Month: January 2018

DEMYSTIFYING DEPUTATION: How Does It Help Our Missionaries Fulfill Their Calling?

~ Pat Vick ~ 2 Comments

My husband holds ordination license with the United Pentecostal Church International. (Referred to as UPCI) The UPCI is a fellowship of Christian ministers who have united in order to evangelize the world for Jesus Christ. We can do more together, rather than individually.

Jesus said when the gospel of the Kingdom was preached to the whole world, the end of the age would come, and He would return for His Bride, the Church.

In order to preach the whole gospel to the whole world, the UPCI sends out Missionaries to lands, both foreign and domestic. These Missionary Heroes are held in the highest esteem because they are willing to leave everything behind and follow God’s call to teach and preach the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ to people anywhere and everywhere in the world.

This is an all consuming task. It takes every bit of their time, energy, strength, emotions and finances, yet they do not complain, because they are fully persuaded that the Cause of Christ is greater than anything they must give up.

Since it would be rare for our Missionaries to hold a secular job, it is the UPCI’s responsibility to provide a reasonable income for them to live productively in the land where they labor. This is achieved by having Partners In Missions. (Referred to as PIM) Exactly as it sounds, it is an opportunity for individuals and/or Churches to partner with Missionaries by supporting them with monthly offerings and covering them in prayer.

Each geographical area has a set budget amount that must be raised by the Missionary before they can go. Once they have raised their budget amount through PIMs, they go to the land of their calling for a four year term. Before their budget is raised, and after each four year term, Missionaries travel inside the States to collect PIMs.

This process is called DEPUTATION.

Each district (state) has a District Global Missions Director (DGMD). My husband is the DGMD for the state of Tennessee. It is the Director’s job to help facilitate the Missionaries being scheduled to visit Churches throughout the state where they serve. So, each Missionary and their family will travel inside a state for approximately two weeks, visiting as many Churches as they can, before traveling on to the next state.

Why is this important?

When a Missionary visits a Church while on deputation, they share the burden that God has placed on their hearts for their country. They connect local congregations to God’s work all over the world.

Deputizing Missionaries connect local congregations to God’s work all over the world. Share on X

How do they do this?

For starters, they will likely tell you how they received their call to go, and all they went through to make it happen. How they prayed and sought the Lord for direction. How they made application to the Global Missions Division of the UPCI. How they interviewed with the Global Missions Board. How they told their family and friends goodbye through hugs and tears. How they sold or packed away most of their possessions. How they attended language school to make sure they could communicate in a foreign country. How they have made plans to homeschool their children while living in a car or camper for months on end. How they have been traveling, or will be traveling throughout the United States for so many months until they have acquired enough PIMs to fill their budget. This will take about three minutes to tell, because it’s not what’s most important to them.

Next, they will get a glimmer in their eyes, and begin to tell you about the country of their calling. They will share practical information first like the population, what the country produces and exports, its climate, its indigenous animals, and what types of foods there are to eat.

After that, they will become very animated when they begin to talk about the people they will be ministering to. That is what’s most important to them. The people. They will tell you about waitresses, nurses, truck drivers, school teachers, doctors, government workers, stay at home mothers, factory workers, teenagers, idol worshippers, and precious little ratty kids with boogers smeared across their faces who do not know Jesus. They will show you pictures of them, and call them by name, because they know them, and love them.

You will sit through this presentation with your heart on the verge of exploding from the need to do something, and you will weep. You will weep for the faces. You will weep for the hopelessness of humanity without a Savior. You will believe the Missionary when they say that you can make a difference to one person, to one village, to a nation.

Some give by going. Others go by giving.

The Missionary will then present specific needs. Projects that they are also raising money for. It could be to raise money to open a Bible School, or to rebuild a Church that a hurricane has destroyed. It could be to start an orphanage, or dig a well for a particular community. The needs are a never-ending story.

At the close of their presentation, the Missionary will give you the opportunity to fill out a pledge to be a monthly Partner In Missions and/or to give a one time offering to their special projects. You will want to do both because you will have realized by this time how blessed you are to have the choice.

