ENGAGE

It is the Incarnated model of God. By becoming Immanuel in a human nature and experimenting our suffering carrying our sins to the death of the cross, He showed us the path of salvation. We must go to them in the same manner. When we are with them we will know the daily struggles they face and, therefore, we will be able to discover opportunities to open doors for the gospel.
Engaging is equal to investing. Investing time, investing resources. We can not engage in mission without money but we are not engaged in mission because we have money nor we are engaged in mission because of money, or the profit. What is troubling is the fact that out of every 100 dollars the church gives for mission only 10 dollars goes to the unreached people groups field. That’s 90% where the church is already established and only 10% goes to where there is no church! More sadly, only 1% of that 10% is invested in tribal areas. That is only 1 dollar for every 100 dollars of offering for missions.
The path to the jungle areas are truly far, hard and expensive. However, that is when we want to go. from our places to theirs. However, if we hold hands with the local church, the national church, and the already established “indigenous” church, and engage in biblical discipleship, just the way Jesus did with His disciples, these “indigenous” disciples would be truly the missionaries to reach the UUTPG in their Green Window.
Perhaps we know this. But the question to be asking may be, HOW?
If we want to put into practice the ENGAGING, we must do the second E.

EMPOWER

In Matthew 28:18-20, when Jesus gives the great commission to the disciples he told them that ALL authority and power has been given to Him so He was sending them. Also, in Acts 1:8, now that they HAVE the power by the Holy Spirit they are to be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judia, Samaria and to the end of the earth. The Lord did not doubt when He was sending the disciples that they “maybe” will do it nor question “will they have the strength?” to accomplish the task. He simply trusted that the power given to them was sufficient for them to accomplish all He had commanded them.
There is a need to re-examine if the “disciples” in our ministry are being empowered first by the Spirit and second by us. True empowerment come from God but we can also “empower” with the gifts He gave us. Sadly, we see many missionaries in the field that have had hard time leaving ministry for a furlough year, let alone for a month, not only the thought is that they, the disciples, are not ready, but because they, the missionaries, fear that they, the disciples, are not capable of keeping up with the ministry they built and therefore everything might be ruined.
Before His departure, Jesus left the task of discipling the nations to “ill-prepared-in-many-ways” disciples. But, if even people like me became a Christ-follower, I think somehow they did a pretty good job. The reason is simple, they were empowered.
How can we empower our indigenous brothers? Steve Saint used a very simple illustration; “You put them in the driver seat and seat on the passenger side, not just watch from outside.” There is trust and there is respect. Whatever you do you must do it together. See what their real need is and build up together till you have mastered together till they can get the “wheel”. Not do for them but with them, that is empowering. If we keep doing for them we create more dependency but if we do all together we create respect and inter-dependance on one another and ultimately dependency on God and His providence alone.
Together is a powerful word. Shows unity and unity is what Jesus intended in the first place for the disciples. In John 17:20-23, Jesus’ prayer is for all the disciples, past and future, and for their unity. When they are in complete unity, the world would know that God sent Jesus. We have power when we are together, when we work together. Satan has and is wholeheartedly trying to destroy that unity in us by dividing the body of Christ into idealisms and doctrines and that many times leads into frustration and discouragements.Therefore, I believe that the last E is ultimately essential for missions because we all need to be encouraged.

ENCOURAGE

“Together” is a beautiful word, its powerful. Regretfully, it is hard to see in action specially in the mission field. Perhaps that is the reason why many missionaries are burdened and burnt out and many suffer from loneliness and depression. One of the main reasons might be the fact that missionaries do not blend themselves and share their gifts to build God’s kingdom. Instead, they  are individualistic and want to build their “own kingdom”. The ministry of the missionary or the mission agency’s ministry is the sole focus and purpose and vision. You may help them to achieve their goal but if your ideas are not “within” their guidelines you will be dismissed and criticized and will hardly find a place to step in. The native indigenous people are the victims in this missionary quarrel. We often hear the indigenous leaders from the Amazon saying that they do not wish the missionaries, agencies and denominations dragging them into their “competition” and “territorialism” fights.
Mission fields are the world where we are sent and Jesus said that the wolves are clothed in sheepskin and will try at any cost to lead astray every single person from the truth. We will be able to overcome this struggles by the help of the Holy Spirit who is our true encouraging source. He is our “parakletos” as Jesus explains to the disciples in John 14 to 16, He is the one who not only comforts and walks besides us but also is the one who will encourage us with strength power and gives us words to speak.
All missionaries, whether they are foreigners, nationals or indigenous, face difficulties in their own context and ministry. Some create difficulties among themselves and others are inflicted by persecution in many forms from outsiders and anti-christians. We all struggle and strive to serve the One who called us and we all need encouragement daily. We can encourage one another by engaging in their daily lives and empowering them walking together and by sharing God given resources.


Till the last of the last in the Green Window hears the Gospel proclaimed and witnessed!