When You're the Worst Missionary Ever

Jonah was the worst missionary ever. He walked into a city and said, “God hates you. You’re all going to die.”

His heart was not right. His motives were all wrong. He’d rather get swallowed by a whale.

But more than 120,000 people repented, along with all their animals.

It gives me great hope to think about Jonah because you see, the only reason Nineveh repented was because the Holy Spirit moved. The Holy Spirit rushed through Nineveh like a mighty storm and left every corner drenched in Holy Spirit baptism. So, if I speak the name of Jesus in any wrong context, and the Holy Spirit is moving, things will happen. If I speak the name of Jesus with all the right motives, but the Holy Spirit is not moving, nothing happens. If the Lord does not watch the city, the watchmen watch in vain. If the Lord does not build the house, the builders build in vain. If the Lord does not spread the gospel, the missionaries labor in vain.

So, should I stop speaking of Jesus? No! But I should more importantly ask the Holy Spirit to come and move.

It also gives me a dramatically different view of Westboro Baptists. They are as bad as Jonah, but if God chooses to use them to bring people to repentance, he will. 

Things to pray for:

People think it's the end of the world. Maybe so. Maybe not. But it gets me thinking, "If next Saturday really is the end of the world, or the rapture, or the beginning of the tribulation, or whatever, am I living the way I'd want to?" There are things I've given up that I'd rather be doing, like writing this blog, using the talents God has given me and allowing him to use them to his profit instead of hiding them in the sand. Please pray that I will live life well, as if next Saturday is the end of the world, and as if I have 100 years left to live. 

I think God is about to change things for my life. I'm not sure what he has in mind, but please pray that I will be ready to do whatever it is he asks of me. 

Please pray that I will fan into flame the gifts God has given me. It sounds rather exhausting to even try, but I don't want to be the wicked and lazy servant.