As you leave the sanctuary, you will probably pass the Missionary ‘s table where they have beautiful items displayed from the country of their calling. You will touch them, and feel connected to the real people who crafted these items with their own hands. You will shake the Missionary’s hand, and hold on a few seconds longer than necessary; willing them to feel your heart-wanting them to know they’ve made an impact in your world-wanting to make an impact in theirs. You will tussle the hair on their children’s heads, standing there so tall beside Mom and Dad. Brave little soldiers.

As you get in your car with your little family, and head for a restaurant, you know you will never be the same. You’ve realized, maybe for the first time, that the Kingdom of God is bigger than you thought, and humanity is more lost than you thought, and you must do more to bridge the gap.

As you lay down in your soft bed with a full belly that night, you will begin to feel a stirring in your spirit…

a face…

a place…

the name of a country…

a call…

…and while you are contemplating what it all means, the Missionary family will be driving down the road to the next Church, in the next town.

This is DEPUTATION.

Warm Regards, -Pat

CALL TO ACTION:

–Have you ever been moved by a Missionary’s passion for the country of their calling? Tell us about it in the comments.

-Have you ever felt like you might be called to the mission field? 

–Have you ever been on a Mission Trip? Tell us about your experience in the comments.

–Visit GLOBALMISSIONS.COM to find out more about Missions in the UPCI.

As always, feel free to leave a comment, share to social media, shoot me an email PAT@PATVICK.COM, and SUBSCRIBE HERE to my newsletter.

Murphy Built A House

~ Pat Vick ~ 4 Comments

As I sit here on this snow-blanketed, January day, my mind drifts to warmer times. I long for hot sand, crashing surf, the call of seagulls, and the sight of my grandson’s chubby legs chasing them. I feel especially close to God at the beach. It reminds me that He is big, I am small, and that’s just fine with me.

It was at the beach a few summers past that I got acquainted with Murphy. I never actually met Murphy in person, but I know him all the same. I know that Murphy is an early riser. I know that Murphy is a builder, who has an eye for detail. I know that Murphy built a house.

As it’s my habit to wake early in the morning, this morning at the beach was no exception. I relish the silence and the clean swept sand of early mornings. It’s easy to see what the surf has taken away, and what gifts it has given, before the sand is full of footprints.

I sat down on the deck with my Bible and coffee, and took in the beauty of the morning. That’s when I spied it. A sand castle. I immediately headed down to the water’s edge to take a look. It was quite elaborate, with towers and windows, strong arched doors, and intricate details of shells and rocks. I knew it was Murphy’s house, because it said so right across the front.

As the day wore on, the beach began to fill with feet. More and more people passed by and would stop to admire Murphy’s house. All was perfect for a few hours, until the wind picked up, and began pushing the waves closer and closer to the castle.

Matthew 7:24-27

“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.”

I know what you’re thinking. Murphy shouldn’t have built his house on the sand. Nevertheless, he did. And now, there’s a house on the sand in imminent danger of being washed away. I watched all day to see what would become of Murphy’s house, knowing that I couldn’t change the flow of the tide.

That’s when a beautiful thing began to happen. Although I never saw anyone who I assumed to be Murphy tending to his house, I did see others. People passed by all day, and when they saw a portion of the castle that was in distress, they would step in and patch it up. Over and over this happened, none of them knowing that others had labored on Murphy’s house before or after. Selfless labors of love.

Why did it matter to complete strangers that Murphy’s house was in danger? Perhaps, if Murphy hadn’t written his name on his house, they would have been able to ignore its plight. But he did, and that made him real. Murphy built a house, and his house was in trouble.

HOW MANY MURPHYS DO YOU KNOW?

How many family members, friends, co-workers, neighbors and acquaintances do we know who truly love God to the best of their knowledge of Him? They have the best of intentions to live their lives for Him. They have gifts and talents that they want to use for His service. They are passionate about their walk with Him. Yet, they have built their house on unstable sand because they don’t have a firm foundation of DOCTRINE and DISCIPLINE.

ARE YOU HELPING MURPHY REPAIR HIS HOUSE?

