Everyone can. . . no, SHOULD be a missionary!

Before you choose not to read this post because of the title, know that I am not saying that everyone should pack their bags, say goodbye to their families, and head overseas!! Missions is not simply something that takes place in foreign lands. God, through His Word, gives each of us as believers a command to be a witness of the Gospel. Luke 24:48 says, "And ye are witnesses of these things [what Christ has done in your heart]. I am an English major, so I enjoy determining what each word in a sentence is functioning as. In this verse, witnesses is a noun. We often think of this word in light of it's verb context (performing the action of witnessing), but Christ is not referring to witnessing as an action here. He is saying that ye = witness. Before we can witness to others, we must be a witness! "The noun must come before the verb!" -Clarence Sexton

With that said, back to the title of the post. So do I truly believe that everyone should be a missionary? YES!!! Acts 1:8 says, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." Some are called to reach "the uttermost part of the earth" as are Simeon and I. God has burdened our heart and called us to go to the foreign field of Australia to be a witness for Him! But Christ also says to be a witness in "Jerusalem. . . Judaea. . . and in Samaria." So what does this mean?
   Jerusalem: The area in which you live, work, etc. (ex. Knoxville, TN)
   Judaea: The broader region of your "Jerusalem" (ex. Tennessee)
   Samaria: The area in which you'd rather not go (ex. homeless shelters, slums, etc.) (Jn. 4)
This verse shows us that we are all to be missionaries, whether it be abroad or in the city we live in!

There are other ways you can "be a missionary." As stated before, you may not go to a foreign land, but you can have an important part in the ministry of someone who is, and therefore be a part of the ministry to which they are called. 
Here are some ways you have a part in the ministry of a missionary. . .
   1. PRAY!!!- This is the most important thing you could do for a missionary! God is the only one who can meet their needs and increase the ministry He has given them. Your prayers bring the needs before God's throne. By praying for a missionary, you develop a connection with them and their ministry and you enter into the reward of their labors!
   2. Communicate- I probably won't understand the full importance of this until I am on the field myself, but I have heard that missionaries love to receive emails and correspondence letting them know what is going on at home and how you are praying for their ministry. I am currently corresponding with a missionary wife, and I could not begin to express to you what an encouragement it is to BOTH of us! I love hearing her stories about their life and ministry, and she enjoys sharing them! Our emails are a blessing to each other!
   3. Give- You give so that the missionary family is relieved of the financial burden of making ends meet. This frees them to devote their time and abilities solely to the work of the Lord. 

These are just a few things that I have found in my studies of the Scripture. It is my belief that even right now I am a missionary! No, I'm not serving on the field God has called my fiance and I to, but I am in my "Jerusalem" and right now, this is where God has called me to be a witness to! So I challenge you to be a missionary to your "Jerusalem" and support those who are reaching "the uttermost"!


All for His Glory,
Brettnay
Philippians 1:20-21

So, You Think Life is Hard.

I am in a class this semester called Classic Christian Literature. We are currently reading through Foxe's Book of Martyres. If you ever feel like what you are going through is difficult then pick up this book and make your worries feel small.

I read about a man named Epipodius. He was a solid Christian. He was petitioned by the governor of Lyons in A. D. 177 to join in a pagan feast as an act of "mercy" to spare him from persecution. He said in reply, "your pretended tenderness is actually cruelty; and the agreeable life you describe is replete with everlasting death Christ suffered for us... Your pleasures lead to eternal death, and our pains to perpetual happiness". After making these statements he was stretched on a stretching rack made to pull the bones in your arms, legs, and chest out of joint before being cut with iron hooks and later beheaded.

