Our Fellow Soldier
Today I want to highlight a young man who has been a great inspiration to my life in the short time I have known him. Tyler Cox is the kind of young man who raises your hopes in the next generation and in the future of the body of Christ. Tyler is in his early 20’s but he has a passion and a vision beyond his years. Tyler and I have been to Colombia together a few times in the last year and I have been amazed at his heart and devotion. I recently had opportunity to interview Tyler about his missions vision. I will share his answers below and then follow that with an article that he recently wrote that really expresses his heart for Christ and the nations. Enjoy.
Tyler what got you interested in missions?
What got me interested in missions was God calling me to go to Brazil which was my first mission trip. I can’t say that at the time I was interested in missions, but when I got back from Brazil that completely changed my perspective. It never really occurred to me that Christ’s passion was to spread His name to all of the earth, and not just America. I have now been on 5 mission trips since then and planning on going on another 2 over the summer. God completely provides all the funds and He is surely glorified.
What was your first mission trip like?
My first mission trip was Soa Paulo Brazil. It was a street evangelism trip with Restoration Ministries. We went out into the slumbs and proclaimed God’s word to the poor and unloved. It was an incredible experience. I saw a lot of things that I never would have seen in the states. Christ revealed Himself to me in a way that I’ve never seen.
How many countries have you visited?
So far I have been on 5 trips. Once to Brazil, El Salvador, Guatemala, and twice to Colombia. All brought different challenges and different experiences. I’m very humbled and blessed to be apart of these trips. God’s grace has allowed me to cross paths with many great people. People who love and fear God and long for the lost to get found.
What was your greatest experience on the mission field?
I must say the greatest experience I had was the second time I went to Colombia. Going once to a country is one thing, but going twice is a whole other. We visited different orphanages in Colombia. Well, the best experience (and also one of the most joyful moments of my life) was going back to the orphanages and the kids saying “Tyler Tyler Tyler”. It was awesome. They really do remember you. I fell in love with those kids.
What are your plans for the future?
This summer I plan to go back to Colombia (which is now becoming a second home to me haha) in June, and El Salvador again in August. As for my long term plans? That’s up to God right now. I hope and pray that he uses me for great things that will glorify his name. I do plan on getting some sort of seminary degree. Hopefully I will work for some sort of ministry. But God could lead me anywhere in the next couple years and I will go wherever He tells me to go.
This is an article that Tyler wrote shortly after returning from Colombia in January 2011…
Sharing The All Satisfying Christ to all the earth.
by Tyler Cox on Wednesday, January 26, 2011 at 11:19pm
This past year I have had the privilege to go serve in Brazil, El Salvador, Colombia (Twice) and plan to go to Guatemala on spring break. I have had the question asked many times “Why go do mission work globally when there’s plenty of mission work here to be done?” I wondered about that for awhile. Then a friend of mine brought me to John 10:16 “I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock with one Shepherd”. You see, Christ was passionate about global missions. Matthew 28:19-20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Mark 16:15 “And he said to them ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation”. You see, Christ didnt say “if you are called, do this” or “If you have the resources, do this”. Christ is commanding us to do this! Where in the Bible is missions ever identified as optional? A good excuse is “theres much work to be done here”. (I would like to point out that most people who say this are not concerned about feeding the hungry, looking after and defending orphans, helping the sick, and strengthening the church). Friends, God did not have a heart for just the USA, or just China, or just whatever, Hes heart is directed toward glorifying Himself throughout the entire world!!! Think of it like this, if your heart is just for the US then you are concerned with just about 5% of what God is concerned with. Over 4.5 billion people are without Christ. This should destroy our hearts.You may say “well the world is to big for just me to make some sort of a difference”. But will God not be more glorified if we step out of our comfort zone and depend on Him to make the All Satisfying Christ known to the whole world?? I am not suggesting that you move over seas. (Im not saying dont either ;)). With the evidence of Scripture, I am convinced that regardless