It’s so easy to shake our heads sadly and say, “They shouldn’t have built their house on the sand.” But for whatever reason, they did. Perhaps they didn’t realize they had choices of building sites. Perhaps they simply built with what they had, and where they had it. Perhaps no one ever taught them DOCTRINE. Don’t assume that they have rejected it.

Perhaps no one ever taught them doctrine. Don’t assume that they have rejected it. Share on X

By doing nothing, we add to the demise of their house. If their house falls, they could become so distraught and hopeless that they won’t ever build again.

Wouldn’t it be better to follow the example of these random beachgoers and do what we can to shore up their structures. Show them where they went wrong. Help them to bring their houses up to code.

This is what Aquila and Priscilla did in the New Testament for a Jewish man named Apollos. He loved the Lord God of the Old Testament, and was serious about his walk with Him and his work for Him. He was doing all that he knew to do in teaching others the Law of Moses in the synagogue. When these two laborers heard Apollos speak in the synagogue, they took him aside and, “expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.” (Acts 18:26) 

WHAT WAS THIS MORE PERFECT WAY?

Apollos had only been baptized under John the Baptist’s baptism, which was only unto repentance. He had not yet heard about baptism in Jesus’ name. Nor did he have the revelation of Jesus being the Mighty God of the Old Testament manifest in the flesh.

After his new friends took him aside and taught him the doctrines of Jesus’ name baptism and the Mighty God in Christ, Apollos went on his way teaching the Jews publicly that Jesus was the Christ. (God manifest in flesh) He also became a faithful minister of the gospel, and very beneficial to the New Testament Church, whose ministry was endorsed and valued by the Apostle Paul, himself.

The end of Apollos’ story would have been very different if Aquila and Priscilla had listened to him teach in the synagogue and sadly shaken their heads, saying, “He shouldn’t have built his house on the sand.”  Instead, they raced the tide, and patched up the breached walls of his house until he had enough knowledge and will to rebuild on The Rock of doctrinal Truth.

 

*******APPLY WHAT YOU’VE LEARNED*******

-Did someone labor to keep your spiritual house from washing away before you understood foundational doctrine?

-Who in your life can you reach out to and expound the way of God to more perfectly?

-Are you familiar with these DOCTRINES? The Oneness of God, Repentance, Baptism in Jesus’ name, The Infilling of the Holy Ghost With the Evidence of Speaking With Other Tongues, (Acts 2:38) Holiness, The Rapture of the Church, Jesus’ Millennial Reign, The White Throne Judgment -If not, I’d love for you to ask me.

-If you’d like to LOCATE A CHURCH near you that teaches these biblical doctrines, visit UPCI.ORG.

Warm Regards, -Pat

As always, please feel free to leave a comment, share to social media, SUBSCRIBE to my newsletter, and drop me an email: Pat@PATVICK.COM 

A Book Review of “Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson, M.D. (As it relates to the Christian life)

~ Pat Vick ~ Leave a comment

We had been extra busy with our travels this past year. (Belize, Oman, Jamaica, Trinidad, Malaysia. Not to mention all of our travels inside the States.) I needed a breather. I had big plans for this winter. Just some quiet time to refocus and recharge. I was going to have a staycation to read, write, study, pray and fast.

Besides being a Pastor, Global Missions Director, business owner, and farmer, my husband also takes ministers on guided duck hunts. It’s not uncommon for him and my boys to be away a few days each week during duck season, hosting clients. That being the case, once the holidays have passed and the last half of duck season is in full swing, is usually the perfect time for me to plan my Staycation.

Things don’t always (rarely) go as we plan. Unexpected circumstances usually dictate that some measure of impromptu/ad lib living be implemented. We live ever-changing lives from day to day, and often, hour to hour.

When my grandson’s preschool closing unexpectedly, naturally, Memaw was recruited to fill in keeping him a couple days a week. Mind you, I wouldn’t have it any other way, but the Little Prince is a high energy, full throttle, hands on kind of guy. Nothing else gets accomplished when he’s on the premises. This meant that everything I would have done on those days was shuffled to other days. Hence, not much time for a staycaytion in December, plus all of the holiday decorating, cooking, shopping, and end of year parties.

