Last night, Karen and I, along with our daughter Bethany, visited my parents in Montreal to celebrate my mother’s birthday. While we were there, one of my cousins phoned from California. It always amazes me how we can talk to people (and now see them on cell phones and computers) all over the world and their voices sound like they’re right beside us!
It was forty years ago yesterday that I returned to Quebec after spending fourteen months in Europe with Operation Mobilization. I loved being overseas, but wanted to share the gospel with people in my native province. After working in the business office of the Gazette in Montreal, I joined Global Outreach Mission. At that time, it was estimated that only 0.5% of the population of Quebec had a personal relationship with Christ. Since then, a number of people have moved to Quebec to serve the Lord and new churches are being established.
On Sunday, Karen and I had the joy of sharing our ministry in the Église Évangélique Associée de Verdun. When we were there three years ago, a friendly man named Fernand helped us carry boxes of literature and other materials from our radio follow-up office. We were saddened to learn that he died a month ago. I told the congregation on Sunday that he was the first person to offer me a water bottle when we visited the church on a hot summer day. Earlier this month, we received the sad news that Marion Trafford died. She was a dedicated servant of the Lord, devoted to her husband, Pastor David Trafford (who officiated at our wedding in 1981), her family, her church and others.
In my message on Sunday, I shared some thoughts regarding our motivation for missions. The first prerequisite is to be converted. If you are reading this blog and have never asked God’s forgiveness for your sins, don’t delay any longer. Confess your sins to God and receive His gift of salvation by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Secondly, we must be convinced that Jesus rose from the dead. The lives of the disciples were transformed when they saw the risen Christ. Thomas (whose name is linked with the word “doubting” because he expressed his desire to see the wounds on Jesus’ body for himself because he wasn’t with the other disciples when Jesus appeared to them) went to India to proclaim the gospel. Peter, who denied that he knew Jesus three times, preached to multitudes of people, quoting Old Testament prophecies about Christ.
In his Study Bible, Dr. David Jeremiah answers the question: “So how do we know the Resurrection really happened?” He writes: “Jewish officials panicked because thousands were following Christ. They heard Jesus predict that He would rise on the third day, and so when His body was placed in a tomb, they had to make sure He was put away for good! So the chief priests and Pharisees gathered and asked Pilate to ‘command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night, and steal Him away …’ Pilate agreed, so they secured the tomb, in part by ‘setting the guard’ (Matthew 27:63-66).
Steve