I believe that the number one qualification is that we must be willing and obedient! If there isn’t a willing heart
and an obedient spirit, then we will never follow Christ to where he may be leading us. Isaiah 1:19 says
“If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:”
When the Lord spoke to my wife and I about coming to the mission field of Kenya, it was not an easy decision for my wife.
We had recently had our first two grandchildren and she wanted to spend time with them because as she says,
“I had waited a long time for them.” Though I love my grandchildren and my children very much, I love the Lord Jesus Christ
for what he has done in my life and in my marriage. Without him, there would be no peace, joy and marriage as He saved
our marriage when He saved our lives!
For those of you who are called to be a missionary and have not yet ventured unto the unknown lands before you, I would
recommend if you have problems with your spouse and you absolutely know in your heart that you are called but your spouse
is reluctant to go or they will go but their going is not from the heart and they are not with you in singleness of vision;
then I recommend that you speak to the Lord! It sounds simple enough but it will take true faith on your part as the
‘one who is called’. You must then trust the Lord to speak to them and make things right in their heart. This is what
I did and the Lord spoke some things to my wife Janet and then she ‘became willing and obedient’. She and some of you,
because of your sacrifices to the call of God, will definitely eat the ‘Good of the Land.’
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I also believe that each of you or those who are called should possess by the Spirit of Jesus an ‘Inward Gift’.
This gift, whatever Jesus has put within you will be for the body and work of the Kingdom of God. If you are to build
churches then you should possess a working knowledge of building churches or structures with your hands as well as the
grace to work among the people where the Lord is calling you. If you are working in dispensaries or clinics you should
have as a necessity the required skills to work with medicine and with people.
If you are called to preach or teach the ‘Word of God’ then you should have received some ministerial training and have
had some ministerial experience as well as gifting to minister that word wherever and to whomever you are called to minister it to.
Although Paul himself did not feel worthy to be called an Apostle or sent one, he recognized the Grace that came with
the calling for his life. He also says that Christ’s grace did not prove vain, but that he labored more than others, yet
not himself but the grace of God within himself.
Paul writes in 1st Corinthians 12:4, “that there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of
ministries, and the same Lord. And there are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all.” Vs. 11
goes on to say; “But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.”
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Each one of us has a vital part to play in the effective working of the body of Christ! We must not hide the talent that
we have been given by the Lord himself and freely allow our gift to cause increase in the body of Christ as we allow it to
flow out of our lives in an effort to build of the church of God in love.
So often we see the gifts of men being perverted to bring about self gain, position, or recognition in the local church or body.
This was never the heart of Jesus; but rather to bring truth, revelation, blessing and strength to His church with each gift and gifting.
We have been competing with each other so long that we have forgotten what we have been placed in the body for and for the
larger picture of the work of the whole body of Christ.
If you and I are going to represent Jesus as an Apostle or missionary on a foreign field then we should have a spiritual gift,
a ministry to others and some effects that have been given to us by the Holy Spirit. These will not be for our benefit but for
the body of Christ where we are sent as we have said.
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If we are going to be successful in the work of the Lord, especially in ministering of the word of God, then we must be prepared
to bring a good word that we know and also reveal with our lives. Many times ministers, preach a good word, but they are only
preachers of the Word of God and not doers of it. We must endeavor to be doers of the Word of God because our lives will be read
of others by what we are living not just by what we are preaching or teaching.
There has been much harm on the mission field where ‘false doctrine’ or erroneous doctrine has been preached because the ministers
have not studied to show themselves a workman who is approved of God. The inward gift of teaching or preaching will make room
for you on the mission field as God has called you and is calling you. Proverbs 18:16 says, “A man’s gift maketh room for him,
and bringeth him before great men.” This is one of those scriptures that should be hidden in your heart as God has made it real
to you. This scripture was made alive to me many years ago even before I came to the mission field. Other scriptures will also
become alive and very meaningful to you as well. Hide them in your heart and they will serve you well.
I believe that each one of us that are called to minister on the mission field, wherever the Lord would choose to call us,
should truly study and allow the Lord’s Spirit to reveal His living Word to each of us. It must become more than an occasional
interest if we are going to allow the knowledge of it to change lives through our ministry.
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