Mood:
amorous“Then [Jesus] said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’” Matthew 9:37-38, NIV
“Jesus Himself was the first missionary. He did not sit by passively and let those who happened to be interested in His teaching come to Him. He went out where the sick, the sorrowing and the sad were, and expounded His message of joy, healing and salvation. Even at a tender age, He went to the Temple and ‘taught’ the doctors and lawyers who were entrenched in the old traditions. He found his way to the seaside and intruded upon the life of the commonest of laborers, saying, ‘Follow me … and I will make you fishers of men’ (Matthew 4:19, NIV). Wherever He went He challenged, uprooted and changed men. And at length they nailed Him to a cross because He had upset their selfish, secure, smug way of life. Not only was Jesus a missionary, but He pledged His followers to be missionaries, too!”
“Christ's first missionary command was not, ‘Go ye into all the world,’(Mark 16:15, KJV) but, ‘Pray the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest’ (Cf. Matthew 9:38). Peter received his missionary vision when he went up on the housetop to pray (Acts 10:9-17). Paul and Barnabas were sent out after a time of prayer and fasting in the church at Antioch (Acts 13:1-3). We tend to challenge potential missionary recruits, whereas the Early Church channeled faithful workers. We tend to persuade people to go, whereas the New Testament church prayed them out. We sometimes forget that the Holy Spirit is also the Missionary Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who carries out the Great Commission in and through us. The demands of missions in this age and beyond are too great for missionaries who are not called by God and energized by the Holy Spirit. Prayer is not just for the work of missions; it also is the work of missions!” (David J. Hesselgrave).
Prayer
Lord, You have called us to tell the world about Christ. Please show us what we can do fulfill this mission, whether it is through praying, giving our time and resources or going out as workers. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit so that we will always be equipped to accomplish Your will. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
“Jesus Himself was the first missionary. He did not sit by passively and let those who happened to be interested in His teaching come to Him. He went out where the sick, the sorrowing and the sad were, and expounded His message of joy, healing and salvation. Even at a tender age, He went to the Temple and ‘taught’ the doctors and lawyers who were entrenched in the old traditions. He found his way to the seaside and intruded upon the life of the commonest of laborers, saying, ‘Follow me … and I will make you fishers of men’ (Matthew 4:19, NIV). Wherever He went He challenged, uprooted and changed men. And at length they nailed Him to a cross because He had upset their selfish, secure, smug way of life. Not only was Jesus a missionary, but He pledged His followers to be missionaries, too!”
“Christ's first missionary command was not, ‘Go ye into all the world,’(Mark 16:15, KJV) but, ‘Pray the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest’ (Cf. Matthew 9:38). Peter received his missionary vision when he went up on the housetop to pray (Acts 10:9-17). Paul and Barnabas were sent out after a time of prayer and fasting in the church at Antioch (Acts 13:1-3). We tend to challenge potential missionary recruits, whereas the Early Church channeled faithful workers. We tend to persuade people to go, whereas the New Testament church prayed them out. We sometimes forget that the Holy Spirit is also the Missionary Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who carries out the Great Commission in and through us. The demands of missions in this age and beyond are too great for missionaries who are not called by God and energized by the Holy Spirit. Prayer is not just for the work of missions; it also is the work of missions!” (David J. Hesselgrave).
Prayer
Lord, You have called us to tell the world about Christ. Please show us what we can do fulfill this mission, whether it is through praying, giving our time and resources or going out as workers. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit so that we will always be equipped to accomplish Your will. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Posted by Prophecies Of Revelation
at 9:23 AM CDT
