The Greatest Mission Trip Ever Taken

“Everyone should go on at least one mission trip in their lifetime!” I have often heard that statement made. I do not know much that has a more rapid and profound spiritual impact than leaving one’s comfort zone and going to an unfamiliar land on mission. It will change lives…primarily yours. God dealt with me on the shores of Mombasa, Kenya in 1995 in ways that changed me to this day. Since then I have been blessed to lead & participate in mission trips to five of the seven continents over the years. When God leads me to Australia and Antarctica I will have a complete set (maybe I will get a set of steak knives). I already know the language of Australia, “Mate” but I may need to go to Antarctica first. If Al Gore is right it may be underwater soon.

Mission trips involve leaving familiar surroundings, people, customs and comfort to spend time and spread the love of God to others. As we enjoy the familiar surroundings, people, customs and comfort of our usual Christmas season remembering ‘The Greatest Story Ever Told’ it is fitting to remember ‘The Greatest Mission Trip Ever Taken’. Jesus left the familiar surroundings and comfort of Heaven to come here to change our lives for eternity.

I have gone through some long and uncomfortable travel. I have ‘enjoyed’ accommodations that are not quite ‘Four Star’ sleeping in different ‘beds’ (that is what they called them). I have had the ‘exhilaration’ of automobiles in traffic & driving styles that I never imagined, from racing down unpaved roads in vans with steering wheels on the wrong side to sitting on the back of scooters in the busy streets and rice patties of Cambodia. I have dined on crocodile, python, zebra, antelope and other cuisine that was unknown or cannot be listed (tasted like chicken).

Nothing compares with the mission trip taken by Jesus that began with the first Christmas. He left the comforts of Heaven to journey here ‘on mission’. I find it hard to mumble about sleeping arrangements I have experienced when the first bed of Jesus was an animal feeding trough. In spite of being out of my ‘comfort zone’ I was usually made welcome as people in those distant lands usually welcomed and treated me like family. It would be difficult enough to be rejected by strangers in a foreign land but can you imagine the sadness revealed in the first chapter of John’s Gospel as it tells us Jesus “was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.”

In spite of that sorrow and hardships we cannot imagine, He remained faithful on His mission trip. Although He was the creator and ultimate King, He humbled Himself by “taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2) He knew His mission trip held our eternal salvation in the balance so He gave His all. As we pause to reflect on life this Christmas let us follow our ‘mission’ and focus “our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12).

By taking the greatest mission trip ever taken, He left the greatest home ever known, suffered the greatest shame and punishment ever experienced He demonstrated the greatest love for us ever known. His mission trip, suffering, shame and ultimate punishment for our sin gives the opportunity to be to all who “receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” (John 1). The greatest story ever told is about the greatest mission trip ever taken to present you with the greatest gift ever offered. Receive, open, let His gift change you then share His gift as you go on mission in the days ahead.

Have an Intelligent and Smart Christmas

I have been driving a car for 43 years. This is the first time I had to read the manual to learn how to use my key. It’s called an ‘Intelligent key’. Actually it is not a key at but resembles a key remote (reminds me of the one I had when I lost my last set of car keys. Now, I don’t feel so dumb losing those keys and remote. They were the ones not ‘intelligent’). Anyway, once I put the remote, excuse me… once I put the ‘intelligent key’ in my pocket the car senses when we are close enough to unlock. When inside the car I still do not have to remove the ‘intelligent key from my pocket. The car senses it is in the car, I push a button and the car starts. While I am driving the car figures gas mileage, the average speed and how much further I can go on this tank of gas, tells me the outside temperature and even senses when a small child is in the front seat who would be endangered by the passenger air bag so it disables that air bag until the child gets out of that seat. I quit reading the manual after learning those things. I have had enough of being intimidated by my car’s superior intelligence that seems to threaten my own.

My car is not the only clever device in my life. My daughters call me on their ‘smart’ phones. I have yet to go that route. I don’t want a phone so arrogant that it even brags on being smart with its name. Although, I have had some 23 years of formal education (no, that does not mean I wore a tux to class.) I don’t go around crowing or calling myself ‘smart’ or ‘intelligent’! (Perhaps those who spend time around me and know I still have not found my keys and remote to my old car, as well as a growing list of other things that humble me, understand why I don’t go around claiming to be ‘smart’ or ‘intelligent’ like some cocky phones & keys.)

We have become accustomed to ‘smart’ or ‘intelligent’ devices that can help us in our daily life. They answer the phone for us, watch favorite TV programs when we are not home (and even skip over the commercials we would not want to watch). Nevertheless, there is a point I want to make as I continue to marvel at all the devices that that have come into our lives that seem to be so ‘smart’ or ‘intelligent’. Since we can create such ‘smart’ or ‘intelligent’ devices to aid our lives why can’t we be smart or intelligent enough to realize that a holiday that was set to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ should be known as Christmas?

Although Jesus was probably born closer to September on our calendar, historically December 25 has been set aside as a holiday to acknowledge and celebrate his birth. This is not unlike the way we set aside a day in February to acknowledge and celebrate the birthdays of President Washington and Lincoln, neither were born on Presidents’ Day but the purpose of the day is to remember both. It would not be ‘smart’ or ‘intelligent’ to ignore Lincoln or Washington on that particular day. The original purpose of the day is to recognize both men…Duh! Long before this commonly accepted practice, as well as other similar holiday celebrations, the precedent of Christmas to remember the birth of Jesus was historically set. So, how ‘smart’ or ‘intelligent’ can it be to assign or promote some nebulous “Holiday Greeting” to seek to avoid the real meaning and purpose of Christmas? It is stupid to do otherwise. Enough already!

Therefore, if my car keys can be ‘intelligent’ and our phones can be ‘smart’ why can’t we be bright enough to just be done with all the foolishness that seeks to avoid Jesus, especially at Christmas and have a Merry Christmas? How dumb can we be? Now, if I could just find my glasses I could address some Christmas cards to share Christ like love and greetings. Oh well, I guess I will have to do the ‘smart’ or ‘intelligent’ thing and honor the birth of Jesus by living a life that brings “peace on earth and good will to men”!
Merry Christmas!