The American Heritage Dictionary defines Missionary as:

1. One who is sent on a mission, especially one sent to do religious or charitable work in a territory or foreign country.

2. One who attempts to persuade or convert others to a particular program, doctrine, or set of principles; a propagandist.

A search for the root of the word Missionary was interesting. It comes from Latin. The breakdown I found on the Word Info website, http://wordinfo.info/, tells us:

# miss-, -miss, -mis-, -mit, -mitt- (Latin: to send, to let go, to cause to go; to throw, to hurl, to cast). (four matches) # -ary (Latin: a suffix; a person who, a place where, a thing which, or pertaining to; connected with; having the character of; apparatus). (three matches)

A Missionary is one who has been sent, or cast, into the Realm of Satan with the Character of Jesus to supply the Darkness with Light from Jehovah. We find Jesus doing this very act in:

Matthew 10: 16: Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

Sometimes though we “Jump the gun.” and forget to prepare for our journey either Spiritually or Mentally. Jesus never once sent His Missionaries out into the world without training and preparation. Even the great Apostle Paul spent three years in study and preparation for the Mission God had called him to. There is a scripture from the Old Testament which, though often quoted, is rarely fully appreciated.

Proverbs 22: 6: Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

We use this verse to admonish and sometimes to attack parents who we feel have not taught their children properly. What we fail to do is apply this wisdom to our Faith and Spiritual life. This one little verse, if properly applied, should make almost every Pastor, Priest, Elder and Teacher bow their heads in shame.

What God has told us in the Old Testament was that All Children, both physical and Spiritual, need to be properly trained in the ways of Jehovah. We find this idea repeated in the New Testament.

2 Timothy 2: 15: Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Are you called to be a Missionary or are you just someone who wants to be a Missionary as long as you can continue to live comfortably and not have to work too hard? I will not use names but there have been a few instances which should be an embarrassment to all Christians. A woman Pastor decided to go on a Mission Trip to some Islands. When she returned all she did was complain about the lack of “proper” food and housing. Even though the people provided her with the best they had it wasn’t enough for this Pastor. What surprised me even more was her Church Elders told her how sorry they were the trip had been so terrible for her. No one said anything about her failure to spread the Gospel of Jesus to the people she had gone to as a Missionary.

Some have gone to the Philippine Islands to assist a Missionary and one of the first questions asked was “Where are the diamond mines?” Definitely not something which should be foremost in our minds when going to “assist” a Missionary in the field.

What about those who show up to “assist” and expect the Missionary to provide all of their food and housing? We are supposed to provide for the Missionaries, NOT take from them. Their lives are hard enough.

I am not called to be a Missionary in the sense most people think of them. I am called to be a Missionary for Jehovah for my whole life, no matter where I am or what I am doing. I must reflect Jehovah into everything I come into contact with, no matter how that occurs. To do that, I have been studying and preparing daily through Prayer and Study ever since Jesus washed me clean and gave me a place in Heaven.

2 Corinthians 3: 18: But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

For those who feel the Call of God to go into the Missionary Field please take time to pray for guidance and choose your place of study carefully. From some of my reading I find that the larger Bible Colleges and Institutions are pushing for students to take Mission studies as a Secondary Degree and choose other Majors as their Primary course of study.

There are a multitude of Missionary specific training institutes available Worldwide. Ranging from Home Courses to one which requires the entire family to attend 90 days of training. Ask God what His purpose is for you.

Does He want you to be able to go on Mission Trips or be a Lifetime Missionary? You can get a taste of what it will be like to go to a foreign land by first going on Mission Trips to another part of the country. There are parts of the USA which are, I am sad to say, just as poor and challenging as any Third-World Country that will definitely test your Faith and Dedication as a Missionary.

You may even consider attending a Training Center in another country. That would definitely place you closer to the environment you may be thinking about dedicating your life to. There is Gospel For Asia, African Christian Mission and Agape Missionary Alliance, just to name a few. If you want to find Missionary Training for you or your church I would be glad to help you to find the Training which is right for your needs. Just contact me at:

Rev. William H. Anderson, 01/23/07  
John 17: 15: I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

URL: http://www.healingthebody.net
Email: info@healingthebody.net

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