Eagerly Awaiting

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.”
Romans 8: 18-21


Recently, Emily and I were watching a TV show (on DVD) and a character said, “I believe in Heaven. If I had to choose between this earth and Heaven, I would choose Heaven.”

Amen.

Yet, I am still here. So, what do I do? Romans 8 says we, creation waits eagerly. Do we really wait eagerly?

With the College and Career class at CBC in March I watched a sermon on missions. (If any of you are reading this can you e-mail me how to get that sermon. jesselyautey@yahoo.com) The speaker challenged those in the audience that we, as Christians, really don’t want to see God’s kingdom come.

If we did there still wouldn’t be over 3,000 people groups and almost 2 billion people in the Last Frontier (the 10/40 window) alone that still need to hear the name of Christ.

The big project I am working on right now is helping to develop training material for volunteers, partnering and engaging churches. Volunteers work with IMB personnel doing whatever is need to further God's kingdom. Partnering churches work with IMB personnel in a people group with more than 100,000 people and engaging churches take on the groups less than 100,000 in population. (They have help in the beginning from missionaries on the Engagement Team.)

In West Africa, about 40 people groups have IMB personnel working among them. The Hausa, Sokoto Fulani, Songhai, Tureg, Zerma, Jahanka, Wala, Wolof, Sereer are just a few that I worked with over the last year.

About 300 don’t have IMB personnel. I have visited the Senufo, Senara, Mossi, Konyanke, and many others. I've seen engaging churches and associations start by sharing the story of Jesus.

This project could bring hundreds of churches from America to West Africa with the sole goal: to start a Church Planting Movement.

That’s if we really are eagerly awaiting the kingdom of God.

For more information about partnering or engaging churches go to www.gowestafrica.org and click on Your Church on Missions.