of where we live our hearts should be consumed with making Christ’s glorious name known in all the nations. It cost money to go out of country, well I just see that as a nother opportunity for Christ to be glorified. So let me ask you. Does your heart ache when you here that there are well over 1 billion people in India and that only 2% are proclaimed Christians? Does your heart ache when you here how it is illegal to preach in China? Does it make your heart ache when you know that if you make $10,000 you make more than 90% of the world? Does your heart ache that there are 147 million orphans in this world? did you know that the proclaimed Christians of America have enough housing and resources to house every orphan in the world? Did you know that God never made adoption optional? (He mentions orphans over 40 times, if He mentions something once then it is important). It is injustice for Chrstians to possess the gospel and refuse to give their lives to making it known among those who havnt heard it. In Romans 10 Paul states “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? and how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? and how can they hear without someone preaching to them? and how can they preach unless they are sent?” One of my favorite verses is Matthew 10. Christ sends His disciples out and simple tells them to rely on Him to provide. Friends how can others preach to the world when we wont go out into the world and preach to them? We must rely on Christ to provide. Will Christ’s awesome name not be more glorified when we realize we have no means to getting out into the world, knowing He will provide every single thing we need to make the joy of His name known to the whole world? haha People Christ wants His name boasted to the whole world. Hes going to provide. So, do you move to a different country now??? Is that what im saying? No. Whether your there or not, your heart must burn for global missions.
Pray for people who are going to different places. Support them financially. Please! I have friends who are trying to get to places that need Christ. Help them! make sure they get there! Does it not excite you when fellow warriors are sacrificing their time to proclaim The All Satisfying Christ! Be excited for them. Ive been to Brazil, please help the people who are in those slums who have nothing and need your support, who need the all satisfying Christ. Please help my friends who are building a safe house in Colombia so orphans can have a place to go when they turn 18 instead of being dumped outside on the streets. Please make sure Christ is being proclaimed in the trashiest parts of El Salvador. Help those who are adopting! Be an online missionary. I would like to propose a challenge as well. I challenge every proclaimed believer in Christ to spend at least 2% (Thats about a week) of their year in out of country mission work. Im pleading to you! What if all proclaimed believers devoted at least 2% a year! Pray for those going out, pray China and India! This is our only life where we will be able to do this.The harvest is plenty but unfortunately the workers are few. Over half the worlds population is without Christ and over 1 billion are unevangelized. Piper puts it like this “We could of said ‘My money is my own….well Christ could of said ‘My blood is my own and my life is my own’ we could of said ‘the poor are undeserving’ He could of said ‘They are wicked rebels’ Christian! If you want to be like Christ, give much, give often, give freely, to the vile and poor, the thankless and the undeserving. Christ is glorious and happy and so will you be. It is not your money I want , but your happiness. Remember His word ‘It is more blessed to give then to recieve'”. The fact is, If we want to be more like Christ then we must be willing to sacrifice. One of my favorite quotes is “My friends, adoption is costly, exhausting, expensive, and outrageous. When God sent out to redeem us, it killed Him”. You see, redeeming life is hard, but worth it. Because then Christ is recognized as all satisfying, and all powerful. He is our source of joy when feel any sort of heartache or struggle. This is what we need to tell the world. Then the glory will go to Him and Him alone. Two challenges first, commit 2% of your year to global missions. The other is to meditate on Scripture day and night. Friends, how are we going to proclaim Gods glory if we do not study His very own word? How do we love others if we do not know Christs love? MEDITATE ON IT (Psalms 1)…… So, why do I go on global missions? why visit orphans, get lice, and talk to random people in slumbs? why spend that time and money? simple. 1. Christ commanded me and He says in John 14 “If you love me you will obey me. 2. To proclaim the all satisfying, joyful, glorious name of Christ to all the world, to make His great name known, and that He would be glorified, because one day every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that He is God…
