two years of full time study to become fluent in Japanese. I'm sure you'll find the same thing about Chinese. Be prepared to stick it out for the long haul! Asians, much less their languages, don't open up much to those short termers!

That two year trip is actually a weakness of their methodology. On most mission fields of the world, you are actually just getting started after two years. I once read that it actually takes ten years to really learn the Japanese society and culture, and sure enough it was just about ten years when my wife and I said to each other one day: "I think I've figured this place out!"

On deputation years ago I was asked to speak to a Mormon "missionary" who had wandered into the missionary conference. He brought up that old saw about elders and filthy lucre and bragged about how they paid their own way and didn't need support. My reply was that yep, he was just going for two years, but we were headed to Japan for the rest of our lives. Silence! :tonofbricks:

Preach it, brother. You are so right!! :thumbsup:

 

That is really sad!! It is a return to the "rice Christians" produced in China by the same methods in the 19th century. Of course at the first hint of persecution the "rice Christians" abandoned their "profession" of faith and their "profession" of preaching.

 

In the end, every one of us shall give an account of himself. True motives will be put to the fire and sadly alot of the works done will burn up.

Let us just keep going at it. Let us do things for the right reason. For the glory of God. That way we will have more than ashes to hand to Christ.

I heard one perspective on those who come with a watered down or perverted Gospel, These people might just do the heavy plowing and we can bring in the harvest. Only God knows.

My suggestion is to pray that God will delay these people from being able to go around spreading a perverted Gospel. Prayer is one of the most powerful weapons we have, use it.

 

Interesting way to put it! I'll have to ponder this.:saint:

 

Uh . . . what happened to russia?

Wan't your destination to russia within four years?

:1_grouphug:

 

A perverted Gospel is just that - perverted . . . I pray that God will work in spite of the evil that satan is causing through his perversion of the Good News that Jesus has died to bring us into the Kingdom.

 

Let me just state this first, i don't know much about the A of G. I went on their site and read their fundamental beliefs. Through reading them I cannot agree with them all but their stance on salvation seems correct. Please inform me if i am wrong. Maybe I missed something. Again, i don't know much about the A of G.

 

If I may answer this: The A of G in the past was a traditional Pentecostal denomination, perhaps the best of them. They were known for evangelism and solid doctrine as compared to other Pentecostal denominations, in spite of their tongues heresy and approval of healing "evangelists" (as opposed to genuine healing by God through prayer). However, when the so-called "Charismatic renewal" began in the early 1960's, the A of G began to be infected by the false doctrines of the Charismatics: extra-Biblical revelations, "signs and wonders, "Latter Rain" theology, etc. So the A of G nowadays is a far cry from what it was in the 1950's in my view, and is filled with dangerous heresy.

Oh, and I forgot. The A of G rejected "Latter Rain" theology and its terrible "Manifest Sons of God" doctrine in 1950, but many now embrace it. Here is an excellent resource on that: http://www.letusreason.org/Latradir.htm

 

I see, their beliefs sounded pentecostal. I didn't know how far they took it. There is a baptist church nearby that sounds like an A of G church. I just know that if they are preaching the truth about Christ then we should rejoice in it. Paul did in Philippians. Maybe seeds will be planted by it? who knows. God has used harlots and donkeys in the past.

 

Yes, the A of G is a Pentecostal denomination. I'm sure there are still many good folk in it who don't necessarily swallow all the Charismatic stuff, and I praise the Lord for any souls they win. Still, I would not fellowship with them for the sake of my precious sheep because of their terrible doctrines. I have twice had Charismatics try to steal sheep from my church. The first time they succeeded--I was ready the second time and protected my sheep. :saint:

 

Agreed there, praise God for the souls that are saved. But i wouldn't fellowship with them either. Protect those sheep.