So, still think your life is hard? It was convicting for me personally. I know I tend to get grumpy and complain when my internet isn't fast enough for my preference or the air conditioner isn't working. How petty have Christians become in recent days? We live in the "prosperity gospel" age. People think that being a Christian will make you successful and have no problems with which to deal. God never promised a life of ease. Quite the opposite in fact. He commands us to lift up our cross and follow after Him. He commands us to enter into His own suffering, quite literally. How many of us would be willing to hoist a heavy cross up a hill after being whipped to the point we don't even look human anymore? That's what Christ did. Why should our lives be easy if Christ's life was hard? Yet he kept a happy spirit. Like Epipodius he could say, "our pains to perpetual happiness." He knew what came after death. Worry wasn't a part of Christ's life, and it shouldn't be a part of ours. Don't expect this life to be flowery beds of ease, but be happy that you can represent Christ in the hard and the easy, the rich and the poor, the sickness and the health, the life and the death. Food for thought.

Keep thinking friends,

Simeon Brazzell

I Tim 1:12

Popsicles

Today at work, the AC went out. The supervisor over my entire department bought popsicles for everyone on the floor! Now, why am I blogging about popsicles? It triggered a thought, and I'd like to share it with you.

While I was consuming my delicious, frozen treat, something horrible happened. The chocolate popsicle began to drip! It dripped right onto my white shirt. Luckily a friend of mine had a Tide-to-go pen, and I was able to clean up. She then said to me, "Those things vanish on you, don't they?".

"Vanish", what else vanishes? The scripture says that this life is a vapor that "Appeareth for a little time, then vanisheth away." Like the popsicle that melted in the warm building, our lives are melting away. Some of us have less left than others, but all of us will vanish from this earth one day whether it be by death or by Christ's return. What does that mean for us? It means that we have precious little time on earth to do what is important. We all have families and friends. My fiance +Brettnay Varner and I decided that anytime we have a disagreement we'd do our best to solve it immediately so that we don't waste our precious time. No one has as much time as they think they do, so we need to make sure we have things in order.

King Hezekiah in the Old Testament was told to get his house in order by the prophet Isaiah. He was sick and going to die. He begged the Lord for more time and God gave him 15 more years. What would you do if you knew that you were going to die? What would be important and what wouldn't be? It changes your outlook doesn't it? 

Simeon Brazzell

II Tim 1:12

Who is Simeon's Fiance?

You  have been hearing from my fiance, Simeon, about his life and our calling. Now I want to share a little more about myself and how God has led in my life.

I was born on June 16, 1992 in Jacksonville, Florida. My Dad was stationed at Mayport Naval Base and was soon to complete his 4 year enlistment. While there, my Mom, Dawn, received Christ as her personal Lord and Savior at East Pointe Baptist Church. We moved back to my parents hometown of Harrisonburg, VA when I was six months old. In 1994, my Dad accepted Christ at Peoples Baptist Church. I attended a Christian School through 5th grade; we began homeschooling my 6th grade year. Through my childhood, God grew our family in so many ways. In 2006, God led us to move to Knoxville, TN and be a part of the ministry at Temple Baptist Church under the leading of Pastor Clarence Sexton. I enrolled in Crown College the fall of 2009. Since then, I have seen God do amazing things in my life and in my family's life. I have a brother, Clay, who is soon to be twenty and is serving in the US Army. He is currently stationed in Katterbach, Germany. My sister, Julianna, is eleven and is a sweet ray of sunshine in our lives. Last but not least is my little brother, Justus. He is a ball of energy, but has a kind, tender heart. I love my family dearly! In December, God opened a job opportunity for my Dad in Dover, DE. They are currently living there and are serving the Lord at Capitol Baptist Church with Pastor Terri Moore.

I was saved at the age of ten and surrendered my life to the Lord a few years later at The Wilds Christian Camp. During my sophomore year of college, I surrendered my life to missions. At that time, I didn't feel like God was calling me to missions, but I told Him that I was willing to go if He did. 

Simeon came into my life my Junior year. Well, that is not totally true; he was in my life way before that but that story will have to be saved for another post! Anyway, we hit it off and it didn't take long for us to realize that God had made us for each other. Through our courtship, God showed us that His will for our lives is to be missionaries to Australia. We are still praying through all the details, but are so excited to see what He has in store for our future together. We are currently finishing up our degrees, and then will be getting married on July 12, 2014, which is 279 days from today! (yes, I am a bit excited) It is the most amazing thing to let God write your love story, but again, I will save that for another post!