Then there was the weather. Everyone knows you can’t control the weather. It’s winter, so you expect it to be cold. Single digit cold, however, is too cold. Now, you may not know how that affects duck hunting. Ducks need open water to find food. If they don’t have open water, they stay put, usually on wildlife refuges. If they aren’t flying off the refuges to look for food, there are no ducks for hunters to hunt. Hence, the reason I had anxious hunters at home for two weeks of my staycation. That was my last week of December, and my first week of January.

Lastly, came the flu. Influenza. Most of you know it is as nasty as it sounds. First my son, next my daughter, then myself. We actually cancelled midweek service at Church because so many of our families had been stricken by this malevolent bugger. Perhaps you think that gave me extra time to stay at home and do my thing…really? You thought that???

Maybe you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Mr. N. Flu Enza, or perhaps it’s just been a while, and you have forgotten his particular charms. Body aching like it went through a car crusher. Skin sizzling like it’s about to combust from fever. Limbs convulsing from being chilled with hypothermic blood…Happy Staycation to me!

I said all that to say this, things change. That’s just living. It’s important for us to learn how to adjust to changes in a healthy way. Enter this little jewel…

My changing circumstances reminded me of a little book titled, “Who Moved My Cheese?” by Spencer Johnson, M.D. You can find it at SPENCERJOHNSON.COM or AMAZON.COM.

It’s a parable about two little mice, named Sniff and Scurry, and two little people, named Hem and Haw. These four characters represent four distinct ways of responding to changing circumstances within each of us. Sniff and Scurry represent our simple ways of responding, while Hem and Haw represent our more emotional responses.

In the story, the mice and the little people get up every day and find their way through a maze to find cheese at various cheese stations located throughout its corridors. They have been enjoying a large stash of cheese at Cheese Station C for an extended time, and become quite comfortable and satisfied with their situation.

The cheese at Cheese Station C, however, begins to dwindle, over time and little by little. One day the mice and the little people arrive at the station, as they have done for a long time, only to discover the cheese is completely gone.

Sniff and Scurry do what their names imply. They immediately put on their running shoes and begin to scurry about and sniff out in the maze to find more cheese. Hem and Haw, on the other hand, have purely emotional responses. Their reactions range from one end of the emotional spectrum to the other, as do ours most often, when our circumstances change.

Finally, Haw decides he must go out into the maze in search of new cheese. He knows if he stays, he will die. He feels empathy for his friend, Hem, but cannot afford to wait any longer, and sets out on his own. In the end, he does find new cheese and learns a lot about how to react to change in the process, leaving a handwritten trail for Hem should he decide to come in search of new cheese, as well.

So, you may be wondering how this little parable applies to your life? How is this a spiritual concept? “Who Moved My Cheese?” isn’t written from a Christian perspective. It teaches a principle, however, that can be applied to any area of our lives.

Things change. That’s just living. Learn how to cope in a healthy manner. Share on X

Nothing stays the same. Weather, seasons, finances, jobs, health, age, relationships, opinions, Church, responsibilities. These are all extremely fluid.

What you want, and feel you need, in each of these areas is the metaphorical cheese. As Christians, our relationship with God is the cheese.

When circumstances beyond our control change in any area of our lives, we have a choice of how we will respond. Often we think that to respond in the simplistic ways of scurrying around and sniffing out a new venue for keeping our relationship right with God during difficult times is backward and foolish. We usually tend to use our highly intellectual or highly emotional reasoning.

Telling God how unfair our situation is. How we don’t deserve what has come upon us. How angry we are, even at God Himself, for allowing this change of circumstances. How we are going to refuse to be budged from what we’ve always done, and always thought, and always seen results from.

Denial can be deadly. Share on X Panic paralyzes. Share on X Stubbornness is a form of rebellion, which is sin. Share on X

Anything worth having, takes maintenance, and once that something is gone, it is worth seeking after.

As Christians, we must always remain focused and aware of the Cheese -Our relationship with God.

When circumstances in our maze of life begin to change, we should respond in the most simple way in order to locate more Cheese. Neither anger, fear, distrust, accusations, nor any other emotional response, will solve the problem of locating new Cheese. Nor will any highly intellectual program, performance or plan.

