Meditation

08/09/2022

“The Lord had sad to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.’ ‘I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all people on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:1-3 – God is the Source of Missions)

God’s purpose and actions provide the ultimate source for our missionary teaching and actions. With this chapter, Genesis moves beyond the universal primeval history of God’s dealing with all humankind to election of an individual person and nation. Through personal contact, judgment, and the flood. God had sought to bring humanity into willing, loving relation with their Maker. People continued to rebel, however. Finally God took a new direction. With Abraham, God began to carry out His purpose through one man, his family, and his descendants. While He worked through one family, God made His universal purpose clear. He wanted to bless the whole human race. In faith, Abraham accepted God’s challenging call and proved a blessing to other nations. As God had promised. Abraham’s descendants became the great nation Israel. Israel often forgot their blessings were for the purpose of blessing others. They fell into sin and followed false gods. Finally, God accomplished His missionary purpose through Christ. All believers in Him became sons of Abraham and children of he Heavenly Father. As believers we can follow Abram’s faithful example or easily forge we have been blessed to bless others. Christ showed His disciples how the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms all referred to Him. He then related that fulfillment to a missionary challenge in Luke 24:47-49. The seed thought of missions is here. All nations are to be blessed in Christ Jesus—-the God—-Son of Abraham, and Son of David. From the beginning. God loved the whole world.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY:

Precious Abba, we look at God as the Source of Missions. He began by working through Abraham’s family by blessing them, and then they were to bless those around them. You were teaching us, the story of the single stone which plunks into the pond of water, and where it hit the water rings began to move outward, further and further. Such is the same as a blessing, that is given to one and that one blesses others an the ring of those blessed get larger and larger. Today we continue to pray troops serving in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, that a peaceful solution might be found and let the fighting be silenced. We also pray for those who are suffering in body, mind, and/or spirit, with friends, family, and for those we don’t know. Amen

THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

“Every Bible should be bound in ‘shoe leather.’”

KNOWING GOD:

“But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand for their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that they great city?” (Jonah 4:11 – God is the Source of Missions)

The biblical teaching on missions rests on one Foundation, the unique , all encompassing love of God. Humans see other people and feel envy, hatred, pride, and need for revenge. God looks at people and see helpless need and hopeless evil. The call to missions is a call to share God’s perspective on the world, recognizing the spiritual needs of those with the greatest material wealth and the strongest political power. We answer God’s call to go when we share His love of spiritually bankrupt people.

I AM:

“I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted.” (Genesis 13:16 – God is the Source of Missions)

Abram’s family was elected by God and it had a purpose. Through Abram’s seed all nations would be blessed. God’s election also brought Abram the promise of land acquisition to the elect nation would have a homeland. Election of Israel thus rested on God’s initiative an promise, not on human action or merit.

2ND THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

“Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and he Father is in me; or at lease believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things that these, because if am going to the Father.” (John 14:11-12 – God is the Source of Missions)

The presence of the living Christ in the believer is the source of missionary motivation. Paul pointed out that Christ’s love impels or compels us (2^nd Corinthians 5:14). Jesus made a staggering promise: the one with faith to Him will do what He has been doing—-preaching the kingdom, teaching, healing, and expressing His compassionate ministry and so much more. Incredible, but true! How is it possible? Because Jesus ascended to the Father. He lives in believers everywhere, working through us. Jesus fed the 5,000 people. His caring children feed multiplied thousands each year in hunger relief in other nations, as well as feeding children in schools in America. Limited by space and time, He drew followers to Him in Judea, Galilee and Samaria. Each year, through the power of he Holy Spirit and in response to the message of His disciples, millions have pledged and continue to pledge allegiance to Him. The source of all these works is Jesus Himself.