America has often been referred to as the "Melting Pot" of the world. It is a phrase used to depict the diversity of our great land. One can go to any major city in the US and find every type of language and culture that can be found throughout the world represented in the neighborhoods of that metropolis. It is this mixture of our planets people that has made our nation unique and strong since its founding. We are truly a nation of immigrants.
And so it should be in every church where the gospel is preached. Long gone should be the days of people attending a "black church" or a "white church". The body of Christ ought to represent every ethnicity and class that make up our society. This should not only be the case due to the love of God for "all people", but it should also be our desire to include the diverse races so that we might be a complete and a functioning weapon to stamp out sin and darkness in the world around us. Our church on earth is not complete if we are all alike in our background and viewpoints. If everyone that made up the local church were from an elite class only, its ability to reach the "down and outer" of society would likely be lost. If the members of our church in Middleburg, Floirda, were all senior citizens, we would lose our appeal to the youthful side of our county. There must be a "Melting Pot" within a local church in order that it might utilize the gifts God has given it to reach our planet for Christ.
And so was the Missions Trip we took to Ciudad Valles, Mexico recently as six of our members went for a week to assist in the Iglesia Bautista el Calvario where Pastor Jose Castro and his family serves. Our team of members from Calvary Baptist consisted of four men and two ladies. These dedicated members gave up a week of their comforts and personal lives here in northeast Florida to be with Pastor Castro who years earlier was our Spanish pastor at Calvary. It had been over a decade since we had seen he and his family last. The modest group from Calvary included two retired men, a dear African brother from Nigeria, a Christian school teacher whose family roots went back to Mexico, a college student working on her masters, and Brother Tim Pledger, the associate pastor at our church in Floirda.
Each of these six brought a certain God-given talent and spirit with them. Brother Olu was accustomed to life in the Third World as he had only as an adult some years earlier come to live in the US. Mrs Savanna had gotten out of the US Navy a short time ago and was even recently married to a good man in our church who is currently deployed in the Gulf region. Brother Jim is a retired electrician and spent much of his childhood overseas as his father was a career Navy man. Mrs Crystal speaks Spanish and is one of our longest tenured school teachers at Calvary Christian Academy. She also, was recently married to another one of our good staff men at Calvary. Brother George in his late 70's has served in the homeless ministry at our church for years and though previously was in the military had never been on a missions trip. Then there was Brother Tim who had been over the years on many missions trips preaching the gospel in nearly 100 nations. This group with its diversity was exactly what God intended to serve in Mexico for this week. They were a "Melting Pot"" for Missions used by God over 7 days to see 335 souls saved in villages, churches, schools, and hospitals. Some sang, others preached, some distributed gospel tracts, while still others helped with financial causes in Ciudad Valles. However, all went for the same purpose, to glorify Jesus in Mexico.
The Lord is not looking for a certain type to serve Him. He is not interested in only one brand of individuals to give of their abilities for the gospel. He will use whoever is available. He needs all of us to give our best. Many churches and pastors seem to eliminate those members who have never been formally trained or who simply lack a certain pedigree from serving in a capacity of church leadership. However, God is always searching throughout His body from the platform to the back row for someone who will just say, "Here am I". God desires a "Melting Pot" for Missions.
America has often been referred to as the "Melting Pot" of the world. It is a phrase used to depict the diversity of our great land. One can go to any major city in the US and find every type of language and culture that can be found throughout the world represented in the neighborhoods of that metropolis. It is this mixture of our planets people that has made our nation unique and strong since its founding. We are truly a nation of immigrants.
