September 13, 2018
Dear friends,
For the past couple of weeks, we looked at some factors involved in motivating us for missions. The first three items are to be converted, to be convinced that Jesus rose from the dead, and to be confident that the Bible is the Word of God. If you did not read these blog posts, you can read them on the ministry website.
The next ingredient in being motivated for missions is to be committed to obey the Word of God. Here is a selection of verses which reveal that Jesus is the Word of God:
John 1:1 –“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
John 1:14 – “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”
John 14:21 & 23 – “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me … If anyone loves Me, he will keep My Word.”
Revelation 19:13 – “…His name is called the Word of God.”
John 18:37 – “…You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”
Philippians 2:5-11 – “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus … and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Revelation 19:16 – “And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”
Pilate asked a question that has been linked with his name throughout history: “What is truth?” (John 18:38). Dr. David Jeremiah writes: “Pilate’s question reflected the cynicism of his day – and ours. Skeptics were teaching that truth is unknowable and therefore a matter of opinion, so if such a thing as absolute truth existed, there would be no way to know it. Ironically, the answer to Pilate’s question – the Truth – was standing right in front of him.”
John 14:6 – “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’”
In the December 2017 edition of “Turning Points” magazine, Dr. David Jeremiah tells the story of R. U. Darby, who joined his uncle to search for gold in the 1800s: “The two men had initial success, but then the mine dried up. They drilled deeper, but to their intense disappointment, they found nothing but rock and dirt. They finally decided the vein of gold had been inconsequential.
Darby and his uncle sold their equipment as junk and took the train back home, where they had to work hard to repay their creditors. But the man who bought the drilling rig decided to give it another try. He called in a mining engineer to advise him, and the drills went back to work. Only three feet from where the Darbys had stopped drilling, the new owners found one of the richest deposits of gold ever discovered in that area.” R. U. Darby went on to pursue a very successful career in the insurance industry, profiting from what he learned in his mining adventure. He said: “I stopped three feet from gold, but I will never stop because men say ‘no’ when I ask them to buy insurance.” We may feel discouraged at times in our spiritual life, but we must persevere in studying God’s Word and sharing its spiritual gold with others.
In many areas of the world, Christians are being persecuted for their faith. Yesterday, I received an email today from a Christian advocate who is working hard to obtain the release of Pastor Andrew Brunson, who has been illegally detained in Turkey for more than 700 days. Let’s continue to pray for his release and the safety of other brothers and sisters in Christ who are facing fierce opposition, as shown at: https://www.vomcanada.com/News-Articles/.
Scripture for the weekend: “But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool” Hebrews 10:12-13 (NKJV)
Thought for the weekend: “If we are armed with the truth, we need not fear. The great enemy that lurks around the corner for all of us is not an enemy at all. Jesus took the sting out of death and gained victory over the grave.” – Dr. David Jeremiah (from his Study Bible)
By His grace,
Steve