The Call to Serve


How ironic! Here I am 76 years of age and listening to a gospel song sung by my son David when he was a 13 year old teenager.

That message never changes as I well remember how I responded to that call, before he was born.  

60 years ago I remember praying sincerely one night as I knelt by my bed in the old army transportable hut which was converted into a dormitory of the Commonwealth Bible College in New Farm, Brisbane.

“Lord I’ll go where you want me to go and I’ll do what you want me to do. Please take my life and guide me, with your eye upon me.” Psalm 32:8

Little did I realise as I prayed that prayer as an 18 year old youth where God would take me on the journey of life.

For some who are reading this post, your journey has just begun, for others it is drawing to a close.

When I first started out on the adventure of life, I thought I would live forever. How many of you know it doesn’t take long before a reality check knocks on your door.

The journey of life is very short! 

In the last few weeks numbers of my colleagues and former colleagues have died, which philosophically has triggered thoughts about their achievements in life and the meaning of life.

All these colleagues of mine have served God faithfully and to the best of their ability.

Like the Apostle Paul they could say “I fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;” 2 Timothy 4:7

Interestingly one of these brothers was a student in Bible College with me and with whom I had many robust debates.

While I did not agree with him on a personal level and at times felt aggrieved, yet at the end of the day, it didn’t matter, because we are all answerable only to God for the things we say and do in this life. 2 Corinthians 5:10 

Could I have done more to bridge the gap? – Probably! – This challenges me to mend bridges while life offers opportunity.

In the end however what really matters is your faith in Christ and obedience to His call upon your life.

It can be a sobering thought when you look back over your life and realise that you have only a short time left on this planet.

It is no small matter to come to the latter end of life and ask yourself the question, “What have I done with the life and talent God gave me?”

The Psalmist said in Psalm 139:16 “Your eyes saw my unformed body… all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” 

The question I ask myself is; Have I fulfilled all that God planned for my life? 

Which reminds me of the scripture in Micah 6:8 “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

We all have gifts and talents that God gave us to equip us for life’s journey which ultimately is to enable us to fulfil the “Go” of life in the field He has opened to us.

Jeremiah the prophet said “The word of the Lord came to me saying. Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart. I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5-6

Last Saturday, Anzac Day, many retired missionaries and support workers met for a reunion to renew friendships and talk together of a life of privilege to serve God on foreign soil. 

Some were teachers, some were mechanics and builders, while others were preachers. 

All had fulfilled the “Go” of service to the best of their ability.

Some Papua New Guineans who were the fruit of that ”Go” were in attendance and expressed their appreciation for the missionaries that came and introduced them to Jesus.

It was sobering to know that some of our colleagues could not attend due to illness, which in its own way reminds me the clock is ticking and my time of service is coming to an end.

This is not a morbid thought but rather one to spur me on to pass the batten so that the next generation can fulfil the task and “Go”. This requires some to give, all to pray and some to “Go

One way I want to do this is to promote and ask you if you would consider supporting a Missionary couple who plan to return to missionary service in Cambodia?

For a background on Cambodia, I asked Ps Wesley Westbrook to tell me about it:

Around the mid to late 1970’s some very horrific incidents occurred in Cambodia, where the Khmer Rouge government killed over 2 million of their own people (This became known as the killing fields).

Then Vietnam came and took control of Cambodia for a period, up until about 1993 when there was a UN sponsored election bringing some form of democracy.

For the next 5 years there was still a civil war happening between the Khmer Rouge and the elected Government.

In 2001 Cambodia finally opened its doors again to the outside world. Since then there has been a lot of money sent from various countries to help develop Cambodia.

It still remains one of the poorest countries in the world with a lot of corruption and bribery in all levels of government.

Seventy percent of the population under 30 years, most of the people are disillusioned with the old ways, and very open to the gospel. The Church in Australia presently have a great open door to reach out to the people of Cambodia.

Background Info for Wesley & Bronwyn Westbrook:

Wesley holds an Ordained Ministers Credential with ACC and has been involved in various areas of ministry; Youth, Music, Pastored a couple of churches, Pioneered a church in Nundah, did a 3 year term as a Missionary in PNG and is presently the Missions coordinator for Albany Hills Christian church. (Wesley is the son of former missionary Ron Westbrook Sr who passed away Christmas 2013)

Wesley & Bronwyn have been doing ministry in Cambodia since 2010 and now plan to move to Cambodia full time by August 2015.

They will base themselves in Siem Reap and will be working in the four North Western Provinces of Cambodia.

Their Ministry Involvement will focus on:

Changing Community – Through transformational projects including; School renovations, Medical teams and water projects.

Supporting Local Churches – with visiting ministry, seminars, encouraging pastors, assisting in church projects, pastor training.

Building the National Church – By Leadership training and bible college intensives, train/equip young leaders and planting churches.

Releasing Australian Churches – by organising teams/ projects for short term mission trips to ignite a sense of missions in the Australia church.

Wesley & Bronwyn want to fulfil the challenge of their “Go”. Can you help them?

If you feel it within your ability to support Wesley & Bronwyn on a monthly basis, be it small or large, you can contact them through ACC International Mission Office at:- 

karen.peyroux@acc-int.org. or email direct: 

wesley.westbrook@hotmail.com or to deposit funds directly to the Missions Support A/c

WJ & BH Westbrook
BSB 484-799
Acc 034563123

There are always opportunities to share the “Go” of the gospel to those around us.

Will you “Go” through them?

 

One Response to “The Call to Serve”

  1. carol Says:

    Would you be so kind and pass this on to pastor wesley westbrook. csteele56@gmail.com.i attented the same fellowship place in Emerald as them.Would love to hear from them as the Holy Spirit led him on my heart tonight.I pray all is good with Browyn and the family.tks

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