After reading the 63rd Psalm the other day, I was struck
with how clear the application was to our going to the nations. I believe
that a clear understanding of this Psalm should motivate us to GO! Not just go
to church, or even go on a mission trip. We should be motivated by this
Psalm to go to that place of servant sacrifice we all know we should go.
Being a servant is what we saw in the model of Jesus'
earthly ministry. He went to the hurting, hopeless and helpless. Jesus spent
His time on the earth ministering to those who needed hope the most. At the
same time he invested His intimate time with the twelve men closest to Him. If
I believe this model to be accurate about Jesus' life, then I should seek to
follow this example in my own faith journey...right? If so, then how should I follow?
In Mark 1:17 Jesus spoke to His disciples and said, “Come, follow
me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men.” Where did
Jesus go? But, more to the point, where is He going now? Jesus is in the slums
of Kolkata, India, among the street children
and forgotten orphans of that city. Jesus is in the dump in Vijayawada among the desperate families
surviving on less than $2 a day. Jesus is in the villages of northern India
among the thousands of rural people seeking truth in a god who will never answer.
Jesus is among the indigenous people of each region who are
looking for a Savior whose name they have never heard. Jesus is all over this
globe among the desperate, forgotten, impoverished people groups.
If I am to "follow" then I must go where Jesus is!
In the words of an old Gospel song written by Kirk Talley,
"It’s time we, the people, stand up for what is right
It’s time we squared our shoulders back and raised our swords to fight
For the Bible is my weapon and the Spirit is my shield
The Church needs more of its members to be workers in the field"
It’s time we squared our shoulders back and raised our swords to fight
For the Bible is my weapon and the Spirit is my shield
The Church needs more of its members to be workers in the field"
Many of us have never even shared one-on-one with another
person the Good News of Jesus. It is time you as a follower of Jesus
follow Him into the field and serve the world in which we have been planted.
This will require sacrifice! Jesus taught us to serve and to sacrifice. He not
only showed us how to live and how to die, but He showed us how to live again!
It is time we sacrifice our comfort for the cross! It is
time we give up our plenty for His power. We must sacrifice our excess for
their eternity! Psalm 67 teaches us our abundance is provided by the Father so
that His ways will be made known and His salvation will be shared with all!
The eternal opportunity of the world is literally within our
own check books! There’s an old saying that says, “You can tell where someone’s
heart is by looking at their checkbook.” Are we really living within the necessary
level of our provision and sharing the rest of what the Lord provides for the
sake of eternity around the world?
Can we really call it sacrifice when so much is gained by
our giving? Jesus taught us the value of laying down our lives, everything we
have for the sake of those who need what we have to give! How then will we lay
down our lives for the sake of those whom He has entrusted into our hands? How
will we show the eternal significance of the Savior of the world? How can we
serve the world by going to the places where Jesus is and following Him? Or
should we ask, how will we go?
Many opportunities are available for you to join a ministry,
a missionary, a church planter, a team, a church. It is not a question of
whether or not there is opportunity. The question is will you go right now? In
your heart will you commit to allow the Father to guide you and carry you to
the slums, the dump, the hills, the valley, the village, the city streets, and
the house across the street? Will you commit today and take action on that
commitment?
We have been blessed beyond what we need for the purpose of
carrying the Gospel to people all over the globe who need to hear of His
judgment and His grace. Come, and join us as we walk into the field and
become His hands and His feet! Go!
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"Love
so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all." ~Isaac Watts
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Prayers Requests
Pray for openings to speak in many churches and mission
groups.
Pray national ministries that help starving children, and people
left helpless due to debilitating diseases like malaria and AIDS.
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