THE


FROM THE EDITOR JOHN DAVID SMITH


KingdomGreatness I


n Mark 9:35 Jesus explains the concept of Kingdom Greatness to His disciples: “ … If anyone desires to be


first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” The disciples had a huge cultural issue that made it difficult for them to comprehend this principle. Greatness simply was not defined this way. Likewise, in a culture that is performance- based, results-driven, and get-rich-quick oriented, this is a most difficult principle for us to grasp as well. The applicable discussion here relates


to ministry and our associational missions program. Unfortunately, we are not immune to the effects of our culture; rather we are products of cultural norms, even when they may be contrary to biblical principles. For example, it is easy to attend or even host a conference on church planting. It is much more difficult, however, to lead the people of a church plant in a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. As long as we keep things on the conceptual level and never move to the strategic level, our ministries will always remain in the clouds. This paradox of Kingdom Greatness must go from an abstract teaching to a daily strategy in our lives. The practice of making disciples through our humility and service is a grassroots issue that cannot be substituted by more knowledge or “how to” information. Jesus Christ employed this principle


at the strategic level by pouring His life into the lives of a small group of men. As most every other action by our Savior, this was counter-cultural and counter- intuitive. It just didn’t make sense in the light of the reigning cultural norms. If our ministries are going to make a Kingdom impact, we are going to have to bring the truths of God’s Word from the realm of intellectual information to the level of life transformation.


2


Volume 54 Issue 5 September/October 2010 www.bmaamissions.org


EDITOR


John David Smith ART DIRECTION


Eternity Communications


Published bi-monthly by the Missionary Committee of the Baptist Missionary Association of America, 9219 Sibley Hole Road, Little Rock, Arkansas 72209 Entered as Periodical Rate at Little Rock, Arkansas.


Periodical Postage paid at Little Rock, Arkansas USPS 575-320 POSTMASTER send address correction to


THE GLEANER


P.O. Box 30910 Little Rock, Arkansas 72260 501.455.4977


FAX 501.455.3636


E-mail bmaam@bmaam.com Web site www.bmaamissions.org


Subscription rate is $7.50 per year: 65 and older $1.00 per year: Church Plan 50 cents per month per family


“If our ministries are going to make a


Kingdom impact, we are going to have to


bring the truths of God’s Word from the realm


of intellectual information to the level of life transformation.”


Kingdom Greatness plays a vital


role in the BMAA’s global mission activity. A global impact and Kingdom Greatness for our association will come at the grassroots level, not at the administrative level. We must see ourselves as individually responsible for our fruitfulness to God. We must also see our local church as responsible to reproduce itself over and over locally and globally. May we all come to the realization that Kingdom Impact requires Kingdom Greatness. n


theGLEANER n September/October 2010


MEMORIALS GIVEN BY


Cecil & Freida Smith


First Baptist Church – Magnolia


IN HONOR OF GIVEN BY


Barbara Tidwell


IN MEMORY OF Max Ramsey


Enon Baptist Church WMA Paul Bateman Billy Lusk


Velma Lusk Houston Dismukes


IN HONOR OF Don & Linda Collins Enon Baptist Church WMA Grady Higgs


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32