Spoiler Alert: There is No Plan B
Hola! Greetings from Rosarito, Mexico <3
Currently in week 3 here at CSOM!
We’re attending and serving at a bunch of local church plants, doing a bunch of outreaches and God is moving.. a bunch! He is moving in the community and most definitely in our hearts.
My heart is burdened for the unreached. I’ve been overwhelmed this week as God reveals more and more of His heart for the people of the world.
99.9999% of Christians in the U.S. are reaching their neighbors/coworkers.
.000001% of Christians are missionaries reaching half of the world who still do not have the gospel.
May we pray the Lord sends laborers.
“I HAVE MADE IT MY AIM, TO PREACH THE GOSPEL NOT WHERE CHRIST WAS NAMED.” ROMANS 15:20
3.5 Billion people have still never heard the name of Jesus
Over 7000 people groups still unreached
Less than 1% of missions giving is directed toward the unreached
Less than 3% of missionaries work amongst the unreached
Books on books on books!
For the first two weeks of classes in the Calvary School of Missions (CSOM), we have covered a lot of ground.. or should I say pages…. My mind is exploding with information. We’ve read through the book of Luke, Absolute Surrender by Andrew Murray, and Radical by David Platt.
We’ve met a bunch of missionaries in person and online who have shared their stories of how God has led them and sustained them on the mission field long-term. We went through an extensive class on the purpose of the church which is the evangelization and discipleship of all peoples! I’m so grateful I’m here to learn about biblical missions and blessed to learn from the mistakes that missionaries have already made.
Book #1: Radical by David Platt
Key takeaways!!
I have noticed a common idea floating in the church. “We want people to be saved when they haven’t had the opportunity to hear the gospel.”
Hear me out for a minute here.
Chapter 7 “There Is No Plan B: Why going is urgent, not optional”
Truth #1: All people have Knowledge of God (Rom. 1:18-2:16)
Truth #2: All people reject God
Truth #3 All people are guilty before God
Truth #4 All people are condemned for rejecting God
Truth #5 God has made the way of salvation for the lost
Truth #6 People cannot come to God apart from faith in Christ
Truth #7 Christ commands the church to make the gospel known to all peoples
“There are no innocent people in the world just waiting to hear the gospel. Instead there are people all over the world standing guilty before a holy God, and that is the very reason they need the gospel.”
“If people will go to heaven precisely because they never had the opportunity to hear about Jesus, then the worst thing we could do for their eternal state would be to go to them and tell them about Jesus. That would only increase their chances of going to hell! Before we got there, they were going to heaven; now that we’ve told them about Jesus, they might go to hell. Thanks a lot!”
BOOM.
God uses the church to share the gospel. We are plan A and there is no plan B.
Book #2 Absolute Surrender by Andrew Murray
A few highlights from the book!
“One of the great needs of the church and of believers is the absolute surrender to God.”
“Lord God, not a word upon my tongue but for Thy glory, not a movement of my temper but for thy glory, not an affection of love or hate in my heart but for Thy glory, and according to Thy blessed will."
“Lord, let love from Heaven flow down into my heart. I am giving up my life to pray and live as one who has given himself up for the everlasting love to dwell in and fill him.”
“Father, let the Holy Spirit have full dominion over me, in my home, in my temper, in every word of my tongue, in every thought of my heart, in every feeling toward my fellow men; let the Holy Spirit have entire possession.”
“Oh beloved, we have to realize that it is just because there is so much of that self-life in us that the power of God cannot work in us as mightily as God is willing that it should work. Do you realize that the great God is longing to double His blessing, to give tenfold blessing through us?… The self-life, and self-comfort, and self-consciousness, and self-pleasing, and self-will; how am I to get rid of it?…
It is Christ Jesus who can rid you of it; none else but Christ Jesus can give you deliverance from the power of self. And what does He ask you to do? He asks that you should humble yourself before Him.”
PRAYER REQUESTS, THANK YOU!
For God to allow us to cross paths with the people who are lost and receptive to hearing the gospel and for many to receive true salvation on our outreaches this week.
For God to continue to move in our hearts here at the Calvary School of Missions. For us to have a burden for the lost and a surrendered life to God’s will.
For healing upon those who have been sick, injured, or hindered in any physical way on this trip.
For us to be unified in Spirit as a team, edifying one another and all being used in our spiritual giftings.
For myself and the rest of the team to not mentally be so distracted. For God to keep us focused on what He has for us each moment.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRAYERS, YOUR LOVE AND SUPPORT! I’m so grateful to include you as a part of my journey reaching the ends of the earth with the gospel!
All my love,
Alli Standish
Dump outreach and church service! I was blessed to fellowship with an overjoyed believer living in such harsh conditions. There were 4 this day who prayed to recieve Jesus as Lord and Savior. We pray their prayers are genuine! One of several outreach days so far!
In Rosarito enjoying tacos, classes, and quiet time on the roof!
Wednesday night service at the most beautiful church!
Sunday the 12th at Calvary La Mina! I want to so badly talk with the Spanish speakers, but my Spanish isn’t the best. I get by and use translators to get to know other fellow believers in the church!
An excerpt from the book Absolute Surrender that has encouraged me and I hope encourages many others too. What is God’s will for our lives? Let us obey and honor God and humbly come to Him in prayer with patience so He may reveal His will for our lives.
Missionaries from the 10/40 window have shared with us regarding challenges they have faced and how God makes it possible to reach the unreached.
Rob Douglas shares of South Sudan and the many tribes that have been reached with the gospel and the ones that soon will be. Lord, open up their hearts and make a way. Protect these bold men preaching the gospel to such hard to reach tribes.
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