I cannot begin to tell you what your prayers mean to Simeon and I! Your support and encouragement mean so much to us! We look forward to continuing to share how God is leading and guiding as we give our lives for His glory!!

Brettnay Varner

Philippians 1:20-21 "According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, of by death. For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."

Who are Simeon Brazzell and Brettnay Varner anyways?

The last post was more for people who already know who we are. Through the avenue of social media it has come to my realization that many people whom I've never met are visiting the blog. I am extremely pleased about it and I would like to give you a little introduction to my life.

I was born on October 23rd, 1991 in Decatur, IL to a young Christian family. My mother, +Roxanne Brazzell,  got saved just before my older brother +Boston Brazzell was born. My father, +Keith Brazzell, grew up with Christian parents who were great people, but did not attend church regularly. They are both born in Terra Houte, IN but moved to Decatur when my dad got a job at Staley (now Tate&Lyle). They began attending Central Baptist Church faithfully and grew in their Christian walk. Today my parents live in Knoxville, TN with three of their children: myself, +Gage Brazzell, and +Janay Brazzell. All together they have 5 kids: Boston, +Keanne Stocks , Simeon, Gage, and Janay. Boston and Keanne are married to +Conna Brazzell and Brian Stocks respectively.

Life has been very eventful for me since we moved to Knoxville in 2007. I moved here as a Sophomore in High School. I was home schooled though all of my High School years and loved every minute of it. When I was a Senior, Dr. Robert Bakss of Lighthouse Baptist Church in Rockhampton, QLD, Australia came to Temple Baptist Church in Powell, TN. He presented his ministry and the Lord impressed my heart and called me to the mission field of Australia. I started dating my now Fiance, +Brettnay Varner, two years later as a Sophomore in College at Crown. Brettnay and I quickly fell in love and are now engaged. I'll have Brettnay blog a short synopsis on her growing up as well. We are looking forward to seeing how God will use us and covet your prayers! Thanks for your prayer support.

Simeon Brazzell
I Tim. 1:12

"Why on Earth are You Blogging Now?"

Well firstly, I am blogging because it is becoming more and more obvious to me that I need a strong prayer base. "What do you mean Simeon?" Well, as those of you who know me personally know, I am planning on being a missionary to Australia! I am currently at Crown College of the Bible studying in missions to learn helpful skills and tools to aid me in my efforts. However, no amount of skill and knowledge can replace a good prayer base.

Secondly, it is my goal to help those who are praying to stay up to date. It's so hard today with all the distractions out there to keep up with those who need the prayer. Do you know those nifty little boards in the back of most churches where the missionary letters are posted? What about those plastic office slot drawers some churches screw to the wall that all the missionary letters are piled in? Yes, I'm totally aware that NO ONE USES THEM! Most members of churches couldn't even say the name of one missionary they support let alone tell you what's going on in their lives! This is something I do not want to happen in my ministry.

Thirdly, I need something to keep me accountable. "What do you mean?" Well, I just so happen to be a human being and as such I am prone to stray. Scriptures say we have all gone astray and have turned every one to his own way. This unfortunately is our nature. "But aren't you saved?" Yes, of course! I trusted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior as a child and was Baptized at Central Baptist Church in Decatur, IL. What I mean is that it is in our nature to stray. All of us need help from time to time to stay faithful to the Lord. So those of you who end up following my blog, thank you. You are helping me stay faithful to that which God has called me to.

Sorry for the rather long blog post. They wont all be this long I promise. I'll also try and have interesting things to see here as well not just me rambling. Possibly have my fiance, +Brettnay Varner  post from time to time. Thanks again! Please share this in any way you can! The more people following this feed the more prayer support I'll have! If you use an RSS reader subscribe or follow me on Google+ for updates!

Thank you for your time,
Simeon Brazzell