A friend of mine, Scott Armstrong (@PastorSA), recently tweeted, “Date the methods. Marry the message.” How simple, yet profound is that? The sooner we figure out that it’s not the methods that sustain us, but our relationship with God (the Cheese), the less traumatic it will be to put our noses and knees to the ground in search of Him.

Quite simply, the only way to find what new thing God is doing through your changing circumstances is to search diligently for Him. It’s what Sniff and Scurry would do.

“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13)

As always, feel free to leave a comment, share to social media, email me at PAT@PATVICK.COM, and be sure to SUBSCRIBE to my mailing list.

Warm Regards, -Pat

Gray Hair. Don’t Care. (It’s My Birthday, After All;)

~ Pat Vick ~ 7 Comments
My fifty-first year was short, but mighty. It’s been my favorite so far. I did a lot of living, a lot of learning and a lot of loving in the past three hundred sixty-five days.
A LOT OF LIVING
January brought our fourteenth trip to Belize. We think of it as our home away from home. I climbed Mayan ruins for the fourteenth time, and saw the country through the fresh eyes of my youngest son and nephew.
In March, I conquered my fears, and pushed past preconceived notions, when I flew Etihad Air to the Middle East. In Oman, I trekked sand dunes, swam in the Indian Ocean, and ate the best food I have ever eaten in my life. I was mesmerized by the brilliant fabrics, frankincense wafting in the air, and the gorgeous doors of hospitality.
In the UAE, I took in Dubai from the bird’s eye view of the Bourj Kalifa.
I saw an indoor ski slope in a Dubai mall (AN INDOOR SKI SLOPE!!!), and stood in the hush under what must have been thousands of butterflies in the Butterfly Room.
Covered from head to toe, I toured the magnificent Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi.
June brought our thirtieth anniversary trip to Jamaica where I did nothing but soak up sun, sand and food. Oh, and I did meet a husband and wife, also on their anniversary trip, who had also recently visited Dubai. The big world is getting very small, indeed.
July took me to Trinidad where, at the lowest point of the Pitch Lake, I walked on a molten sea of tar, and at the highest vantage point of St. George Fort, I prayed a blessing over the country with outstretched hands.
August was my tour guide to Malaysia. Both Kota Kinabalu and Kuala Lumpur (via Hong Kong). I have yet to sort out my feelings from this trip, as there was so much of…everything. Sights, sounds, smells, people. So many people. No more space to spread out, so everything climbs up, up, up.
Besides traveling outside of the country, there were plenty of trips interspersed stateside to make most people dizzy. School of Missions in St. Louis, Missouri. Family vacation in Gulf Shores, Alabama, Ladies Conference in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee,  Ministering in Tulsa, Oklahoma, UPCI General Conference in Kansas City, Missouri…I digress…
  A LOT OF LEARNING
I learned that people are people all over the world, and that God is God in every nook and cranny of it, as well.
I learned that no matter what language a person speaks, you can always communicate with a smile, a hug, or the squeeze of a hand.
I learned that people can tell you are sincere if you show respect and appreciation for their customs.
I learned that preconceived notions about people only breeds fear and hate.
I learned that these bodies we live in are fragile, yet they can be sturdy as nails when the need arises.
I learned to wear compression socks when I fly long distances.
I learned that eyes leak when hearts are longing to reconnect across datelines and timezones.
I learned that food poisoning makes you feel like you are dying, and wish you could, but then you don’t, and you are glad.
I learned that when you travel with friends, the journey is so much sweeter.
I learned that the work of God is bigger than me, and I will do just about anything to be a part of it.
A LOT OF LOVING
Husband, Children, Daughter-in-Love, Grandson, Twin Grandsons on the way, Men and Women of God, Family, Extended Family, Church Family, Community, Friends. Heart Connections. I love them all even more as I turn fifty-one than I did when I turned fifty.
So what if I’ve got more gray hair than I did last year. I’ve done a lot of living, learning and loving over the last three hundred sixty-five days to get it. Gray Hair. Don’t Care…It’s my birthday, after all;)