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| Pastor Caxton S. Fasuyi |
By Boluwatife Oparinde
The Missions Director, Christ Apostolic Church, Nigeria and Overseas, Pastor Caxton S. Fasuyi, has related to Christian clerics, the importance of the Great Commission to every Christian, and the ways to actively participate in missions.
Decrying the current menace of moral decadence across the world, Pastor Fasuyi exposited Romans 10:1-14 to identify Apostle Paul's succinct heart desire for his country to be saved under the umbrella of Jesus' utmost desire (Matthew 28:18-20) to "depopulate the kingdom of hell in order to densely populate the Kingdom of God."
According to him, "We are in the age of moral decadence, the age of gross manipulation, when the standard of God has been compromised. In the beginning, it was Adam and Eve. But today, it is Adam and Steve (LGBT). Homosexuality, Lesbianism, Gay marriage has been legalized right inside the Church. Painfully to hear that today, human beings get married to pets and animals. Perversion has permeated the globe. LGBT community is on the rise. In the days of our fathers and when we were growing, we dress to cover our nakedness but the opposite is the case today. What was once condemned is now being celebrated. And what was being celebrated before is now being condemned. Absurdly, those that refuse the wrong are being condemned."
Speaking on Wednesday, 21st September, 2022, while giving a Missions Awareness Speech at the CAC Pastors' Conference in Ikeji-Arakeji, Osun State, the CAC Missions Director lamented the rise of Christian persecution across the globe, citing that, "of recent, I read that Russia has banned any form of religion and I presumed, soon it will be universal. In Russian it has been signed to law that, foreign guests are not permitted to speak in churches unless they have a "work permit" from Russian authorities; If a friend or relative from outside Russia wishes to share his/her faith in your home the guest will be fined and expelled from Russia; Any discussion about God with non-believers is considered missionary activity and will be punishable. And so many other anti-gospel draconian laws so to speak. Are we going to wait until such laws are promulgated in our country Nigeria before we rise to the ultimate mandate of spreading the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ."
"Romans 10:13-14 shows us that so many are still ignorant of the One and true God and how to get connected to Him. There is a void in their heart that needs to be filled. So many people need God, they want to call on him but they cannot do so except they know him. The mission mandate is to make God known in every nook and crannies of the world. And they cannot know him except someone preaches to them. How then can you participate actively in the 'Sent' missions?" he said.
The clergyman, who identified Going, Groaning and Giving as the three great demands of missions, explained that in Going, "You can make a sacrifice to be involved in missions by taking a leave or sabbatical holiday and invest it in missions. Many have said that the gospel is caught rather than taught. The same is with mission. Until you make the sacrifices necessary to be involved in missions, you are not likely to see a missional attitude in your congregation."
Lamenting that many missionaries have been maimed and killed brutally in mission fields, over 215 million Christians who had suffered extreme level of persecution and the presence of missionaries in over 50 countries of the world where it is most dangerous to follow Jesus, Pastor Fasuyi told Pastors that, "fundamentally, your groaning, I mean your passionate and persistent prayer will go a long way to assist them. R. A. Torrey remarked the most important human factor in effective evangelism is prayer. In the opinion of Matt Slick, without prayer, your witness will be far less effective, and you will be vulnerable to the enemy. Therefore, you can function for missions by engaging in intercessory prayers for missionaries and missions activities."
"Let's return home and cast the vision for prompt, consistent, and daily intercessory prayer for missions and missionary activities. At least 15 minutes a day from about 10,000 pastors could give us daily of 2500 hours of prayers intercessory for missions and missionaries," he added.
On Giving, he said "let giving accompany going and groaning. When giving meets going, the going will turn to glowing. Apostle Paul was appreciating the Philippian church for garnishing his going for missions with their giving, so garnish going with giving, it makes mission to glow. Giving exemplarily and encouraging your church to give for missions is one of the powers to support mission/missionary activities. Peter Marshall once said, Give according to your income lest God make your income according to your giving. You can give money, clothes, Okada, and other valuable materials."
"How shall they hear if you and I are not available. Someone says He has no leg but depends on yours to reach the unreached. He has no hand but yours to bless the outcast. He has no mouth of His own but lovely depends on yours to speak comfort to the weary and the wounded. God bless you as you respond promptly," Pastor Fasuyi concluded.